Evening star., 1932-09-29
The Cathedral's 25 Years
BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES f. FREEMAN,
ID. d. LID. Bishop OF Washington.
BISHOP RECoUNTs PROGRESS OF sTRUCT


H@ o not attempt to hurry the
building of Washington
Cathedral. 1t takes CEN
- turics to build a cathedral"
In some such words as these
my friends from time to time gently
admonish me. They cite the building
of some Of the old cathedrals in Eng
land or on the continent and remind
me that in one period choir was built,
in another, a transept, and SO on
through centuries of time until the
whole great structure was completed.
MY colleagues of the chapter and I
have exhibited no desire to exercise un-
due haste in the building Of the Cathe-
dral in the Capital of the Nation. On
the other hand. we have felt with deep
ening conviction the urgent need of
giving adequate expression to that faith
that We believe is indispensable to our
security and peace. We have been liV-
ing in a period wholly different from
any that has gone before. a period
marked by unprecedented growth, ma
terial and physical. The witnesses to
our spiritual growth are not commen-
surcte with our development along
other lines
Twenty-Five years ago today. under
the guidance of that great spiritual
leader, Bishop Satterlee, the foundation
stone of the structure was laid. Bishop
Satterlee had labored to the point Of
exhausting his vitality in an effort to
secure what now seems a comparatively
small sum. for the purchase of the
original piece of property, comprising
some 1872 acres. Untiringly he had
gone from city to city soliciting funds
and it was on returning from one of
these tr.ps, exhausted and worn, that
his weakened constitution yielded to
pneumonia and his ncble earthly career
was ended il the brief space Of few
days.
Lean Years Arrive.
Then came Bishop Harding, high
minded, devoted. deeply spiritual but
the years of his administration were
lean years" Part of his episcopate
World War. As opportunity afforded
he pied for funds, but they did not come
in large amounts, saving infrequently;
the largest gift of his administration
was that of Mrs. Archibald Russell, of
s500000, given to build the first unit,
or apse of the Cathedral. In the crypt
constructed during the epiScopate OF
Bishop Harding, the beautiful memorial
to Bishop Satterlee, the Bethlehem
Chapel, was built. In subsequent years
the concrete foundations of the entire
structure were laid and considerable
sum secured for endowment purposes.
In the early Spring of 1923, while rector
of the Church of the Epiphany. upon
request of Bishop Harding and as
member of the chapter, l gladly as
sumed the responsibility of laying plans
for a more extensive and persistent ef-
n nf Cathedral
During those memorable days of inti-
mate contact with the Bishop I little
thought that the responsibility I was
as-:inAnS was to shortly deprive me of
the counsel and wisdom Of the Diocesan.
Bishop Harding went to his great re-
ward April 80 1928.
Now, for some nine years, with q
group of devoted and untirirg asscci-
ates, We have pressed the claims Of this
great temple. and with thankful hearts
We acknowledge that results have been
achieved altogether worthy Of SO great
an undertaking.
I pause here to pay tribute Of graft
tude and affection to Dean Bratenahl
conservation he has exhibited during
this entire period as the chairman Of
the Building Committee. His rare
knowledge of ecclesiastical art and ar
chitecture, together with his unfailing
attention to the minutest details relat-
ing to construction, have given him a
place of deserved and lasting distinc-
ton.
A Norm Of Service Maintained.
Throughout these 25 years, Canon
William l.. DeVries has given meticu-
lous care as precentor to the ordering
Of the services of the Cathedral With
a wide knowledge Of liturgical refine
ments and with the cordial approval Of
the late Bishop Harding, a norm or
standard of service has been maintained |
that for reverence, dignity and adher-
ence to the best Anglican tradition is
worthy of high praise. 1t is our deter |
mination to maintain these high stand
ards and thus to render the Cathedral
worship worthy of its high purpose.
1t is also to be noted that many Of
our outstanding leaders in the large |.
concerns of government have been con-
spicuous in pressing the claims of this |!
monumental work. Nothing has so
their zeal or stimulated their |
endeavors as this effort to build wit