Washington National Cathedral: A little bit of church and state
The National Cathedral is a religious retreat for all believers, even the non-believers, away from the hustle and bustle of Washington’s other touristy sites downtown. Located in a quiet section of the Northwest corner near Tenleytown, the expansive space, both inside and out, allows people to mix church-and-state in one ornate and exquisite place.
The first stone, one from a field near Bethlehem, was laid in 1907. The entire cathedral was under construction for 83 years and completed in 1990. Made of Indiana limestone, the Cathedral mirrors many of those built across Europe (the labyrinth is based on the one in the floor of the nave at Chartres Cathedral in France). It contains similar angels, gargoyles and stained glass windows. However, unlike many European cathedrals, this one also features a sculpture of Darth Vader at the top of the west tower and a piece of lunar rock in the Space Window on the Cathedral’s south side.
The Bethlehem Chapel opened in 1912, and services began even as construction continued around it. Official services and special events have taken place through history. President Woodrow Wilson attended the official Thanksgiving service there in 1918 for the end of World War I. Martin Luther King, Jr., preached his final Sunday sermon in 1968. Funerals for Eisenhower, Reagan and Ford were held. Presidential inauguration prayer services have taken place at the church since Reagan’s second inauguration, with exception to President Clinton who chose a different location. Most recently, President Obama attended services last January before his inauguration.
If you look closely at the details of the Cathedral, it is clearly an American structure. The stained glass windows, for example, detail scenes from American history. The Lewis and Clark Windows, for example, show scenes from the two explorers’ expedition west and their encounters with Native Americans. The Space Window show planets and stars, and includes a piece of lunar rock from the Apollo 11 crew and given to the Cathedral as a gift. Other windows are dedicated to Stonewall Jackson, Andrew Carnegie and General Robert E. Lee. The Cathedral also features statues of Lincoln and Washington and a stone that reads "GITMO" as a gift from those stationed at Guantanamo Bay in 1964. In addition, while regular Episcopal services are held here, it also hosts special prayer services led by Jewish rabbis, Muslim imams, Buddhist monks, and American Indian tribal leaders. Lectures, concerts, tours, festivals and other events are held at the Cathedral and open to the public.
Outside the Cathedral has plenty to see, too. Gargoyles of different animals, including frogs, cats, alligators, dragons and wild boars surround the Cathedral. On the south side of the Cathedral is a special Bishop’s Garden, a quiet sanctuary with plants from the Medieval gardens and ones referred to in the Bible, as well as native plants. There are also fountains and a koi pond. From there you can also hear the church bells ring, including weekly carillon recitals every Saturday at noon.
Posted by Rin-rin Yu
