The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
March 25, 2009 | Filed Under Cathedrals/Churches, Harlem/Morningside Heights, The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
I love going into churches for different reasons like seeing the architecture and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is one of my favorites — It’s the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world. The length of two football fields, it can hold 5000 worshippers and comfortably house the Statue of Liberty.
Several activities take place in the cathedral. My favorite service there is the Blessing of the Animals (The Feast of St. Francis). A few years ago, I took my dogs there and it was quiet an experience. I was surprised that they behaved themselves, along with all the other animals there.
All kinds of animals made an appearance, from dogs, cats, hamsters, snakes, to lizards and birds. A little girl next to me carried her goldfish in a bowl of water, while her brother carried his pet hamster in its little cage. Walking down the aisle to the church altar came an elephant, monkey, donkey, camel, horse… Watching the elephant walk inside the church was a sight to behold.
How fun to go to church with all of God’s creatures!
Paz
Ed. Note: In the comments section, Mari asked whether the construction of this cathedral has been completed. The answer is no. Construction is about two-thirds complete. It began in 1892. Work stopped during World War II. It wasn’t until 1979 that construction resumed again.
In 2001, fire damaged part of the cathedral. As a result of the financial burden of the fire, construction was again suspended and eight years later remains suspended. At this point, there are no plans to resume construction.
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16 Responses to “The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine”
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When I come to NYC (very soon – May, I think) this is on my list of things to see! Catholics have the best architecture. I was raised Mormon and ours isn’t so hot. We have a cool temple in Salt Lake City, but otherwise the architecture is nothing special.
i always wondered what church the statue of liberty attended.
love the architecture of old cathedrals and churches too.
I’ve always wanted to see the winter solstice concert here. What a great shot Paz.
Great pictures!
Cheers,
Rosa
Paz, it’s really interesting the Cathedral and Blessing of the Animals. Very fine photographs. We have that event here in Piedmont too, once a year, in a small village near Turin.
What a lovely cathedral.
There is a local author who spent the country touring many different churches (all denominations) while they were having services. It’s on my list of books to read…
Nice to visit, as always, Paz
Gina
Too bad you did not take your camera then? A picture of an elephant in a church is indeed a sight to behold!
I love that church, too, Paz. When I was in college, sometimes I’d walk in and just sit inside for a while just to get some quiet time in a completely different atmosphere. Aside from the intricate architecture, the size of the cathedral was overwhelming. Has the work and renovation on it been completed?
Nice post. I enjoyed the photo as well as the words.
I agree with you, churches are wonderful to visit for the architecture and the peaceful atmosphere. Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is my favourite, but it’s also *a lot* different and *rather* touristy of course.
What a lovely ceremony, it must have been a truly amazing experience!
This cathedral looks divine – no pun intended – eerie and beautiful at the same time.
Love the sound of the Blessing of the Animals. I wish I could have seen the elephant attending that gorgeous church. What a sight indeed! Thanks for sharing that story. It made me smile!
Hi!! My sister Melissa told me I should ask you about some things I can do next week when I’m in New York for training. I’m staying at the Barclays and going to work at 345 Park Avenue. There will be 5 of us attending… and didn’t know what we could do in the evening. Any ideas?
Thanks…. and love your pics…..
Angela
I also like it to take a look in churches and taste the atmosphere. Good shot with the sunlight in the branches accompanying (spelling ?) the cathedral window.
Sounds like a really neat tradition with all the animals. The architecture is beautiful and I can see why this is a favorite of yours. I can just see you with your dogs now. . .walking down the aisle. . .
Great photos, but the story is even better than the images. Elephants! I wish I was there. Where the heck did the elephants come from, anyway?
LynnH
I’m so amazed that this exists in the US! Who knew, that all we had to do was to go to New York, rather than to the UK!
One of these days, we’re going to go to one of those services. Some day….