Last week Kongo visited the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City. The cornerstone of this truly magnificent American cathedral was laid down in 1892. It is known in some circles as “St. John’s the Unfinished” because the construction still continues to this day. It is the largest Anglican cathedral in the world.

The cathedral has seven chapels built as offshoots to the alter known as the Chapels of the Tongues and are dedicated to seven immigrant tongues representing immigrant populations which were streaming into New York City at the time the cathedral was built.

The stained glass Great Rose window (shown above) is the largest in the United States at 40 feet in diameter and features a life-sized Jesus in the center. The other stained glass windows that highlight the seven chapels and the sides of the main sanctuary are absolutely magnificent to view in person.

The cathedral has a history of sponsoring dynamic spiritual leaders from around the world. Martin Luther King, the Dali Lama, Nelson Mandela, and Vaclav Havel are just a few of the last century’s most influential thinkers who have spoken here.

The service style here is ecumenical but based on an Episcopal and Anglican mode of worship that also includes liturgies and ideas from a wide variety of faiths.

If you haven’t yet visited this masterpiece, Kongo urges you to see it on your next visit to New York City. It is located in Morningside Heights at Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street.

Travel safe. Have fun.