D.C. '11: The National Cathedral

I must start this entry with a disclaimer: when I first heard about the existence of a National Cathedral, I was skeptical and uneasy - why is there a religious institution associated with our nation's capitol?  I soon learned, however, that though many high-ranking officials have endorsed and patronized the cathedral, it officially has no connection to the government, and calls itself the National Cathedral due to its central location, not affiliation.

It is technically an Episcopal cathedral, but it welcomes people of all faiths, and in fact encourages it.  Here is their mission statement from their website: "Washington National Cathedral is a church for national purposes called to embody God’s love and to welcome people of all faiths and perspectives. A unique blend of the spiritual and the civic, this Episcopal Cathedral is a voice for generous-spirited Christianity and a catalyst for reconciliation and interfaith dialogue to promote respect and understanding. We invite all people to share in our commitment to create a more hopeful and just world."

Regardless of whether or not you are religious, or in what context or denomination or practice your beliefs lie, there is a lot to see at the National Cathedral.  It's done in the Gothic style, so architecture / art history fans, it's definitely a sight for you - pretty much, it's the only Gothic architecture you can find in America.  And, there are neat little things to see within the architecture itself - historical vignettes done in stained glass, a moon rock from the Apollo missions, presidential tributes, etc.

The day we visited was a busy one, we just happened to arrive between activities - apparently, one hour before our visit the German Chancellor was there, and as we were leaving a funeral service was starting for a high-ranking military official who had also been a religious figure within the church.  The interior was thus decorated beautifully with white flowers for the occasion.

As with the last post, now that I've given background information, I'll let photos with captions take up the rest of this entry.  There were all either taken by Loren or myself.

The cathedral from the southeast corner (taken by Loren).

The apse (I took this for my friend Alex as an inside joke).

The western facade

 A moon rock embedded in a stained glass window dedicated to the Apollo 11 mission.

 One of the rose windows.

The children's chapel - everything is sized for a 5-year-old, with animals embroidered on the kneelers, super cute! 

 The alter, with funeral preparations (taken by Loren).

 One of the side alters

Woodrow Wilson's tomb in an entire bay dedicated to him.

 Stained glass windows in Woodrow Wilson's bay, with gorgeous light coming through (taken by Loren).

Statue of Washington.

One of the gargoyles - yes, it is Darth Vader.

Me in the Pilgrim's observatory, which had awesome views (taken by Loren).

 Some flying buttresses (taken by Loren).

 The view from the Cathedral over Washington, D.C. (taken by Loren) - you can see the Washington monument and the Potomac river pretty clearly.