Having just returned from a few days away in York, I wanted to comment on York Minster. I mentioned on a similar post last year that family holidays don’t seem complete without at least one visit to a place of worship. York Minster is particularly spectacular, and is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe. York Minster is the cathedral in York, and as such the seat of the Archbishop of York, the current incumbent being Dr John Sentamu.
As is the case for many old buildings the fabric of the building has suffered the normal wear and tear from use, and erosion due to weather. York Minster has also experienced fires – most recently the roof of the south transept in 1984. In the 1960s it was found necessary to underpin the foundations of this enormous building when surveys showed it was at high risk of collapse, due to crumbling and insufficient foundations. This work was undertaken at the same time as archaeological excavation under the Minster, which uncovered part of the remains of a Roman fortress.
Work is currently under way to restore the east end of the Minster. This work is being undertaken with very great care, and in part also corrects earlier repairs and restoration where the wrong materials were used, both glass to repair the stained glass windows, and stone repairing the masonry. Traditional methods and templates are being used both in restoring the Great East Window, and masonry. Masons can be seen cutting stone in their outdoor workshop alongside the Minster, and there are exhibitions inside the Minster for both the restoration of the stained glass and the masonry.
The Stained Glass Window
Restoration work on the stained glass in the Great east Window will result in clearer pictures in the glass than has been seen in recent times. Glass pieces have been analysed to identify later additions used in repairs. In the original window the lead between the individual glass pieces was quite narrow. Later repairs used much thicker lead obscuring much of the detail in the images. The York Glaziers Trust publish a panel of the month on their website, showing the restoration of particular panels for the window, showing the before and after.
The Masonry
Masons are working to conserve and replace 3,500 stones in the east end of the Minster, including a new figure of St Peter, newly designed replacing a badly weathered and difficult to identify figure, and also replacing a number of badly weathered grotesques. Images can been seen on the Minster’s Stoneyard web page.
What impresses me is that this conservation work isn’t simply aimed at preserving the existing structure in perpetuity. There is recognition that the building remains a current place of worship, and is in constant use. There is recognition that changes have been made to the building over the centuries. I love that grotesques and the statue of St Peter are being replaced with fresh carvings, designed and researched by today’s masons, rather than attempting to preserve the weathered and decaying stones they replaced.
I recommend following the links for images of the windows and masonry. For those interested the PhD thesis of Dr Alexander Holton looking at the conservation of the east end of the Minster available to download online.
The Analogy
I was struck during the hours I spent looking around the Minster, by the following analogy, which may work for you or not. Repairs made in earlier decades or centuries didn’t always used the right materials, introducing stone which weathered more rapidly, heavy lead obscuring the stained glass images. Yet the repairs kept the building functioning for many years rather than allow it to fall into decay. Those carrying out repairs did what they could with the knowledge they had, and were acting in a way they felt to be best. Perhaps it’s a poor analogy, but it reminded me in part of the situation of the LDS church in respect of our history; materials used, stories developed, which don’t withstand the weathering of time, but which made it into manuals, now being replaced by the materials researched from the archives, removal of the heavy leading obscuring much of the picture. From images of the restoration work so far, it looks like the east end of the Minster will be a triumph on completion. Can we hope to see a similar triumph when the LDS church emerges from this period of wrestling history?
Discuss.
Wheat & Tares 
I am not a fan of analogies simply because they are usually carefully crafted to make the perfect point (some recent ones, notwithstanding).
But I do like this one.
One we used at work was that of an airplane that needs to be re-build, while still flying.
People usually do the best the can at the time without the malice and lack of foresight often attributed to them at a later date.
An analogy that suggests church leaders are honorable and well-intentioned, and diligently magnifying their callings — thank you!
I like this analogy too! We often attribute malice when people are really just trying their best. Having said that though, if we are the construction workers and see someone who is using poor materials, we should correct them now instead of let them use poor materials so that the restoration ends up with better quality than shoddy workmanship.
