Financially Hit by COVID-19, Washington National Cathedral Lays Off Staff

From RNS-

The Washington National Cathedral announced a 15% reduction in full-time staff on Tuesday (June 16) due to the financial impact of coronavirus. Starting July 1, the cathedral — located in Washington, D.C. — will eliminate 13 full-time positions and 13 part-time ones and will furlough another 12 full-time positions.

The cathedral’s doors have been closed since March 12, preventing tourists and worshippers from visiting during what is usually the 113-year-old neo-Gothic landmark’s busiest time of year. In an email to Religion News Service, Chief Communications Officer Kevin Eckstrom said that while donor support has remained strong despite holding only online services, the cathedral has been unable to rent its buildings and grounds for events, which normally helps underwrite operations.

Supporters of the cathedral, an Episcopal parish as well as the seat of the church’s bishop of Washington, can still contribute to Sunday morning offerings virtually, and the cathedral has expanded the ways people can give, but these contributions haven’t been able to compensate for the lack of funding available during the cathedral’s closure.

More here-

https://www.christianheadlines.com/blog/financially-hit-by-covid-19-washington-national-cathedral-lays-off-staff.html

Washington National Cathedral Will Light up in Blue All Week to Thank Health Care Workers Amid Pandemic

From Popculture-

It has been announced that the Washington National Cathedral will light up in blue all week. This is being done as a way to thank health care workers for all their hard work amid the coronavirus pandemic. The church announced the plan on Tuesday, taking to Twitter to share the news.

"[Washington National Cathedral] will be lit blue each night thru (sic) Saturday to honor the doctors, nurses and medical heroes on the front lines of the #coronavirus fight," read the tweet. "Special thanks to our partners at Atmosphere Lighting! The church then added a hashtag for #bluecathedral. Additionally, CBS Sunday Morning news also reported on the kind gesture. The move comes after the church issued a prayer of support for healthcare workers on March 30. "Hear our prayers for those in emergency medicine. By your healing power, grant them quick minds and skillful hands. 

Strengthen them in times of trauma. In quiet times, give them rest and assurance of the value of their work," the WNC said.

More here-

https://popculture.com/trending/2020/04/15/washington-national-cathedral-light-up-blue-all-week-thank-health-care-workers-amid-pandemic/

National Cathedral canon missioner credits 'blessings and miracles' for discovery of 5,000 respirator masks

From D.C.

Rev. Canon Leonard Hamlin, Sr. on donating stockpiled masks to hospitals in need of medical supplies during the coronavirus pandemic.

Washington National Cathedral canon missioner the Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin Sr. joined "Bill Hemmer Reports" Thursday to discuss the recent discovery of 5,000 respirator masks, which have been donated to local hospitals treating coronavirus patients.

Hamlin explained that the masks were originally purchased during the 2006 bird flu pandemic, but were then placed in storage and forgotten about. He credited Joe Alonso, a longtime stonemason of the Episcopal Church, for finding them just as Washington D.C. saw an upswing in confirmed coronavirus cases.

"This is where you are really grateful for institutional knowledge as well as everyone working together," Hamlin said. "When the story came about and the situation of the [coronavirus] crisis began to rise, he [Alonso] remembered the cathedral purchasing masks several years ago. If it was not for his memory..." Hamlin said before trailing off.

More here-

https://www.foxnews.com/media/washington-national-cathedral-coronavirus-masks-medical-supplies

Washington National Cathedral donates 5,000 masks found in storage to hospitals

From ENS-

A severe shortage of masks and other medical equipment is putting health care workers at risk and limiting their ability to treat COVID-19 patients, and hospitals are hoping donated supplies come in soon. On March 25, two Washington, D.C., hospitals got a donation from an unlikely source: a stash of masks that was recently discovered in the crypt of Washington National Cathedral.

The cathedral has donated the 5,000 respirator masks to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and Children’s National Hospital. The masks were purchased after the 2006 avian flu scare, according to the cathedral’s communications staff, “to allow clergy to provide pastoral care without putting their own health at risk” in the event of a future outbreak.

