Upcoming Programs
Click here for the full calendar of congregation and cathedral events
Fall 2006
HIGHLIGHT TOURS
Tuesday - Saturday, 11 AM - noon; Sunday, 1 - 2 PM.
Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored East End to learn about the art, architecture and history of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present. No prior reservation necessary. Register at the Visitor Center inside the Cathedral. $5 per person, $4 per student/senior. For further information call the Public Education & Visitor Services Department at (212) 932-7347.
VERTICAL TOURS
Saturdays, 12 Noon & 2 p.m
*Please call in advance, as tours may be suspended
due to Cathedral cleaning and restoration.
Climb 124 feet through spiral staircases to the top of the Cathedral. Get a close look at the magnificent stained glass windows and study the grand architecture while standing on a buttress. The tour culminates on the roof with a wonderful view of the Morningside Heights area of Manhattan. Space limited to 10 people, and reservations are recommended. Bring a flashlight.
Register at the Visitors Center inside the Cathedral. $15 per person; $10 per student/senior. For reservations and further information call the Public Education & Visitors Services Department at 212 932-7347.
SPOTLIGHT TOURS
Register at the Visitor Center inside the Cathedral. For further information call the Public Education & Visitor Services Department at (212) 932-7347.
Spotlight Tours are $10 per person, $8 for students and seniors.
Mind, Body, Spirit: The Rise of Morningside Heights
Saturday, September 16, 12:45 PM
This special tour focuses on the Cathedral’s role as a major institution that helped define Morningside Heights. Learn about the development of the neighborhood and the Cathedral’s connection to its institutional neighbors, Columbia University and St. Luke's Hospital. Then step outside for a walk through the Cathedral Close featuring the earliest extant building on Morningside Heights. Led by Cathedral Guide John Simko.
Saints and Signs: Spotlight on Symbols
Saturday, September 23, 12:45 PM
Explore the signs and symbols in the Cathedral and discover the unique attributes that characterize saints, martyrs, and angels. See these ancient symbols in paintings, glass and stone and learn how the legends have inspired artists through the centuries. Led by Cathedral Guide Becca Earley.
“With Angels and Archangels”: Spotlight on Celestial Beings
Saturday, September 30, 12:45 PM
Celebrate the Feast of St Michael & All Angels by discovering images of angels in the Cathedral's stained glass and statuary and learning the names and field marks of the seven archangels. Led by Senior Cathedral Guide Thomas Fedorek. Bring Binoculars.
Diversity United: Spotlight on the Chapels of Tongues
Saturday, October 7, 12:45 PM
The “Chapels of the Tongues” honor the diverse immigrant groups most represented in New York City at the turn of the twentieth century. Although they are built in Norman, Gothic, and Renaissance styles and are the product of two building campaigns and four architectural firms, the seven chapels nevertheless form a beautiful and harmonious whole. Come explore these unique sacred spaces with Cathedral Guide John Simko.
Urban Oasis: Spotlight on the Gardens and GroundsSaturday, October 14, 12:45 PM
Gardens and cloisters offer an enclosed place of protection from the life outside. Explore the beauty and symbolism found in the Cathedral and its gardens while contemplating the unique ecology of urban environments. Learn about the use, history, and architecture of the buildings on the Close. Rain or shine. Led by Cathedral Guide Lee Caron
Saints and Signs: Spotlight on Symbols
Saturday, October 21, 12:45 PM
Explore the signs and symbols in the Cathedral and discover the unique attributes that characterize saints, martyrs, and angels. See these ancient symbols in paintings, glass and stone and learn how the legends have inspired artists through the centuries. Led by Cathedral Guide Becca Earley.
Crypt Crawl
Saturday, October 28
10:00, 11:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00
Shake your spirits loose this Halloween! Creep by candlelight into the Cathedral's crypt. Commemorate the origins of Halloween as the Celtic New Year celebration and trace its later transformation into All Hallows Eve. Space is limited and reservations are required. Led by Cathedral Guides Thomas Fedorek & Robert Bleggi. $10 per person (note: there is no student or senior rate for the Crypt Crawl)
Poets and Pediments: Spotlight on Literature
Sunday, October 29, 3:00 PM
Celebrate the Cathedral’s induction of Emma Lazarus to the Poet’s Corner with this special tour. Explore how the Cathedral inspires writers and how writers influence builders in this afternoon walk focusing on stories of stone. Through readings or poetry and prose, hear how literary passages reflect the space. Led by Cathedral Guide Susan Chute.
