Many Unitarian Universalist congregations light a flame inside a chalice (a cup with a stem and foot) at the opening of worship services. The flaming chalice, the official symbol of our denomination, unites our members in worship and symbolizes the spirit of our work towards compassion, justice, and peace.

Hans Deutsch, an Austrian artist, first brought together the chalice and the flame during World War II. When Nazis invaded Paris in 1940, Deutsch was forced to flee his home. He eventually ended up in Portugal, where he met the Reverend Charles Joy. Rev. Joy was the Executive Director of the Unitarian Service Committee (USC), which was founded to assist Eastern Europeans who needed to escape persecution.

During his work with the USC, Deutsch was asked by Rev. Joy to create a symbol for the organization, something to give dignity and importance to the organization and, at the same time, symbolize the spirit of its work. With pencil and ink he drew a chalice with a flame.

The story of Hans Deutsch reminds us that the symbol of a flaming chalice stood in the beginning for a life of service. When Deutsch designed the flaming chalice, he had never seen a Unitarian or Universalist church or heard a sermon. What he had seen was faith in action—people who were willing to risk all for others in a time of urgent need. To Deutsch, the image had connotations of sacrifice and love. Unitarian Universalists today have many different interpretations of the image.

We light a flaming chalice in worship to create a reverent space for reflection, prayer, meditation, and singing.

Last updated 2026-04-24 by Webmaster.