The masks were kept in storage on the cathedral’s crypt level and forgotten about until a stonemason found them during routine maintenance work. Cathedral staff consulted the manufacturer and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and concluded that the masks, which had never been opened, were safe to use.

More here-

https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2020/03/25/washington-national-cathedral-donates-5000-masks-found-in-storage-to-hospitals/

Veterans group's criticism over Bible in Space Force ceremony sparks outrage

From D.C.-

A veterans group that opposes religious displays in public areas has sparked outrage over its criticism of the use of a Bible in a blessing ceremony for the newly created U.S. Space Force at the Washington National Cathedral.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation objected to a ceremony this month at the Episcopal church that featured the Air Force’s top chaplain and a King James Bible donated by the Museum of the Bible. In a since-deleted tweet, the National Cathedral said the Bible would be used to swear in “all commanders” in Space Force.

Foundation founder Mikey Weinstein said in a letter last week to Defense Secretary Mark Esper “this ‘blessing’ event and its concomitant widespread dissemination, publicized as an official U.S. armed forces event, is in practical effect declaring the newly formed United States Space Force to be a uniquely and exclusionary Christian military service.”

More here-

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/20/veterans-groups-criticism-over-bible-space-force-c/

Secular group blasts National Cathedral Bible blessing as 'vile, Christian supremacy’

From Christian Post-

A secular legal organization announced its outrage over the blessing of a Bible for the swearing-in of commanders of the newly created Space Force, calling it a “shocking and repulsive display of only the most vile, exclusivist, fundamentalist Christian supremacy.”

On Sunday, the Washington National Cathedral held a ceremony to bless a King James Bible that will be used to swear in all commanders of America’s newest military branch, the U.S. Space Command, if they so choose.

"Today @WNCathedral blessed the official Bible for the new @SpaceForceDoD, which will be used to swear in all commanders of America's newest military branch," the cathedral's official account tweeted Sunday.

The Rev. Carl Wright, the Episcopal Church's bishop suffragan for armed services and federal ministries, offered the blessing as Maj. Gen. Steven Schaick, Air Force chief of chaplains, held the Bible donated by the Museum of the Bible in Washington, according to The Washington Post.

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/secular-group-attacks-bible-blessing-at-national-cathedral-calling-it-vile.html

Space Force Bible Blessing At National Cathedral Sparks Outrage

From Capital Public Radio-

The blessing of what's being called "the official Bible for the new U.S. Space Force" at the Washington National Cathedral on Sunday is drawing an outpouring of criticism on social media and condemnation from a prominent religious freedom advocacy group. 

"The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) condemns, in as full-throated a manner as is humanly possible, the shocking and repulsive display of only the most vile, exclusivist, fundamentalist Christian supremacy," MRFF founder and president Mikey Weinstein wrote in a statementdenouncing the Bible blessing. "The utilization of a Christian bible to 'swear in' commanders of the new Space Force or any other [Department of Defense] branch at ANY level is completely violative of the bedrock separation of church and state mandate of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution."

In a tweet on Sunday, the Washington National Cathedral posted a statement describing the Bible that was blessed during a morning service as a Space Force official Bible "which will be used to swear in all commanders of America's newest military branch."

More here-

http://www.capradio.org/news/npr/story?storyid=796028336

National Cathedral dedicates plaque honoring hate crime victim Matthew Shepard

From Washington D.C.-

The Washington National Cathedral has installed a plaque memorializing the life of Matthew Shepard, who was killed in an infamous 1998 attack that galvanized support around expanded federal hate crime laws. 

The plaque was installed Tuesday at the Episcopal cathedral after Shepard's remains were interred there last year in the columbarium near the Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea. 

“Matt, rest gently in this place. You are home safe now,” the plaque quotes from Bishop Gene Robinson’s 2018 homily. 

In a news release, Shepard’s mother said that the family put a lot of thought into deciding where his remains would be interred. She said her son felt welcome at an Episcopal church he attended in Wyoming. 

