Silversmith Designs Special Chalice For Old Friend Pope Francis' U.S. Visit

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- When Pope Francis arrives in New York City on Thursday, he'll receive a special gift.

A silversmith from Argentina designed a chalice for the Holy Father to use this week.

As CBS2's Matt Kozar reported, the chalice is distinctly American.

The chalice features red, white, and blue jewels, a gold-plated map of the United States, and an intricate design inspired by the architecture of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

"It's all American silver from regular, average citizens," Adrian Pallarols explained.

Pallarols is a seventh generation silversmith from Argentina.

He made the chalice and a paten to hold communion from melted down silver jewelry donated by people across the U.S.

After an article in Time magazine publicized his idea for the all-American chalice he said the donations poured into his shop.

"It's involving and representing the simplest and humblest citizens of the United States," he said.

The 43-year-old plans to give the gift to his friend Pope Francis this week in New York, but isn't sure in what mass he will use it.

"When he became the Pope I said, 'Okay, I'll lose my friend. I won't see him anymore,' and I cried," he said.

When Francis was Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio in Buenos Aires he married Pallarols and even baptized his daughter.

Pallarols remembers how the then Cerdinal would bring him silver he'd received as gifts and asked him to sell it.

"With that money, he used to get medicines, clothes, blankets, food, and he used to go personally to the humblest places in Buenos Aires, and give it personally to the people," he said.

Pallarols said Pope Francis sees himself as a priest who serves and leads by example.

"The unconditional love to the friends and the unconditional love to the family, that is what I learned most from him," Pallarols said.

It's a life lesson from an old friend who is now the spiritual leader for more than a billion people.