I am on my way back to New York this morning, where I will be discussing Rage and the Republic as this year’s keynote speaker at the Milton Friedman Dinner at the historic Union Club. I wanted to share a few photos from last week’s book event when I visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral. For those who have not done so, it is a glorious building. I rarely go to New York without popping into this masterpiece.
The great James Renwick designed the building, which is the seat of the Archbishop of New York. It is the largest Gothic Revival cathedral in North America and occupies an entire block between Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, 50th Street, and 51st Street.
The white marble building features spires that rise 330 feet. The stained glass window and graceful arches are stunning. Here are a few pictures in the hope that you will come to New York and visit this American gem.
Photographing churches is always a challenge; especially cathedrals. You can never back up far enough to get the whole building in frame while capturing its details. Photographing even single sections can be difficult. Yet these photos are all well-lit with good sharp images.
The term “gothic” was used as an insult by Italian architects of the Renaissance to try to associate its features with the “barbaric”Germanic tribes that toppled the western Roman Empire. Today most people regard Gothic-influenced structures as beautiful or at least emblems of the highest dignity. I notice that not only churches but also university libraries (Washington) and law schools (Michigan) are in gothic style.
Cornell Law School too, I believe. Ithaca and Ann Arbor seem to have a lot in common.
Much better in Europe.
Thank you, Professor. Interesting juxtaposition of articles today: the highs and lows of human accomplishment.
“in the hope that you will come to New York and visit”
You have got to be Schiffing me! Visiting the rat infested capital of the new Communist movement? Not even approaching the town I used to thoroughly enjoy.
While St Patrick’s is a modern marvel of religious architecture, the facts must not be ignored that this structure owes its creation to a 3,000+ year history of western culture and its architecture. Without these long-standing influences, most of the traditional western structures would look much different. Especially the vaulted arch and the keystone so endemic to the Gothic style . As a student of architectural history for 50+ years I have long held that the birth of our thrust into modern, cultureless, vague architectural style (reference the obama library) was aimed at nullifying the impact of western traditions in culture. A similar thing happened to art, literature and music at the same time; yes, times do change and cultures are transformed by the influence of media/education. While we may appreciate St Pat’s we must see it as the last vestige of western architectural culture. With mamdani in charge, I expect a much grander mosque to be erected on this site if the incursion of islam is not abated soon.
My heart is uplifted by these beautiful images. Soli Deo Gloria! Contrast this edifice, and the Being it honors, with the excrescence that is the obama library.
It’s magnificent! I have been there many times.
Next time you might pop into St. Thomas Episcopal as well. Across 5th and north a couple of blocks. Equally stunning … and no crowds. Deserves to be better known.
Where is X Crement’s comment denying that Professor T wasn’t in a cathedral and that the cathedral he wasn’t in wasn’t St. Pat’s?
I can’t feel that way about something so emblematic of how the Irish came to dominate the Church in America. Charles Morris, in his “American Catholic: The Saints and Sinners Who Built America’s Most Powerful Church” details how the Church wad transformed from one that understood human frailty and the power of repentance and forgiveness, when led by French and Germans, to a monolith of sexual repression once the Irish took over..
The Irrish used their command o
The.Irish used their command of the English language to dominate the Church in the New World, turning a seminary in Maynooth into a priest factory for the US, providing genteel careers forr hundreds of bright lads, many of whom had, blessedly, no interest in marrying women.
One particularly annoying thing the Irish bishops would do::A group of Slovaks, or Croats, or Germans, would get together and build a church, and name it for one of their patrons. Thr Irish frowned on national parishes, and shoved them willy nilly into their geographic scheme. This so incensed the Poles that many founded the PNCC
Interestingly, the groined, vaulted ceiling is painted plaster, not stone!
Thanks for adding the word groined to my vocab
Oh, thank you for that. My grandmother and her two sisters used to go there. I suspect I’d been there too when I was young. It reminds me I’ll need to go see it. They were three sisters from Ireland. There father owned a horse stables before cars became the thing. But I believe they went to that church often. Long history. The younger two sisters never married. Both saints. Mary the older one wouldn’t marry Jack until he returned from war. He was on the first ship out of New York for WWI. My father went to WW II and he didn’t feel that way. He called my mother and said, Hey, I have a long weekend coming up and why don’t I come up there and we’ll get married. Mother said you must be out of your mind. Three days later they were married on a transport train down to his training camp for UDT. Went to Shanghai and removed mines in the harbor. Came back and went into Naval Supply. Raleigh and Durham kids. 9 kids. You’re a great writer. I’m not I wasn’t much into English in school. Wasn’t into school But I came out ok I suppose. Software in the end 3 degrees later. I’ll send you a meme. Granddad was sequestered into the Pentagon. He was an expert in Steal. He died early. I enjoy reading your writings.
It is magnificent. I’ve actually been to that one, it’s beautiful.
I don’t find it the most beautiful of NYC churches though. St. Thomas’, a few blocks away, and St. John’s on the upper west side come right to mind.
What a marvel! Thank you for sharing! (It should be protected at all times. We know “they” would love to see the destruction of it.)