“We've given much thought to Matt's final resting place, and we found the Washington National Cathedral is an ideal choice, as Matt loved the Episcopal church and felt welcomed by his church in Wyoming,” Judy Shepard said. “For the past 20 years, we have shared Matt's story with the world. It's reassuring to know he now will rest in a sacred spot where folks can come to reflect on creating a safer, kinder world.” 

More here-

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/national-cathedral-dedicates-plaque-honoring-hate-crime-victim-matthew-shepard

Paula White: Right Church, Wrong Debate – the Nation’s Cathedral is Out of Line

From Florida-

The clergy of Washington National Cathedral sounds like they’re auditioning to host a show on CNN, having forfeited their moral authority by egregiously politicizing it.

In an apparent ploy to snag some attention from President Trump’s recent tweets calling out the deplorable conditions in parts of Baltimore, the leaders of that iconic religious institution issued a statement that amounted to a verbose scolding of every Trump supporter in the country.

The letter signed by Mariann Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington; Randolph Hollerith, Dean of Washington National Cathedral; and Kelly Douglas, the cathedral’s Canon Theologian is functionally indistinguishable from the rantings we’ve been hearing Democratic officials and cable news pundits all week.

More here-

https://www.floridadaily.com/paula-white-right-church-wrong-debate-the-nations-cathedral-is-out-of-line/

Watch National Cathedral Worshipers Deliver a Standing Ovation for a Statement That Criticized Trump

From D.C. (with video)-

Worshipers at the National Cathedral stood and applauded Sunday when a leader at the institution, which is closely associated with the presidency, spoke about a statement the cathedral published last week that strongly criticized President Trump.

In a video from the service, which you can see above, Episcopal Diocese of Washington Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde offers some words of welcome, followed by the Rev. Canon Kelly Brown Douglas, who expresses gratitude for the cathedral community’s response to the statement. Douglas then has to pause to accommodate nearly half a minute of applause from the congregants, many of them standing.

More here-

https://www.washingtonian.com/2019/08/05/watch-national-cathedral-worshipers-deliver-a-standing-ovation-for-a-statement-that-criticized-trump/

National Cathedral leaders: Trump's racial comments 'give cover to white supremacists

From CNN-

Leaders of the Washington National Cathedral slammed President Donald Trump's recent attacks on minority lawmakers and the city of Baltimore as a "dangerous" rallying cry to white supremacist violence.

The statement from the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington; the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, dean of Washington National Cathedral; and the Rev. Canon Kelly Brown Douglas, canon theologian of Washington National Cathedral, condemned Trump's tweets.

"When such violent dehumanizing words come from the President of the United States, they are a clarion call, and give cover, to white supremacists who consider people of color a sub-human 'infestation' in America," the statement read.

"They serve as a call to action from those people to keep America great by ridding it of such infestation," they added. "Violent words lead to violent actions."

More here-

https://www.wral.com/national-cathedral-leaders-trumps-racial-comments-give-cover-to-white-supremacists/18540941/

The painstaking process of repairing a damaged cathedral

From PBS-

The Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., sustained major damage during a rare 2011 earthquake. Nearly eight years later, reconstruction is still underway at the country's second-largest church. Jeffrey Brown visited the landmark to learn more about the long and painstaking repair effort, including how it has been funded and what steps have been taken to avoid future disaster.

Read the Full Transcript

• John Yang:
  Washington National Cathedral has received $22 million in donations to open the Cathedral College of Faith and Culture. It focuses on topics ranging from ethics in politics to liturgical art to training clergy.
  The emphasis on culture, as well as religion, is also seen in the work to repairing damage caused by a 2011 earthquake.
  Jeffrey Brown visited to see what lessons there may be for the reconstruction teams at Notre Dame in Paris and what lesson those at America's second largest church may glean from the Paris rebuilding as well.
  This story is part of our ongoing coverage of arts and culture, Canvas.
  
  More here-  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-painstaking-process-of-repairing-a-damaged-cathedral?fbclid=IwAR30QKU_MHv7OfamrxqVNDUI6fCUTVKlY34klUs8yCM_igMy_4cDCeL1zNc

Trump Got Dunked On By The National Cathedral. Yes, The National Cathedral.