It kind of reminds me of the woman who tried to restore a fresco, and instead butchered it. While I know her intentions were good, she should not have been doing the restoration. See http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/09/20/161466361/woman-who-ruined-fresco-of-jesus-now-wants-to-be-paid
(I don’t think she should be paid for damaging the fresco.)
It is a decent analogy and a potential modern-day parable. One of the bittersweet realizations of advancing years is the truth of the last paragraph of Jeff’s comment. We need to cut some folks a bit more slack–be they parents, priest quorum advisors, Ernest Wilkinson….the list could go on—
This analogy would make sense for a group of human beings. We did our best with the knowledge and materials we had.
But for an organization that claims to be led by divine guidance, it begs the question, could we have been told (should we have been told) the correct materials when repairs were needed?
I’m not saying this means the church doesn’t receive divine guidance, but this analogy seems to suggest that the leaders are on their own, to a serious extent, since it points out that humans were doing their best instead of illustrating that the improvements were done with some kind of divine assistance.
I think the analogy is good too hedgehog. It would be good if the leadership could acknowledge that there were mistakes, made. Pres Uchtdorf has vaguely, I think specifics form all is needed.
I have just been in Europe and was impressed by the heritage, buildings, artwork, etc that particularly the catholic church has behind it, and by the different perspectives in different times. Art with Apostles in 16 century costumes, and as we often think people 2000 years ago had the same views/ culture as we do.
I have been enjoying the cricket test too. Do Americans play sport internationally? Athletics, and Olympics but..team sport?
Thanks for the kind comments folks.
MH, oh dear! Thanks for that link.
Dexter, I think we’re left to make decisions and learn from them a lot. Perhaps there are things we can’t learn otherwise, both collectively and individually.
Geoff, I hope you enjoyed your trip.
I believe the US recently won the women’s football (soccer) world cup in a final against Japan, so I think the answer has to be yes. But they obviously don’t get to participate in the Commonwealth competitions.
It’s a good analogy, and related to LDS architecture as well. Early LDS architecture was much more ornate, beautiful, and creative. But today’s architecture is cheap, cheap-looking, and functional. This is because, given limited resources, providing a more expansive infrastructure that can better serve a a rapidly expanding church is seen as much more important than providing beautiful, individualised chapels.
Today, the Church of England is shrinking, and the doctrine of the religion itself is no longer appreciated by the congregation. Rather, it is the history that is important and that moves the congregants. So preserving that history is seen as the top priority.
Not a bad analogy, except that I’d add the abundance of faux finishes as part of that “maintenance program.” Of course, Mormons were experts at faux finishes from their early days—just look at all the beautifully-painted fake marble columns in the Tabernacle.
Nate, you might like this report (https://www.yorkminster.org/geisha/assets/files/place-of-worship-or-tourist-attraction.pdf) looking at the different reasons people give for visiting York Minster. 74% came under cultural reasons, compared to 11% religious reasons, and 15% both cultural and religious reasons. Still the mission statement is:
“York Minster exists for the glory of God and as a sign of God’s Kingdom in the world. This mission is expressed through:
“•Daily worship and prayer
“•Welcome and pastoral care
“•Education and learning
“•Service to the community”
Nick, I’ll have to take your word for it on the finishes in the Tabernacle. Back before the reformation cathedrals and churches here were far more colourful than they are now. Many statues and stained glass windows were destroyed during the reformation period. York Minster was one of the few that managed to hang on to its medieval stained glass. The statues on the quire also survived (being Kings rather than Saints).
The greatest of all Northern European cathedrals in my book remains Cologne Cathedral. The constructionhistory is a tale all unto itself.
One thing is quite special, that construction which had lain still for almost 3 centuries was taken up, not by the Catholic Church in the mid 19th century, but by the protestant Kings of Prussia. The court paid 50% for the construction, teh remainder by the Cathedral Chapter.
As a result the Cathedral nowadays is owned not by the Church, not by the state, but by itself.
And as an aside, Christ will return one day, and the people in Cologne will know first, for on the day that construction is complete, with nothing more to be added or subtracted, in the colors the builders intended, with not any restoring to be done, on that very day the Heavens will open up to reveal Him and He will return.
At least, that´s one of the local myths.