Cathedrals, churches, and minsters ... oh my!

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I love old churches. One of my favorite things to do when I'm in Europe is to visit the beautiful old cathedrals, minsters, abbeys, and churches. The first grand old church I ever visited here was the Yorkminster in York. It is an incredibly beautiful building rich with history. I always enjoy visiting the minster when we are in York. However, I enjoy it not just because it's beautiful and grand, I like it there because it feels nice. I feel good when I'm in Yorkminster.

In the 800 years or so that Yorkminster has been around, it has absorbed the emotional energy of countless people who have gone there to worship, pray, celebrate weddings and christenings, and to bid farewell to deceased loved ones. All that love has made Yorkminster feel good to me. I step inside and I'm happy and content. It makes me want to linger.

What's interesting to me is the fact that different churches feel very different. In the fourteen years since I made my first trip to the UK, I have visited Yorkminster, Westminster Abbey, Notre Dame (Paris), Stonehenge, Bolton Abbey, Carlisle Cathedral, Bath Abbey, Christ Church Cathedral (Dublin), and the chapel in Hampton Court. Of these nine spiritual places, only three gave me that nice feeling. 

I've already mentioned Yorkminster. Yesterday I was in Bath and I visited Bath Abbey. The moment I walked  in the door it felt welcoming. The volunteers were very friendly and engaged. I spent several minutes just talking with them (and that is so not like me). When I stepped beyond the welcome desk it just felt pleasant. I took a few steps, thought about how beautiful it was, and sat down. I just wanted to be there. It was the same feeling as Yorkminster. I lingered and sat down several more times as I walked around.

The third gem is Carlisle Cathedral. I spent the summer in Preston in 2009 doing research for my master's thesis. I took a day trip up to Carlisle, which used to mark the border between England and Scotland. When I arrived at the cathedral, the Celtic mass had just concluded. The incense smoke still hung in the air and it smelled gorgeous. But the biggest thing was just how wonderful I felt being there. If love was something tangible, it was in the air of Carlisle Cathedral. It remains my favorite church to this day because of that feeling. The church, itself, is rather small for a cathedral. And while it is beautiful, it lacks the grandeur of its more famous brethren. But the energy at Carlisle Cathedral is unmatched by any other historic place of worship I've visited. The place literally elevated my mood.

What about the other five places on my list? One is unique in the group. Bolton Abbey is 90% ruins. There is one small part that survived and remains an active church to this day. That area was pleasant enough. It seemed like any modern church to me, despite the historic decorations.

As for the other four? They all felt ... dead. There was no special energy in the air. Each was lovely or interesting, but none felt special. They felt empty and devoid of any energy at all. They were just pretty buildings (or sites). Nice to look at and to appreciate the history and construction, but little more. I never had the desire to sit at Westminster or Notre Dame. In fact, I couldn't wait to get out of Notre Dame. It was stifling in there, but that was probably more to do with the insane crush of people herding through it.

Which makes me wonder if that's what has killed the feeling in so many of these spiritual places. When most of the people visiting a place are there just to see it, what does that leave behind? If you're not there celebrating some level of spirituality, do you create an energy deficit? In a few weeks, I am visiting Canterbury Cathedral. It will be interesting to see what it feels like.


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