Unfinished: A Cathedral for the 21st Century The Cathedral, built stone-on-stone by thousands of hands over more than a century, remains unfinished. Periods of intense construction were followed by long stretches when no building could be done. Will the Cathedral ever be finished? Could the Cathedral ever be finished? What the Cathedral will be in the future depends on how powerfully we imagine it and how enthusiastically we participate. Whatever Complete Means
DEAN DANIEL God calls us to work together to create a just society, where all are fed, all are clothed, all are educated and respected in order that all may flourish. That’s what the Cathedral was called to do 125 years ago and it's what we will be called to do 125 years from now. DAVID KIRBY Since the cornerstone was laid in 1892, construction has been halted by engineering problems, economic shortfalls, and changing architectural tastes, as well as two world wars, the social upheaval of the 1960s, and the real estate bust of the late 1980s. DEAN HARRY PRITCHETT We could argue back and forth about whether it’s advantageous to have the biggest Gothic cathedral in the world but the truth is, we’ve already got it. The question becomes, what to do with it? How can you be a good steward of this incredible gift? DEAN MORTON
Cathedrals are monsters. They are big, heavy, and very expensive. They’ve got to be maintained. If not, you’re in deep trouble. REBECCA MERRILL In our first 125 years, the Cathedral completed chapels and grillwork, built ceilings by Tiffany, installed organs, mounted stained glass, and committed to ongoing stonemasonry. Construction is always happening at the Cathedral. Projects might not always be visible, but that doesn’t mean we’re not working and building on the mastery of the past with 21st-century vision. JIM PATTERSON
“The commandments are written in stone but the way we live is in our daily lives. The many small decisions we make every day depend on situation and circumstance, which are not carved in stone.”
Most places say, “Okay, 20 years from now this will still be fine.” But we’re doing things that need to be fine 100 years from now. That gets intimidating. I would love to know that everybody is working towards completing this Cathedral, whatever complete means. Complete is different for everybody. To know what to complete or just conserve and to what degree depends on a balance of emotions and good judgment. We just need to make sure that whatever we do, people can enjoy it in the future.
LAURA F. BOSLEY Of course, we would like to finish it. If we had the money, we would. If a donor wished to make it possible for the North Tower to rise or the North Transept to open its doors, the Cathedral community would be very thankful but the needs of people, programs, and ongoing maintenance take precedence. SUSAN RODRIGUEZ The day-to-day care is challenging. We all consider it vulnerable. The Nave is complete, the Apse is complete, but the crossing is completely incomplete. The towers on the west front facing Amsterdam were supposed to have been completed before the Second World War. The War happened, and the work was never finished. Anything that happens to move the Cathedral forward has to build on the past. Each piece and each part of this history is important. BRUCE MACLEOD That the Cathedral is not finished, it’s not buffed up and shined, it is vulnerable and needs the care of human hands. That gives it a special character, a kind of human frailty. JIM PATTERSON
It’s not just the building and it’s not just the people here. It’s the concept. When you see the guests come in all smiling or with that surprised look when they see the inside the first time, you get a feeling of “I am a part of this.” That’s what the Facilities team has. They feel they are a part of what the Cathedral represents. LISA SCHUBERT The enduring legacy of the Cathedral will not be in the stone, the artwork, the organs, or other treasures. The fire of December 2001, coming so soon after 9/11, made it clear that even the biggest and most venerable buildings are vulnerable. The heart of the Cathedral’s legacy is and will be what happens in the lives of the thousands of people who come here: the results of an Easter service, an evening of music, a hot meal, a childhood of summer camp on the Close, or a prayer under the dome looking up at the Rose Window.
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