From Buzz Feed-

Seven months after John McCain's death from brain cancer at 81, President Trump is still beefing with the late senator — and now the National Cathedral is getting involved.

It all started last week, when Trump tweeted about McCain, accusing him of "spreading the fake and totally discredited Dossier" (as he called it) and voting against repealing Obamacare.

(snip)

In a statement to BuzzFeed News, a spokesperson for the National Cathedral denied that Trump had to approve McCain's funeral being there.

“Washington National Cathedral was honored to host the funeral service for Senator John McCain," the cathedral spokesperson said. "All funerals and memorial services at the Cathedral are organized by the family of the deceased."

More here-

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/trump-john-mccain-washington-national-cathedral 

and here-

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/washington-national-cathedral-john-mccain-funeral-trump_n_5c93fa18e4b0a6329e14249e

Trump Attends Christmas Eve Service That Had A Message About Migrants

From NPR-

NPR's Ari Shapiro speak with Mariann Budde, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, about the Christmas Eve service she led at the Washington National Cathedral, which President Trump and the First Lady attended.

The migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border were on Marianne Budde's mind when she sat down to write her Christmas Eve sermon. She's bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. And when she delivered that sermon last night at the Washington National Cathedral, some surprise guests were in the audience. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump had been scheduled to be in Florida, but the government shutdown kept them in Washington. So they were sitting in the pews when the bishop gave this interpretation of the Christmas story.

MARIANNE BUDDE: There are social implications. The story's very clear about this. It begins as you heard tonight. It begins with an emperor who could move people around on a whim. And two people were forced to obey the emperor's edict, and they set out on a long, arduous journey in the last month of the young woman's pregnancy. And they were denied a place of comfort in the hour of her greatest need, and she had no choice but to lay her child in the trough reserved for animals.

More here-

https://www.npr.org/2018/12/25/680079509/trump-attends-christmas-eve-service-that-had-a-message-about-migrants

National Cathedral: The nation’s church

From Kentucky-

Upon its construction, its purpose was to serve as the nation’s spiritual home. But is the Washington National Cathedral, formally dedicated as the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, DC, a Christian-based house of worship or an impressive national site? Perhaps the cathedral is a combination of both.

Although some ornamental work continues, construction began in 1907 and continued until 1990. The cathedral is the seat of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and the Bishop of the Diocese of Washington.

It has been the scene, most recently, of the funerals of former President George W. H. Bush and Senator John McCain. The cathedral also played host to the funerals of President Ronald Reagan, President Gerald Ford and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, as well as many memorial services, including one for the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks, and for presidential prayer services following inaugurations. When not in use for formal ceremonies, the cathedral is open to visitors.

More here-

https://maysville-online.com/uncategorized/161723/national-cathedral-the-nations-church

Bishops and astronauts gather in Washington to remember Apollo 8

From RNS-

Sometimes, the most profound truths about humanity — and God — are revealed when we take a small step back. Or rocket ourselves about 238,000 miles into space.

Astronaut James Lovell had that epiphany 50 years ago as he became one of the first astronauts to orbit the moon.

“I remembered a saying I’d often heard: ‘I hope to go to heaven when I die.’ I suddenly realized that I went to heaven when I was born,” said Lovell.

Lovell spoke at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday night (Dec. 11) as part of a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Apollo 8 mission that sent Lovell and fellow astronauts William Anders and Frank Borman into space to circle Earth’s gray satellite.

The mission, which lasted from Dec. 21 to Dec. 27, 1968, included an unusual religious element: As the trio of spacefarers rounded the moon on Christmas Eve, they paused to read the first 10 verses from the Book of Genesis.

More here-

https://religionnews.com/2018/12/13/bishops-and-astronauts-gather-in-washington-to-remember-apollo-8/

'You Are Safe Now': Matthew Shepard Laid To Rest At National Cathedral

From NPR-

Matthew Shepard, the young gay man brutally killed on a chilly night in Wyoming 20 years ago this month, was finally laid to rest at Washington National Cathedral on Friday. A reflective, music-filled service offered stark contrast to the anti-gay protests that marred his funeral two decades ago. 