Gateway to the New Jerusalem: Spotlight on the Iconography of the West Front
Saturday, November 4, 12:45 PM
The west front is the architectural equivalent of an overture, an exposition of the themes developed within the main body of the Cathedral. The tour introduces the interplay of modern and medieval motifs in the sculpture of John Angel and Simon Verity. Led by Cathedral Guide, Tom Fedorek
Mind, Body, Spirit: The Rise of Morningside Heights
Saturday, November 11, 12:45 PM
This special tour focuses on the Cathedral’s role as a major institution that helped define Morningside Heights. Learn about the development of the neighborhood and the Cathedral’s connection to its institutional neighbors, Columbia University and St. Luke's Hospital. Then step outside for a walk through the Cathedral Close featuring the earliest extant building on Morningside Heights. Led by Cathedral Guide John Simko.
Sisters and Saints: Spotlight on Women
Saturday, November 18, 12:45 PM
Observe the Cathedral from a female perspective. Explore images and stories of Mary, Joan of Arc, St. Clare and St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music. Learn about how women have contributed to the history of the Cathedral, including the first female Bishop in the Diocese of New York, The Rt. Rev. Catherine Roskam. Led by Cathedral Guide Susan Chute
The Pilgrim’s Journey: Spotlight on Pilgrimage
Saturday, December 2, 12:45 PM
Pilgrimages were integral to life in the Middle Ages. In this tour, we will explore some popular pilgrimage sites from that time, as well as some more contemporary sites in the United States - including the Cathedral
itself, a destination for thousands of travelers from around the world each year. Led by Cathedral Guide Lee Caron.
Revelations Revealed: Spotlight on the Sanctuary
Saturday, December 9, 12:45 PM
Journey toward the Heavenly Kingdom and ponder reflections of the wondrous creatures and fearsome landscapes populating the dreams and visions of St. John the Divine in his Book of Revelation as rendered in the stained glass, sculpture, tilework, and vaulting of the East End, Great Choir and High Altar, the culmination of the Cathedral's splendid design. Led by Cathedral Guide Susan Chute.
Brilliant Walls of Light: Spotlight on the Chapel Windows
Saturday, December 16, 12:45 PM
Each of the chapels contains a unique style of stained glass. Come explore beautiful narrative and geometric windows by English and American firms and view the memorial to a stained-glass artist. Led by Cathedral Guide John Simko.
Breaking the Code: Spotlight on Architectural Symbolism
Saturday, December 23, 12:45 PM
Breaking the Code unravels the many layers of symbolism embedded in the Cathedral's architecture. Highlights include the High Altar, Baptistry, western facade, viewed from Amsterdam Avenue, and apse, viewed from Morningside Park. The tour discusses the Cathedral as a heavenly city, sacred mountain, and ark, touching on number symbolism and sacred geometry. Led by Cathedral Guide Tom Fedorek.
ADULT WORKSHOPS
Check in at the Visitor Center inside the Cathedral. For reservations and further information call the Public Education & Visitor Services Department at (212) 932-7347
Stonecarving Workshop
Sat. Sept 30, 12:30 – 5:00 PM
Sat. Oct 21, 12:30 – 5:00 PM
Stonecarver Chris Pellettieri, trained in the Cathedral Stoneworks Program, leads a one-day intensive introduction to stone carving. Participants will employ traditional carving methods and tools on a block of limestone. Space is limited to six participants. Reservations and advance payment required. $100, materials included.
Progressive Stone Carving Course
Thursdays ,October 12, 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
The time-honored craft of stone carving is at a low point in its 10,000-year history, partly due to a breakdown in the traditional system whereby experts taught their skills to novices. Help reverse this alarming trend and join former stone yard apprentice and Cathedral Artist-in-Residence Chris Pellettieri as he inaugurates a new, progressive, weekly stone carving class. The program puts the emphasis on practicing ancient skills while doing level-appropriate projects rather than attempting to create masterpieces before the technical skills have been acquired. Beginners and experienced students are welcome. Space is limited to eight participants. Reservation and advance payment required. $250 for six-week course, tools and material (limestone) included.
