A Welcoming Cathedral

Driving from Northern Virginia into the city of Washington, I catch sight of the National Cathedral long before I cross the district line. It is one of the most prominent landmarks in the Nation’s Capital, riding the crest of a hill called Mount Saint Alban like a giant Gothic ship, high above the Capitol, the White House, and even the Washington Monument. Mount Saint Alban and Capitol Hill are the two great hills in the city, representing the sacred and the secular, heaven and earth, God and country — and they dominate the skyline.

These twin poles reflect Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan for the Federal City in 1791, in which he recommended both a Capitol and a church “for national purposes.” But it was not until 1893 that the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation was given a charter to establish a cathedral, and not until 1907 that the foundation stone was laid, with the participation of President Theodore Roosevelt. The massive limestone structure was built throughout the 20th century, through wars and times of economic crisis, and was finally completed in 1990, in a ceremony involving President George H. W. Bush.

After entering Washington, I drive along the Potomac River past the infamous Watergate Hotel, up Rock Creek Parkway, and then farther up Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest Washington, and in a few minutes I enter the 57-acre Cathedral grounds — called “the Close.” The recent installation of a large underground parking garage has solved the Cathedral’s perennial parking problem, and visitors can park for free on Sundays. Visiting on an autumn day, I find the trees on the Close changing from deep green to bright yellows and oranges, while the sounds of bird songs — instead of car horns — fill the air. Washington National Cathedral is a surprisingly serene oasis in the middle of a loud and often contentious city.

The Cathedral is dedicated to hospitality, and describes itself in brochures as “a church for national purposes called to embody God’s love and welcome people of all faiths and perspectives.” The massive doors of the building are open every day of the week to the 700,000 people who visit every year, and touring is allowed except when worship services or special events are underway. Thirty-minute guided tours start regularly throughout the day, and self-paced audio tours are available for rental during regular touring hours. Behind-the-scenes and specialty tours are also provided, focused on Cathedral art and architecture — including gargoyle tours.

But a formal tour is really not required for a visitor to benefit from the Cathedral, because there is value to walking into the main worship space of the Cathedral — the “Nave” — and simply allowing your eyes to be lifted upward along the columns to the pointed arches and ribbed vaulting of the 100-foot-high ceiling. The building itself communicates a message of uplift and inspiration, from its layout in the shape of a cross to the biblical and theological images in its stained glass windows, stone statues, wood carvings, wrought iron, and fabrics. “No matter your church, your faith, or your reason for visiting, we welcome you to Washington National Cathedral,” says a brochure available at the West entrance. “Each year, the Cathedral opens its doors to thousands of worshipers and visitors who come to find peace and inspiration, listen to beautiful music, and experience the Cathedral’s extraordinary art and architecture.”

But the sense of welcome and openness communicated by the building is muted somewhat by the signs that now appear at every entrance, asking the public for donations. The Cathedral receives no funds from the government, despite the fact that it is the Washington National Cathedral, nor does it get support from the Episcopal denomination, even though it serves as the Cathedral for the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA. Washington National Cathedral is on its own, financially, and its endowment was hit particularly hard by the global economic crisis, so signs throughout the church now say, “Your support keeps the Cathedral open to all … $5 Adult … $3 Senior/student/military … $15 Family … Requested contribution … Thank you.” This solicitation may be grounded in an economic necessity, but unfortunately it sends a message of desperation that seems out of place in a building of such elegance, grandeur, and rock-solid stability. Like it or not, Washington National Cathedral needs the support of a community larger than its own congregation, and this may be inevitable for an institution that seeks to be “a church for national purposes.”

There is a good crowd for both the 8:45 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Sunday worship services, creating a solid sense of community in the massive Cathedral. One of the Cathedral dean’s priorities since taking his position in 2005 has been to develop a true congregation at the Cathedral, one that is focused on worship, spiritual formation, service, stewardship, and hospitality. While there have always been worshipers at the Cathedral, and many people have considered it to be their church home, there was not a membership-based congregation in place until the current dean arrived.

Now visitors can become members of the Cathedral Congregation by attending an Inquirers’ Class, and then deepen their faith by exploring Scripture and books in a variety of classes, and by enjoying Christian fellowship in small groups within the congregation. The vicar of the Cathedral says that most new members are unchurched, and are “finding beautiful worship that engages them and connects them in a sense of community.” On Sunday mornings, members of the Cathedral Congregation identify themselves with purple buttons, and host a coffee and cookie reception after the service. Unfortunately, more signs appear with suggestions for donations — in this case, $1.00 for coffee and cookies.

Between the two Sunday morning services is a program called The Sunday Forum: Critical Issues in the Light of Faith. This discussion of current events in the context of Christian faith includes a guest speaker and is hosted by the dean, with questions submitted by Cathedral Congregation members and visitors. When I visited, the guest was religion scholar Karen Armstrong, author of The Case for God, and several weeks later the Cathedral was visited by the Georgetown University Muslim Chaplain Yahya Hendi, who spoke on “What You Need to Know about Islam.”

I also returned on a Monday night to participate in an hour of Benedictine Life and Prayer, in which a group of 10 warmly welcomed me, and included me in a reading and discussion of the Rule of Benedict and a time of Centering Prayer. This program is sponsored by the Cathedral’s Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage and the ecumenical Community of Reconciliation, and it seeks to apply the ancient wisdom of the 6th-century monk Benedict to modern life.

The dean is looking for space on the Cathedral Close for a coffee shop or restaurant, because he says that “Cathedrals are places to come and linger.” He wants the Cathedral to become a place for art exhibits and other community activities, a “space for the city to gather in all of its diversity.”

A Cathedral called to embody God’s love and welcome people of all faiths and perspectives. A place of peace and inspiration, beautiful music, and extraordinary art and architecture. A Cathedral Congregation focused on worship, spiritual formation, service, stewardship, and hospitality. A Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage and an ecumenical Community of Reconciliation. Dreams of a coffee shop, restaurant, or some other space for the city to gather in all of its diversity. Washington National Cathedral has a great deal to offer its members and guests, but it is still growing in hospitality as it seeks to welcome all people with God’s love and grace.