Evening star., 1923-12-23
CATHEDRAL RICH
. IN HISTORIC RELICS
Glastonbury Thorn That
Blossoms at YuIe One of
Unique Features Here.

Washington's ready response 10 tho
appeal OF the National Cathedral of
Ss. Peter and Paul during the past
week and the announcements OF sne-
cial gifts in connection Herewith. re-
calls the fact that in the Cathedral
tClose Is assembled one of the greatest
collections of religious relics In the
new world
Foremost in this group, at Christ
mas time, at least, must be the living.
| Glastonbury thorn tree, a slip Of the
celebrated thorn OF Glastonbury Ab-
bey, England, which frequently bios
SONS at Yuletide, as Tennyson says
in memory OF our Lord" The slip
from which grew the Glastonbury
thorn in the Cathedral Close at Wash
lnston was given TO the late Bishop
Satterlee by Stanley Austin, son OF
the poet laureate of England and
| present owner of ancient Glastonbury
Abbey.
blossoms Mt Christmas
Several times the thorn in Wash
lngton has blossomed at Christmas
ana many are watching ii to see if
II repeats this Christmastide. When
the Prince of Wales visited the
with silver box containing bios
SONS from the thorn, traditional
tribute accorded to royalty when Wis
itins the Glastonbury thorn at Glas-
thorn is planted on a slope just in
front OF the boys school. known as St.
Adams in the Cathedral Close,
The Glastonbury thorn is not the
In the Cathedral Close. An additional
gift was received from Mr.. Austin
OF twenty stones from the ruins OF
the old abbey. renowned as the cradle
OF British Christianity. which have
been formed into the Glastonbury
cathedra or bishops chair, which now
stands within the rood screen Of the
little sanctuary, but will eventually
| be placed within the sanctuary of the
great cathedral.
Stone From Iona.
| To further tie UP the witness OF
| today to that of the past there
is imbedded in the wall of the little
known as the Iona stone. Iona Ca
thedral. on the Island of Iona, was
| founded by Saint COLUMBIA, in 565.
American history is likewise COM
memorated on the cathedral grounds.
for on the north side of Saint Adams
| Church, and facing Wisconsin avenue
in the Braddock boulder. dedicated
by the District Society OF Colonial
! Wars in 1907, in memory OF the fact
that over the road in front OF the
| cathedral grounds. Gen. Edward Brad
dock with British troops, with a young
colonial officer. George Washington by
name. on his staff. marched By to Fort
| Duquesne.
| Still another American historical
| note is struck by the bronze lectum
used as an open-air pulpit. which IS
cast from old cannon taken in the
Spanish war and Is the gift of the
late Chaplain Charles G.. Pierce OF the
United States Army, for many years
| the special preacher at the open-a air
services on Sunday afternoons
around the peace cross.
JerusaIem Altar.
The Jerusalem altar, the very
| heart of the cathedral, is a sacred
witness that leads one back to the
Holy Land and scenes connected with
the earthly life of the Savior, 1t
was the first stone OF the coming
blocks were taken from the quar-
ries of Solomon at Jerusalem, whence
| the stones of the temple were
hewn." and from the ledge of roci;
| was hewn. The entrance to these
| auarries ia just without the Dana
Gus gate, not far from Calvary. The
stones come from the sacred ground
where the Master lived and enacted
the great drama of redemption.
. Dragging His heavy cross in that
last tragic scene. He passed near
these places whence came the stones
This spur to religious imagination
and faith, the Jerusalem altar. is the
joint gift of American dioceses and
congregations.
Another witness from the Holy
land is that the Jordan font Is lined
! with stones brought from the Da-
| mascus ford of the River Jordan.
| where. according to tradition. our
Lord was baptized. so that the per-
| sons standing in the font for bap-'
tism are standing on stones that the
feet of Jesus may have pressed on
when He began His ministry. This
font. which is now in a temporary
| building, will be placed eventually
| In permanent baptistry to be built
on the south side of the cathedral.
| Nor must be forgotten the historic
Canterbury ambon. r massive carved
cathedral pulpit made of stones from
| Canterbury Cathedral and presented
| through the Archbishop and Dean
and Chapter of Canterbury in MEM
ory Of Stephen Langton, Archbishop
/ of Canterbury, who led the barons
| when the Magma Charta was signed
| by King John. Incidents in the
| struggle to obtain the Bible in Eng
iish are illustrated In the bas relief
which adorns the pulpit.