FAMILY PROGRAMS
Family Workshop Open House Saturday, September 23, 10:00 AM- 3:00 PM
The Medieval Arts Workshop reopens with an all-day Open House.
Drop in to experience the Medieval Arts Workshop. Carve a block of limestone, create medieval illuminated letters, sculpt clay gargoyles, weave on a loom, make stained glass collages, and more! Talk about architecture and build models of the Cathedral. Make decorative paper from scratch. Short tours of the Cathedral and storytelling offered on the hour to participants. FREE!
Medieval Arts Family Workshop
Saturdays, October 7, 21, November 4, 11, December 9, 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
Families carve a block of limestone, create medieval illuminated letters, sculpt clay gargoyles, weave on a loom, make stained glass collages, and more! Recommended for ages 4 and up. Register at the Visitor Center inside the Cathedral. $5 per child, with accompanying adult.
St. Francis Day
Mask Making WorkshopSaturday, September 30, 10 am – 12:00 NoonChildren create festive masks to celebrate the Cathedral's Blessing of the Animals. Glue feathers, cut paper, paint, and let your imagination fly as you create animal inspired crafts which celebrate the Earth and its creatures. For ages 4 and up! $5 per child, with adult
Kid’s Cathedral
Thursday, October 5, 12, 19, & 26, 10:30 – 11:00 AM
A series of morning programs designed for young ones and their caregivers to explore the shapes, colors and patterns found at the Cathedral. Using hands-on activities, arts and crafts and stories, children will observe architecture, stained glass, and art then create their own pieces to take home. For ages 2-4. Space is limited and reservations are required. $5 per class.
Autumn Printmaking
Saturday, October 14, 10 am -12:00 Noon
Families experience different forms of printmaking, learning how to create multiple versions of the same image. Using autumn materials and themes,participants will create collages and raised surfaces to transform them into beautiful textured prints. $5 per child, with adult
Morning of the Gargoyles: A Family Halloween Workshop
Sat. October 28, 10 AM - 12:00 Noon
The morning begins with a reading of Eve Bunting's Night of the Gargoyles, then it's down to the workshop to assemble gargling, grimacing clay gargoyles, skeleton creatures and paper gargoyle masks. For ages 4 and up! $5 per child, with adult.
Traditions and Legends: A Giving of Thanks to the First Peoples
Sat. November 18, 10 am – 12:00 Noon
See and learn about the Cathedral’s Medicine Wheels-a symbol of healing-then make one to take home, along with a fragrant herbal dream pillow and other seasonal crafts. For ages 4 and up! $5 per child, with adult.
Arches Everywhere
Sat. December 2, 10 am – 12:00 Noon
Learn how the huge Cathedral stands by exploring its amazing architecture. Experience Romanesque and Gothic arches, flying buttresses, and the tall, stone columns. Then make a model to take home. $5 per child with adult.
1,000 Paper Cranes: A Season of Light Holiday Workshop
Saturday, December 16, 10 am – 12:00 Noon
Celebrate the holidays with this ecumenical workshop. Stroll through the Cathedral to see festive candles, holiday decorations, and the giant Peace Tree, covered with 1,000 paper cranes. Then head to the workshop to design and produce sparkling "triptych" cards, candleholders and origami peace cranes to take home. For ages 4 and up! $5 per child, with adult.
Camels and Kings: Celebrating the Epiphany
Sat. January 6, 10 am – 12:00 Noon
Families gather to explore the story surrounding the famous journey of the three wise men, celebrated around the world. The workshop begins with a story and then families make gift boxes and sparkling crowns, which children can wear to the Three Kings performance at 1:30 in the Cathedral. For ages 4 and up! $5 per child with adult.
Medieval Birthday Parties
Saturdays & Sundays, 1 -3 PM, by availability
Celebrate your child's birthday in the Medieval Arts Workshop, where children sculpt gargoyles, weave, make brass rubbings, carve a block of limestone and much more! For ages 5 & up. Call the Public Education & Visitor Services Department for more information and reservations.
For more information on any of these programs, contact:
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street
New York, NY 10025