The public remembrance at the filled 4,000-seat cathedral was led by the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal bishop of Washington, and the Right Rev. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay man elected a bishop in the Episcopal Church. After, his ashes were interred at the cathedral's crypt in a private family ceremony.

Robinson was emotional throughout the public ceremony, tearfully addressing the large crowd. "For Matthew to come back to church," he said, "is a remarkable step forward." 

He extended a particular welcome to attendees who are LGBT, saying, "Many of you have been hurt by your own religious communities, and I want to welcome you back." 

More here-

https://www.npr.org/2018/10/26/659835903/watch-matthew-shepard-laid-to-rest-at-national-cathedral

Matthew Shepard to be interred at Washington National Cathedral on Oct. 26

From D.C.-

Twenty years ago, the world was horrified when it heard the story of Matthew Shepard, a gay man who died after being beaten and tied to a fence in a remote part of Wyoming.

“In some ways, Matthew’s death may have been even more important to our straight allies than our community itself, in the sense that it shows what happens when ‘Good people remain silent in the face of injustice,'” says Bishop Gene V. Robinson. “It serves as a symbol of the kind of senseless violence committed against our community simply because of who we are.”

Robinson, the first openly gay priest to be consecrated as a bishop in the Episcopal Church, praises Shepard’s parents, Dennis and Judy, for channeling their grief into advocacy, choosing to travel around the world urging tolerance, compassion, and respect for those who are different. By raising awareness of the LGBTQ community’s challenges, Robinson says they helped pave the way for later LGBTQ rights victories — from the end of the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy to the legalization of same-sex marriage.

More here-

https://www.metroweekly.com/2018/10/matthew-shepard-interred-washington-national-cathedral/

DC National Episcopal Cathedral to become LGBT ‘pilgrimage’ site with Matthew Shepard’s remains

From D.C.-

The Washington National Cathedral in the country’s capital is slated to become an unlikely symbol of homosexual activism following the news that it will be the final resting place of murdered University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard.

The family of Shepard, a 21-year-old homosexual man brutally beaten to death in 1998, has decided to have his ashes interred in the crypt of the iconic Episcopal cathedral, the Washington Post reported. His parents had previously kept his ashes for fear of drawing unwanted attention to a public grave, but have now settled on the cathedral ahead of his murder’s 20th anniversary on Friday.

In a public service on October 26, his ashes will be placed in the private, off-limits crypt columbarium. One of just 200 to receive such a distinction, Shepard’s remains will join those of distinguished historical figures such as President Woodrow Wilson, Helen Keller, and Navy Adm. George Dewey. The Daily Caller noted that the cathedral’s dean, the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, is responsible for selecting figures of national significance to inter.

More here-

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/dc-national-cathedral-to-become-lgbt-pilgrimage-site-with-matthew-shepards 

also here-

https://wgntv.com/2018/10/11/matthew-shepard-to-be-interred-in-the-national-cathedral-20-years-after-his-death/

Update: Washington National Cathedral prepares to help family, nation honor McCain

From The Episcopal Church-

Washington National Cathedral may be the site of state funerals and national memorial services and celebrations, but it is also a worshipping community whose members come to the cavernous building on the highest hill in Washington, D.C., to mark the significant moments of their lives. And that is why on Sept. 1 the morning’s funeral for Sen. John McCain will be followed that afternoon by a wedding.

“This couple is actually having their reception in the back of the nave, so we’re going to be moving in hundreds of chairs and moving out hundreds of chairs and then flipping it over again Saturday night for services on Sunday morning,” the Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, cathedral dean, told Episcopal News Service in an interview.

It’s all hands on deck for the cathedral’s 80-plus employees as they prepare for McCain’s funeral, set for 10 a.m., and for the services that follow. “Some employees will be here all night Friday night and well into Saturday night,” he said.

More here-

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/article/update-washington-national-cathedral-prepares-help-family-nation-honor-mccain