Pilgrimage of Remembrance and Healing: Our wounded veterans

War Memorial Chapel
Washington National Cathedral

Forgive me, dear friends, for not posting much here recently. The Fall is upon us and many things are launching at St. Paul's.

I want to share with you an experience I had yesterday at our Fall gathering of the Episcopal clergy in our Central Virginia region -- our "clericus" as it is called. Our host was the Rev. Randy Haycock, who is the interim rector at Grace Church, Keswick.

Randy is a retired U.S. Army chaplain, and he still works with wounded veterans. He shared with us a program he began a few years ago while posted at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center that is extraordinary. He leads wounded vets on a "Pilgrimage of Remembrance and Healing" at the National Cathedral.

The veterans walk through the Cathedral remembering lost friends, praying, talking, forgiving, and paying tribute to their fallen friends. They spend time in the War Memorial Chapel in the Cathedral, remembering friends. The Cathedral is closed while they are there -- no tourists, no one else but the wounded warriors. Randy's presentation was very moving, and it reminded me that we in Charlottesville sometimes lead very comfortable lives far away from the battlefields.

Public television recently did a short segment on Randy's work. Here it is:

Watch Pilgrimage of Remembrance and Healing on PBS. See more from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

Extraordinary photos from the National Cathedral

Facade of the National Cathedral

Last Monday we accompanied a group from St. Paul's on a day-long pilgrimage to the Washington National Cathedral, and I wrote about that a few days ago in this space.

Since then, Dudley Rochester has sent these remarkable photographs that he took on our trip. Dudley is an extraordinary photographer!

Let me share three of them with you...

Inside the nave

Space window; notice the moon rock
embedded in the upper center;
the rock was brought back by
Apollo 11

International prayer service simulcast Saturday from Bethlehem and the Washington National Cathedral

Door at the Church of the Nativity,
Bethlehem;
photo by Lori K. Richardson

Please consider yourself invited tomorrow to this worldwide gathering of prayer in Bethlehem to be broadcast simultaneously with a prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, via the Internet. Here are the details:

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Bethlehem - D.C. prayer service set for Dec. 17   Simulcast to link Christmas Lutheran Church, National Cathedral   [Anglican Commons] The fifth annual simulcast prayer service linking the congregations gathered in Bethlehem's Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church and the nave of Washington National Cathedral - with online viewing access worldwide - is set for Saturday, Dec. 17, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (7 p.m. local time in Bethlehem, and 7 a.m. Pacific). Online viewers may log in  here for the liturgy featuring prayers, readings in Arabic and English, and hymns alternating between Bethlehem and Washington, D.C. Lead partners are the Lutheran and Anglican churches in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, and Palestine/Israel Advocacy Group at Washington Cathedral. The service also raises funds for the Bright Stars of Bethlehem Center for its work in education, health, the arts, and social services. Clergy scheduled to participate include Christmas Church pastor Dr. Mitri Raheb in Bethlehem; Bishop Suheil Dawani and other leaders of theEpiscopal Diocese of Jerusalem; and the Rt. Rev. Munib Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land; bishops Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and  Richard H. Graham of the Metropolitan Washington D.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope, cathedral vicar; and the Rev. Canon John L. Peterson. Viewship also is promoted within the Diocese of Jerusalem and its companion dioceses of Washington and Los Angeles, and the Anglican Church of Canada, its partner province. Anglican Commons is a new volunteer effort featuring mission companions and the shared newsfeed of the Digital Faith community. Christmastide features will focus on the church's mission of "acompanamiento," or accompaniment, in El Salvador.

The National Cathedral: broken stones, metal netting, but still inspiring national house of prayer

Rose Window through the
netting; photo by Lori K. Richardson

WASHINGTON DC -- We haven't been to the National Cathedral since the earthquake in August shook the tops off the bell towers and rained stones inside. But we got there on Monday, not quite prepared for what we saw.

Scaffolds encircle the bell towers where the pinnacles fell to the ground, and two of the pinnacles are on the ground near the main doors. Inside, metal nets are stretched under the ceilings to catch falling masonry. The nets give the Cathedral a grim appearance and block sunlight from coming through the upper windows and making it to the nave below.

The usually stunning Creation Rose Window high above the nave is partially shaded by the netting beneath it, giving the window a dark, almost eerie look.

The damage will cost at least $15 million to repair, and the repairs will take years.

Still, the great Cathedral is great and it is inspiring even in its brokenness. We accompanied a bus full of St. Paul's parishioners to the Cathedral, and we were treated to a Holy Eucharist in the quire and then a 15 minute recital on the Skinner organ.

Cathedral organ keyboard;
photo by Ann Willms

St. Paul's also has a Skinner organ, but not quite this big. The organ at the National Cathedral has 10,647 pipes, making it the 6th largest such instrument in the world.

Next we were given a tour of the chapels, windows and the many architectural features. We stopped at the crypt of our own beloved Charles Perry, who as Provost, finished the construction of the Cathedral in 1990.

We also paused to admire the needlework on cushions in the chapels, many of which were done by Joy Perry, Charles' wife. The Perrys eventually retired in Charlottesville, and Charles died a year ago.

