Cathedrals

This weekend I went to mass at the Cathedral Basilica in Newark, New Jersey.   It’s nice, it’s fancy, it’s churchy – everything you want in a cathedral.  Now I’ve covered the 5 archdioceses of the two major metropolitan areas I’m in on a regular basis, actually attending mass at each one.

Cathedral 101.   Obviously the #1 is St. Peter’s in Rome.   As noted earlier, I’ve been there in 1981 on a school trip.  Remarkably, despite going there on a CATHOLIC SCHOOL TRIP (Marymount in Paris), we didn’t actually attend mass there.   I don’t know why.    Below that, there are the archdioceses around the world.  The #1 church, the regional HQ, so to speak, is the cathedral.  Below that are the individual parishes.  You can attend mass at your local parish, or you can do so at the cathedral.   You might get to hear mass by the Bishop or Arch-Bishop, as I did quite often.

NOTE:  the mass is the same at a cathedral, and the bishop – assuming he’s even saying the mass that Sunday – isn’t necessarily any more interesting than any other priest.  [Again, too bad my Dad’s sermons weren’t recorded.]   Mass-wise there’s no advantage to a cathedral.   So what’s the difference?

The biggest deal is that cathedrals are (1) usually pretty big, (2) very fancy, and (3) unlike some of the more modern churches, almost always in the familiar cross shape.   If you enjoying being surrounded by a huge edifice that makes you feel really Catholic, at home with the Popes and saints, then a cathedral is the place to go.  Some of the cathedrals had plaques indicating that the Pope (Francis, Benedict XVI, John Paul II, etc. – though probably not #1, St. Peter) had been there, a distinction your local parish might not be able to brag about. 

I remember years ago I went to mass at St. Martin’s in Gaithersburg, Maryland.  The pastor, Father Mellone, joked that the local paper referred to “the Cathedral of St. Martin”.  “I don’t recall being made a bishop,” he laughed.  [Send that reporter to St. Matthew’s in downtown DC – see below] 

St. Thomas More, Arlington, Virginia [Northern Virginia, which ranges as far west as Front Royal and almost down to Richmond].  This one is actually so close to me, it was my default.  As a result, I heard Bishop Loverde (until recently the head), say the mass.  He was marginally more interesting than the usual priests.  The cathedral itself is more understated and boring relative to the others, though that may be my own familiarity breeding contempt.

Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington, DC [Washington DC, plus Montgomery County, MD and Prince George’s County, MD].  This in the heart of the financial district, not far from the K Street zone with negligible parking.  Inside it has an Eastern Orthodox flavor to it.  Moreover, many cathedrals are set off by themselves, but this is tucked inside a city block. 

Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, Baltimore, Maryland [the rest of Maryland].   Up on Charles Street, well north of downtown, but the neighborhood is really fancy.  Easily my favorite.  Very tall.  Lots of stained glass.  Just so much here to look at and absorb.  It’s amazing.  If I lived in Baltimore I’d go here every Sunday.   Actually, the exterior is fairly dull – in that regard, the Newark branch has it beat, but CMOQ is better on the inside.

Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark, New Jersey [northern New Jersey].   Almost as nice as the Baltimore HQ, still very fancy.  Kind of a run down neighborhood, which is what you can expect from Newark. 

St. Patrick’s, New York City, NY [New York].   We’ve all heard of this one, right?  Fifth Avenue, 50^th Street, literally right across from Rockefeller Center.  I made it a point to actually attend mass here.  It ranks up with the good ones, but I still prefer CMOQ in Baltimore.  However, if you are in NYC on a Sunday and you’re Catholic, by all means catch mass here. 

That’s it for the United States.  I’ll mention two outside the US.

Notre Dame, Paris, France.   We lived in Paris for 11 years, and came here a few times.  I believe we even walked up the spiral staircase to one of the towers.   It’s on Ile de la Cite, the island in the center of the city which was originally Lutetia during Roman times.  I don’t recall us ever actually attending mass here.   Paris also has The Madeleine, which is more like the Partenon in Greece, St. Augustin down Blvd. Malesherbes from us, and St. Joseph’s, our English-speaking parish. 

Metropolitan Cathedral of São Sebastião, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  Remember I said cathedrals are cross-shaped?  Not this one.  Its’s a huge cone with a flat top, but the sides are all stained glass.  Although I’ve been to downtown Rio, which is where this is, I didn’t visit it.

There you have it.  Again, the mass is the same wherever you go, but the experience is a little more impressive when the house is bigger.