An agreement has been reached between Mount Sinai Hospital (Morningside) in NY and the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. The cathedral nave will serve as a non-COVID19 extension to Mt. Sinai freeing up needed wards in the hospital proper.
Cathedral of St. John the Divine NY to serve as hospital
Comments
31 responses to “Cathedral of St. John the Divine NY to serve as hospital”
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There’s an example for others to follow! Rather than building new field hospitals in national conference centres, this might be quicker and easier.
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Well done !
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excellent idea. truly religion in action. YES!
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It may be more a matter of having sanitation and electricity supplies and so on. An exhibition centre may well also have a larger open space. There is also the question of the existing floor surface, is it flat, even, easily cleaned or covered and so on.
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Peter
Quite so. Also a matter of lavatories and access for disposal of waste and having electrical outlets and capacity, et cet. On the other hand, churches might have more feasible role in offering a place for essential workers to rest without having to go home.
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As a priest of the diocese and a former director of pastoral care at St. Luke’s- Roosevelt now Mt. Sinai Morningside, I applaud and give thanks for this action. Praying relief for hospital staff and administrators
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Most excellent idea and makes me even prouder to be an Episcopalian.
Michael Motes
Dublin, Georgia -
That’s one of the best “acted-sermons” I’ve read about so far! Reach outreach!
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If I were still a New Yorker and became ill, I would be honored to be sent to St. John the Divine hospital! When I was a child and had surgery at St. Lukes Hospital near there, I was comforted by the that amazing building “where God lives”. This was because I had sung at one of those huge all-city choir festivals there and I was in the front row of the procession very humbled by the richness of the cathedral.
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As a cradle Episcopalian and one who was married in The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine 50 some years ago I am very happy to hear of the nave becoming a hospital. The hospital that is next door was known as St. Luke’s, then St. Luke’s Roosevelt and apparently now Mt. Sinai Morningside. I purchased a copy of the Rose Window several years ago. As the Cathedral does not have pews, but chairs, it made the move easier.
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This is the amazing grace of God when his houses become houses for sick in the dark times as nowdays and now for our physical bodies as well! The doors are opening for His people again. May God heal our souls and our bodies as well especially nowdays. All praise is to you, God and only to you!
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Wonderful idea, thank you for reaching out to help where needed so badly. Proud to be an Episcopalian, the church working and serving as God’s hands in the world.
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Wonderful news. It makes my family and me proud to be an Episcopalian. ❤️
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Amen!
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Yet another example of how we can serve as the hands and feet of Christ. So proud to be an Episcopalian (who has, for some strange reason, served on the vestry three times…).
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Excellent use of that space. Christ would approve!
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It is very good – but we have to remember what makes them uniquely equipped for this is the fact that they’ve never had pews. It issues chairs when needed for ceremonies. But a great idea!
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Blessings to St. John’s for this effort to be the hand and feet of Jesus in this crisis.
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The Cathedral will be a boon to the spirit as well as to their physical needs. Thank you for this gift.
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I’m an old Cathedral choirboy and someday I will return to the Columbarium to spend eternity there. I’m so glad that my eternal home is in the forefront of doing God’s work.
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I think if Jesus was walking around these days he would open up all the churches, synagogues
Mosques, houses of worship, and have these places where all could go during the pandemic. Matter of fact, they are places we all should be welcome. I know it is not that simple. -
Another proud Episcopalian glad to see this!
Marsha, are you mad??
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Well if Saint John the Divine doesn’t inspire these folks to get better, I don’t know what would!
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This is an excellent example of love and giving This is what St John the Divine should be doing all the time
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I am very happy to hear that this is being arranged. It is a wonderful day when such things come into being! May all be auspicious for all who go there for medical help!
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Yet another example of christianity at work. I am proud to be an Episcopalian.
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This is a wonderful church. When my friend was dying of AIDS many years ago, the church embraced him and he found a second home there.
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From The New York Times article:
“Dean Daniel said the participation of Samaritan’s Purse in the field hospital should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its views.
“‘I don’t agree with their position on Muslims and gays and a number of other things, but I am willing to work together with them to save lives,’ he said. ‘I feel like it is sort of like the steward on the Titanic as it is sinking — now is not the time to count the silverware, you have to get people into lifeboats.’”
With the resource of their vast space, couldn’t the Dean have forced a commitment from the homophobic #SamaratinsPurse that they would allow LGBTQ people and. non-Christianists to participate? Or gone to another organization even in a different kind of effort? The cathedral is exiling LGBTQ and non-Christianist volunteers from the very space in which they are supposed to be admitted. They are isolating LGBTQ and non-Christianist patients from the support they need.
These Episcopalians had the power to do more than hand-wring, but instead will throw gay people off the Titanic.
Also, LGBTQ rights are not silverware.
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This is an unwarranted slam against St. John the Divine AND the city of New York. Nobody is excluding LGBTQ people or Muslims from this hospital. It would be ILLEGAL to do so. The issue is “guilt by association” or “tainted money” — should they not accept help (monetary help, or supplies) if the organization offering it is not aligned ideologically with the church? Their response is to take help from whoever will offer it, because the goal of saving lives is paramount. If we accept ventilators from China, does that mean we support Uigur re-education camps? Russia just sent us health equipment. Does accepting that help mean we support Russian aggression is Crimea and Syria?
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Hear Hear!
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Btw, the plans for this have now been cancelled.
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