We remembered Charles in our prayers of the people at our Holy Eucharist.

Fallen pinnacles from the August quake;
photo by Lori K. Richardson

St. Paul's tour group;
photo by Ann Willms

Although our St. Paul's group spent the entire day at the National Cathedral, we left feeling we had barely seen it. There is much to see and experience in this national house of prayer, and it is worth many visits to come.

A Prayer for Japan from the Washington National Cathedral

A last farewell at the Washington National Cathedral to Charles Perry

On Sunday evening, I had one of those extraordinary experiences when it is fun (yes, fun!) to be an Episcopal priest.

The occasion was the interment of the ashes of The Very Rev. Charles Perry at the Washington National Cathedral. I definitely believe my friend Charles would approve of the word “fun.”

I was privileged to be invited to participate in an Evensong in Charles’ honor. We did it in full cassock-surplice-hood-tippet splendor, with vergers, acolytes, two choirs and a host of clergy. It was Charles’ gift to me that I could be a part.

I must admit I had goose bumps when walking in the procession down the center aisle, led by a verger, and up into the quire. Lori was seated in a stall just behind me. There were 600 people in attendance, and the many members of St. Paul’s who came were given choice seats. The hospitality extended by the Cathedral to the Perry family and to all of us from St. Paul's was remarkable and much appreciated.

I gave the second reading, which was from Charles’ book The Resurrection Promise. The passage was selected by Charles to be read at his funeral, and it represents his testimony about his life of faith and being a disciple of Jesus.

The homily was given by The Very Rev. Sam Lloyd III, the dean of the National Cathedral. Dean Lloyd paid homage to Charles’ tenacity in finishing the construction of the National Cathedral, rescuing the project at a time when it faced bankruptcy. Dean Lloyd underlined that it was fitting and right that the Cathedral took time to honor one of its greats.

For a few minutes I felt I was part of the Cathedral, that I belonged in this amazing space. And then it occurred to me that is precisely how I should feel; that the National Cathedral is the national house of prayer; that all of us are a part of this epic sacred place, not just presidents, dignitaries and bishops, but all of us. It is our house of prayer. And that is fun! And that is how Charles hoped all of us would feel about the cathedral that he played such a huge role in building.

In his book, Charles wrote about how faith is both intellectual and emotional and the two go together (p. 110):

“It is emotional, soaring high as the cathedral vaulting, sometimes not. It is fun—yes fun! In a rather grim age, the stance of faith involves surprise and folly and enthusiasm—the real kind—brought about by his presence in us. And that is fun!”

When we finished with Evensong, we were led down a stone stairwell to the crypt beneath the high altar to Charles’ niche. His ashes were placed inside, and Dean Lloyd blessed the niche and ashes with holy water, and said several prayers. It was very solemn, very moving, and a very fitting goodbye to Charles. One of the final prayers was this:

In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our brother Charles, and we commit his robust vessel to this place beneath the great stone tree builded here; her fluted columns, rooted deep in nourishing soil; her vaulted branches and tracery; her light and song, reaching to praise your great glory.

The Lord bless him and keep him, the Lord make his face to shine upon him and be gracious to him, the Lord lift up his countenance upon him and give him peace. Amen.

A Choral Evensong at 4 pm at the Washington National Cathedral for the Very Rev. Charles A. Perry

This afternoon, our dear friend, Charles Perry, will be interred at the Washington National Cathedral at 4 pm with a Choral Evensong in his honor. Lori and I, and a number of people from St. Paul's, will be there.

Charles played a huge role in bringing the Cathedral to completion. Charles served as Provost from 1978 to 1990 before becoming president of the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley. To learn more about Charles's career, visit the Cathedral website by clicking HERE.

After leaving CDSP in 1994, Charles and Joy retired here to their beloved Charlottesville, where they rejoined the congregation of St. Paul's. The photo above of Charles was taken on Aug. 29 during our "Convocation Sunday" welcoming back our University of Virginia students, faculty and staff. We asked all of our academics in the congregation to wear their regalia, and Charles happily complied.

Charles was instrumental in bringing me to Charlottesville, and he was a wise counselor and a great friend in this time of transition for us. I miss him greatly. I hope you can make it to the National Cathedral today.

Photo by Bonny Bronson.

Update on memorial service for Charles Perry

In the last couple of days, there has been an outpouring of love and grief for our own Charles Perry, who died suddenly on Saturday evening. Let me update you on a few things:

We will hold a service for Charles at St. Paul's Memorial Church on Sunday Oct. 31 at 3 pm. Bishop Shannon Johnston will preside and I will be preaching. Charles' interment will be at a later date at the Washington National Cathedral.

The Very Rev. Dr. Sam Lloyd, the Dean of the Washington National Cathedral, wrote a letter to the Cathedral community about Charles, which you can read by clicking HERE.

The National Cathedral also has a wonderful on-line photo gallery of pictures of Charles, which you can see by clicking HERE (and I've reposted a few on this page). The bottom photo shows Charles, left, standing with Peter Lee, right, who was the Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia.

