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For me, New York in the fall will always be associated with the smell of roasted chestnuts sold from carts in the area around Times Square. But on our last trip, in an area a few miles away, a new odor predominated, the smell of incense from a censer.
Broadway is still the center of activity around Columbia
University, but the
atmosphere
is different, more like a college town, without the hectic activity associated
with midtown, or even the upper west side thirty blocks south of here. One block
to the east is Amsterdam Avenue and at its intersection with 112th Street
is the
Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
From the outside it is an impressive building, even with the scaffolding which
blurs the sharp verticals of the south tower. It is laid out in the traditional
manner for a church, with the alter at the east end and the main entrance on the
west side of the building facing Amsterdam Avenue at the top of a bluff known as
Morningside Heights.
The Cathedral has seen hard times lately as a fire destroyed the north
transept in 2001 and as we discovered when we entered also caused extensive
smoke damage to the nave
with only the center aisle being open. At the end of the nave we entered
an area known as the crossing where an altar had been set up with rows of chairs
on three sides and the sanctuary on the fourth. The space above us was immense,
is has been said the the Statue of Liberty (without its base) could be placed in
the crossing without touching the ceiling. the cornerstone of St. John the
Divine was laid in 1892 and in 1911 the East End of the Cathedral was
dedicated. With almost 100 years of services the phrase "the communion of
saints" from the Apostles Creed commemorating the worshippers over the
years takes on new meaning.
The current worshippers are a diverse lot, students from Columbia, young professionals, street people, tourists, people from the neighborhood and the occasional dowager from an earlier period of the Cathedral's history. In the end there were probably about 200 people attending.
The Eucharist began with a processional including a verger, therifer carrying incense, deacons, choir, acolytes and celebrant. It was beautiful and moving with exquisite choral music in counterpoint with the priest's chant, but for all it's grandeur and ceremony, it didn't touch my heart like our services at St. Mary Magdalene (perhaps I'm prejudiced).
Make a point of visiting St John the Divine when you are in New York, and while you're at it, check their web site for special events and times of services.