DC’s National Cathedral Has Darth Vader Grotesque
I had no idea catholicism was so cool nowadays. The National Cathedral in Washington DC had some kids come up with their own “grotesque” or statue that typically adorns gothic churches to ward away evil spirits- like gargoyles. The kids thought, “what could be more scary than Darth Vader?”
[ad code=2 align=center]
From the Washington National Cathedral’s homepage here:
In the 1980s, while the west towers were under construction, Washington National Cathedral held a decorative sculpture competition for children. Word of the competition was spread nationwide through National Geographic World Magazine. The third-place winner was Christopher Rader, with his drawing of that fearful villain, Darth Vader. The fierce head was sculpted by Jay Hall Carpenter, carved by Patrick J. Plunkett, and placed high upon the northwest tower of the Cathedral.
How to find Darth Vader
First, bring binoculars! Darth Vader is very difficult to see by the naked eye. Leave the building through the ramp entrance at the northwest corner of the nave, through the double wooden doors of Lincoln Bay. Go down the ramp, and step into the parking lot. Then, turn around and look back up at the tower closest to you. Near the top of the tower is a gablet, or small peaked roof, located between the two huge louvered arches. At the bottom of each slope of this gablet is a carved grotesque. Darth Vader is on the north, or right-hand, side. There is a carved skull situated on a gablet much closer to the ground that many people often mistake for Darth Vader. From this skull, Darth Vader is up and to the left.
Finally, a reason to go to church!
This is in the new Dan Brown book…
Thanks for the post, this is one of only a few images that demonstrates both the beauty and oddity of this design. It also does an excellent job of demonstrating the more secular nature of this cathedral’s design and adornment beyond any other structure of this purpose throughout Christendom.
Most photos I have seen simply show the Vader grotesque from a level plane angle, as opposed to the angle of sight in this photo that is far more similar to that which the common observer at the cathedral would find (albeit, he or she would most certainly need binoculars and a guide to point out where the grotesque can be found, given its atom like size compared to the enormity of the overall structure).
In addition to my thanks for your photo and post, there was one point I did wish to correct from that which you wrote in your original message.
Your note, “I had no idea catholicism was so cool nowadays.”, which certainly made me laugh in the context of simply acknowledging that there actually exists a church with a Darth Vader grotesque/gargoyle, is slightly misinformed.
As it is commonly known, “Washington National Cathedral”, or as it is actually named, “The Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul”, is not, despite the heavily French inspired Gothic exterior, a Catholic church or Catholic Cathedral.
The church is of Episcopalian, not Catholic origin, and serves as the official seat of both Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, currently The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, and the Bishop of the Diocese of Washington, currently The Very Reverend John Bryson Chane. The Cathedral holds daily Episcopal services, regular weekend celebrations of the Eucharist, and celebrates all other feasts, rituals, and Holy Days recognized by the Episcopal Church of The United States.
So basically the only thing I wanted to correct was the word “catholic” in your statement, and replace it with U.S. Episcopalian. While most people see little different in the episcopal and catholic liturgies, and I myself as a Catholic with degrees in Theology and Philosophy, attend both Catholic and Episcopal churches when issues of convenience arise, there are significant differences in the internal structures of these christian denominations, and extremely controversial social action by the U.S. Episcopal Church concerning the ordination of women, ordination of homosexuals, and election of either to the episcopate. I do not have a problem with any of these social changes, in fact I welcome them, but they have caused much division in the Worldwide Episcopal Communion, and have been a source of great controversy of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of The Church of England, and the Worldwide Anglican Community.
It has more or less gotten to the point where the episcopal church in the U.S. has maintained the same liturgy as that used by the rest of the english-speaking anglican communion, who often adopt the very same liturgy use by the Catholic church’s Roman Missal; however, while maintaining orthopraxy, right-practice, their orthodoxy, right-teaching or right-belief, has come into question as serving to adopt the most liberal trends in society while attempting to retain the historic and traditional theological beliefs of the Anglican Communion.
Anywho, like I said, I go to mass where ever there happens to be one going on by the time my patient rotations are done, omg a medical professional with religious beliefs I know, and whether Catholic or Anglican, I do not really care, its all the same to me.
I just wanted to make sure that anyone who reads this post knows that the Washington National Cathedral is not only a part of, but serves as “The Vatican, so-to-speak,” of the Episcopalian church in the U.S., despite this fact, religious and secular services of all types and faiths are held in the cathedral, in line with its philosophy of serving as a house of prayer for all peoples of all faiths, like The United States Itself. That said, Washington National Cathedral does hold a charter from The United States Congress as The National House of Prayer, hence its mutli-faith and multi-usage services.
For Catholic Churches in Washington D.C. see The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception located on The Catholic University of America’s Campus. It it receives more than twice as many visitors annually as WNC, and is not only the tallest building in D.C., it is the largest Catholic Church in the U.S., and the 8th largest religious structure in the world. While most people think it is, the basilica is not the seat of the Archbishop of Washington D.C., The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle serves that function, in the same way that St. John Lateran Arch-Basillica in Rome serves as the “official” seat of The Bishop of Rome, the Pope, despite the fact that St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is far older and far larger, St. John Lateran ranks above all other christian churches, even St. Peter’s, because it is the official seat (cathedra) of The Bishop of Rome.