Post-Election Vigil of Hope
November 2020
As the nation awaited the outcome of the Presidential election, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine created a safe space for people to gather. In keeping with Christ’s teachings and the legacy of the Episcopal Church, the Cathedral community prayed for peace, unity, and calm in a world of chaos and division.
Members from the Cathedral’s Congregation of Saint Saviour were on hand for all three days of the vigil, helping to set up and put away chairs, greet strangers, play hymns, offer prayers, and support the Clergy. We sat in silent meditation, reciting the Lord’s Prayer in five-minute intervals and, on the hour, reading a passage from Scripture or a collect from the Book of Common Prayer.
“Almighty God our heavenly Father, you declare your glory and show forth your handiwork in the heavens and in the earth: Deliver us in our various occupations from the service of self alone, that we may do the work you give us to do in truth and beauty and for the common good; for the sake of him who came among us as one who serves, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. “
— Book of Common Prayer
“During the past three days, we have witnessed an emotional and spiritual outpouring in front of the Cathedral. It has moved us. We are grateful that so many friends and passersby have rested with us in holy silence and have shared their stories.”
- Sub-Dean Patrick Malloy, Cathedral Church of St John the Divine.
