Warren Is No Longer On Yelp W.
Yelp
I grew up in Philly and was raised Catholic. For me, part of what makes Philly memorable is that it is a city of churches, many which were built in the 19th century. Not all of the churches here are Catholic churches but who cares? If one loves the interior coolness of old stone buildings, the lingering traces of sacred, ceremonial incense, the sweet, almost indiscernible note of recently extinguished beeswax candles and soaring, highly decorated ceilings and arches that make one feel both awed and humbled, there are few holy edifices more compelling than the cathedral basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. It's built in the Roman-Corinthian style and is modeled on a church in Rome.
The cathedral construction was started in 1846 and completed in 1864. One of the details that makes this place "so Philly" to me is the fact that the clerestory windows were built very high to inhibit vandalism. The story goes that the original builders threw stones to see how high they went in order to ascertain the best and safest placement for the cathedral's windows. Forward thinking at its best.
Like many people who live in a historic city, I passed this landmark church countless times without ever going inside and as an adult, I moved away without ever crossing the threshold.
When I returned to Philadelphia in 2015 after a long time on the West coast, I met my friend Dee who loved Philly churches, regardless of size or history. Unlike my heathen self, Dee was still a practicing Catholic and had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of all the churches, large and small, in the greater metropolitan area. Over a non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner at my house, Dee asked if I had ever been to midnight mass. I said no, and added that I had not been in a church since my early teens. She asked me to accompany her to Midnight Christmas Mass at the Cathedral. I agreed.
If you're visiting as a tourist and don't know the city, great news-there's a parking lot. The cathedral is massive and holds approximately 2000 people. While the facade, with its Renaissance inspired oxidized copper dome, is a thing of beauty, entering the narthex and surveying the interior of this place from nave to apse is absolutely breathtaking, no matter what you do or do not believe in or practice.
My secret hope was that by attending Christmas Eve high Mass after decades of being a lapsed Catholic, I would (to quote Antonio Salieri) hear the voice of God. Looking at my surroundings and the crowd of the faithful around me made it feel like this would not be impossible.
While I was not reconverted or touched by the Divine Hand or spoken to by the Divine Tongue that Christmas eve, I did feel blessed and soothed by the grand proportions and symmetry of this grand place of worship.
Don't keep walking or driving by if you've never been inside. You may not be struck by Divine Intervention at your visit but you will be most assuredly gobsmacked by this massive and glorious brownstone tribute to a Higher Power.
