Irenic Thoughts: The Nation's Church at 100

Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of the laying of the first stone for Washington National Cathedral. Begun September 29, 1907 and completed in 1990, the cathedral cost 65 million dollars, a cost covered by the donations large and small of hundreds of thousands of people. An Episcopal Life article, The Nation's Church quotes a construction worker from the 1920s saying

Every time we thought we must stop building because funds were lacking, someone has made it possible for us to go on. I think the Lord must want this place built.

Officially named the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and Paul, it is called the National Cathedral as it has become the venue of choice for state events such as President Ronald reagan's funeral. Perhaps the nation's best known Episcopal church, the cathedral is dazzling, a real European-style cathedral built in America during the last century. The gothic architecture pulls the soul upward, with nooks and crannies that emphasize the mystery of God. While details like the famous Darth Vader gargoyle make it truly a product of our own times.