It took perseverance and dedication over decades to build the gothic cathedral. Set on a hill 400 feet above sea level, with the top of the tallest tower rising to 676 feet, it's the highest structure in the capital city. It literally and symbolically looks down over it.
Massive amounts of gray limestone were quarred, cut and brought to the site. Each decorative stone was carved by skilled artisans; the gargoyles were so exquisite that a documentary film about them won an Oscar. Masons set the stones in place with mortar by hand, one by one. In typical medieval fashion, heavy cut stones for the arches were supported by wood framing until the keystones were set. This was an impressive feat: the interior is 102 feet high.
It was found that one tower was 1/2" shorter than the other. In most projects of this magnitude being that close would have been cause for celebration. But this place was being built for the glory of God and workers demonstrated their reverence through their craftsmanship. Several courses of stone were removed and re-set with slightly thicker mortar joints so the towers ended up at exactly the same height.
Through turmoil, wars, shortages of funds, epidemics and everything else that besets man the project proceeded. Exactly eighty-three years after its start the final stone was set on the southwest tower, completing the sixth largest cathedral in the world. It's an impressive feat, but not miraculous.
This is the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. In 1791 the U.S. Congress endorsed plans for the capital city that included "a great church for national purposes." Years passed, but finally in 1893 Congress granted a charter to build it to a Christian organization. The charter instructed them to "establish...within the District of Columbia a cathedral...for the promotion of religion." In 1907 President Theodore Roosevelt helped lay the cornerstone.
The cathedral was built and is maintained with private funds to avoid government ties. But so are lots of religious places.
Ones that get sued.
In Blooomfield, CT high school graduations were being held in the privately funded First Cathedral. The ACLU sued over separation of church and state issues; most of the schools kowtowed and moved to more expensive and/or less convenient venues. The controversial cross in the Mojave Desert is also on private land and maintained with private funding, but it's been dragged into court for years.
The National Cathedral is different. It's participated in four of the last five most recent inaugurations, hosted state funerals and memorial services, and held numerous services in fulfilling its Congressional designation as the "National House of Prayer." But nobody screams about "separation" issues.
Set in what's probably the highest concentration of lawyers ever assembled in the history of man, in a teeming sea of secularism, it's amazing the National Cathedral remains unassailed. That's what makes it the "miracle cathedral."
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Have you watching the political "volleyball game" in Enfield? Enfield is being sued by the ACLU (who else?) representing two students and three parents (anonymously, of course) over the HS graduations being held at First Cathedral. The game is being played in the real courts and the most recent volley was by a judge who declared holding the ceremonies there was unconstitutional. Something about "separation of church and state" blah, blah, blah. The schools are being represented for FREE by the ACLJ. Stay tuned!
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