A Cathedral that Bridges Divides between Peoples

Worship structures can be designed to invite people from many traditions to enter and find rest on the journey. Following the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony proposed to demolish the damaged 1876 cathedral to build a new cathedral downtown designed by the Pritzker Award-winning architect, José Rafael Moneo, to mirror the experience of pilgrimage and the connections between diverse peoples.

On the Cathedral Plaza. . . a fountain donated by the local Jewish community stands tribute to the newfound relationship between Christians and Jews prompted by the Vatican II Ecumenical Council (1962–1965). Fabricated out of Jerusalem stone, the pool’s inscription is taken from Shimon the Righteous, “Upon three things the world stands: the Torah; the Worship of God; the Bestowal of Loving Kindness.” Nearby is the Native American memorial crafted by Johnny Bear Contreras. His sculpture depicts humanity emerging from the rhythms of nature. A pilgrimage reaches beyond what is ordinary, enabling those on the journey to see things in new ways 

 Pilgrims enter the 195,000 sq.-ft. cathedral building through enormous bronze doors designed by a renowned sculptor, the late Robert Graham. The entrance to this sacred space symbolically connects with Jesus’ invitation, “Seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7) A pilgrim crossing this threshold is thrust—body, mind, and soul—into a liminal state where opportunity for transformation and conversion is found. Mythologist Joseph Campbell suggested in his writings that anything is possible on the other side of a doorway leading to a sacred space. St. Paul also spoke of transformation as a metamorphosis, a procession by which we are offered the possibility of new life. It is the way of the pilgrim to wander, to seek, and to discover what perhaps has always been present but not yet recognized. 

 . . . The two bronze doors, together weighing 50,000 pounds, were designed with ample symbols so that those entering the cathedral through them should immediately experience a sense of belonging to––and interdependence with––others. In response to the diversity in the archdiocese, Graham incorporated vines and branches and low-relief carvings of indigenous symbols such as a Samoan Kava Bowl, Celtic Serpents, a Chinese Turtle, and a Chumash Condor that would be easily recognizable by people from different cultures. He also included castings of various “manifestations” of the Virgin Mary at various sites such as Montserrat, Guadalupe, Loreto, and Pomata. 

 . . . For Christians, baptism is a sacramental expression of cleansing and initiation. One leaves behind the old life and embraces a new one. The gates of the font contain sculpted images of fish, which for the early Christians was an acronym that proclaimed Jesus Christ, son of God, savior (in Greek, ichthus). Those who come to the Cathedral are invited to touch the living water in this baptismal font to remind them of the beginnings of their own spiritual journeys and the refreshment that sustains them on the way. The pilgrim’s journey can summon a person to a life of transformation. 

  . . . Once refreshed by the waters of the font, the pilgrim’s procession takes a turn down the gently sloped aisle leading to the centrally located marble altar table.  [IMAGE BELOW: Saints carved into the wall leading to the red stone communion table]  

 

 Once again, the Cathedral floor plan guides pilgrims through a series of junctions where one is invited to reflect on the past, find sustenance in the present, and hope for the future. This is the way of the pilgrim.

More from this essay was posted on August 11, 2017. The complete text of this essay and references are available at www.tandfonline.com.

Richard S. Vosko, PhD, Hon. AIA, and a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Albany, has worked as a sacred space planner since 1970. His portfolio includes fifteen cathedral projects and other award-winning houses of worship in the Judeo-Christian tradition. 

Richard S. Vosko, “The Way of Pilgrims in a Twenty-First-Century Cathedral,” Liturgy 32, no. 3 (2017): 47-57.