I am reminded in looking at the photos of Charles' great strength of character. He not only put the last stones into the National Cathedral, he was a stone. In his letter, Dean Lloyd said this about Charles:

As provost, Perry was responsible to the bishop for all of the Cathedral’s operations, including worship, programs, and finances. When he was appointed, the Cathedral was $10.5 million in debt, and construction had been halted. Provost Perry oversaw both the successful campaign to eradicate the debt and the subsequent effort to raise the funds to finish the construction of the Cathedral in 1990.

In a 2001 interview, Provost Perry named two things he considered his most important legacy at the Cathedral. The first is no surprise. He was widely honored for having led the Cathedral through a major financial crisis, and also for his intrepid leading of the construction of the Cathedral to its completion. But he also cited his passionate commitment to the Cathedral’s programs.

“I think the Cathedral has a profound ministry of teaching, which is what your programmatic ministry is—doing things that other people are not doing. I want to be remembered as a teacher,” Perry said. “That, to me, is something I’m very proud of.”

We at the Cathedral give thanks to God for the resolute leadership and devoted service of Charles Perry, one of the Cathedral’s giants. May light perpetual shine upon him.

All of us at St. Paul's extend our condolences and sympathy to Joy Perry and her family, and to all whose lives were deeply touched by Charles. We miss him greatly even as we know he is still very close to us just across the horizon where we cannot see.

We grieve the loss of a giant in our parish and The Episcopal Church

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness."

2 Timothy 4:6, the epistle for Sunday

Yesterday morning, just before we got started with the 10 am service, I received very sad news: my dear friend and mentor, Charles Perry, had died suddenly the night before. On a trip to North Carolina, he had sat down on his bed and collapsed. He had just finished watching the Giants get into the World Series, and yes, he was a Giants fan.

Charles and his wife Joy had been members of St. Paul's Memorial Church for many years. The announcement of his death was met with gasps at our 10 am service Sunday.

The Very Rev. Charles A. Perry was a giant in the Episcopal Church. He had been the Provost of the Washington National Cathedral and then, after his retirement from that position, became the Dean and President of the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, Calif., the seminary from where I graduated.

Charles had been immersed in every major church issue of the last 40 years. He completed the construction of the Washington National Cathedral and put the cathedral on a firm financial footing. At CDSP he had presided over a difficult era of transition into a more inclusive and wider vision for theological education. Some very good priests came through CDSP in his time.

On a personal note, Charles was instrumental in bringing us to Charlottesville. He was on the rector search committee for St. Paul's, and three years ago sent the parish profile to a mutual friend and asked for a recommendation. My friend recommended me to Charles. One thing led to another, and Charles traveled to Berkeley with members of the search committee to talk with me about St. Paul's. To have Charles Perry come talk with me, to put it mildly, got my attention.

After being called as rector, and once we arrived, he and his wife, Joy, extended to us unstinting hospitality, introducing us to their many friends, and providing much support and friendship. Charles was a wise counselor and mentor, and he let me bend his ear about the challenges of the last two years. We had lunch together regularly, though not regularly enough. Last fall, he and Joy hosted us at their rustic house on "The River" near the Chesapeake Bay. They were supposed to be coming to our house for dinner yesterday evening.

Last January, it was our pleasure to host one of his CDSP graduates for three days at St. Paul's -- the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop the Episcopal Church. Among the events was a private luncheon Lori and I hosted for Katharine and our clergy staff. As it turned out, the luncheon came during a blizzard, but somehow Charles and Joy made it. We made sure they were seated with Katharine. The photo above shows Charles, left, with the Rev. Rod Sinclair, right, the next morning before the procession at the 10 am Sunday worship.

There is more that I want say, but for now let suffice that I am deeply grieved and I miss Charles greatly.

As of this writing, plans for his service are not finalized. It is my understanding Charles wished for his memorial service to be at St. Paul's, with interment at the National Cathedral. I will keep you posted here in this space as details emerge.

Please keep Joy and her family in your prayers.

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Update: The memorial service for Charles will be on Sunday Oct. 31 at 3 pm at St. Paul's Memorial Church, Charlottesville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to any of the following: Westminster Canterbury of the Blue Ridge; The Washington National Cathedral; St. Paul's Memorial Church.

Photo by Bonny Bronson.

Dean of the National Cathedral to preach today at St. Paul's Memorial Church: Please join us

Guest Preacher The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd, Dean of the National Cathedral

This Sunday, September 12 at 10:00 am

followed by a Q & A forum in the church

The Very Rev. Dr. Samuel T. Lloyd III was installed as the ninth dean of Washington National Cathedral on April 23, 2005, charged with leadership of what is widely referred to as “the national house of prayer.”

Dean Lloyd began his ministry as an assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in the early 1980s while also serving as assistant to the rector and chaplain at St. Paul’s Memorial Church in Charlottesville.

Dean Lloyd holds a Masters of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Virginia. He also holds an M.A. degree in English Literature from Georgetown University and received his B.A. from the University of Mississippi. He has received honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees from the University of the South and Virginia Theological Seminary.