National Cathedral

Our National Cathedral was declared finished In 1990, after 83 years of work. This is a short interval compared to the centuries it took to build the great cathedrals of Europe. Although it is primarily Gothic in style, the stained glass windows range from graceful Edwardian angels to a space-themed window set with a piece of a moon rock. On August 23 the cathedral was shaken by an earthquake. Spires collapsed and flying buttresses cracked. Cathedrals have burned, collapsed or suffered war damage and have risen again. Now the National Cathedral has joined the club, after a relatively minor calamity. Safely netting has been draped across the ceiling so that next week's September 11 memorial services can go on. Still, each day a kaleidoscope of light glides across the floor and over the columns, directed by the sun. The cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul endures.