I’m fortunate to be able to look out onto the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle from my office. I’m also fortunate to be able to get to Mass there frequently. And the Cathedral is home to Our Lady’s Chapel, which I find to be one of the most spiritually powerful places in Washington. I thought I would share this since it’s the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception:

Here’s the history the Cathedral offers for Our Lady’s Chapel:

…the last of the original chapels to be completed, and was dedicated in 1936. It features a new sculpture of the Virgin crafted by Washington artist Gordon Kray in 1984 to replace the original that was severely damaged. It depicts Mary as a caring mother reaching down to fallen humanity and pointing to her ascended Son.

And here’s what the Cathedral shares today:

“The feast of the pure and sinless Conception of the Virgin Mary, which is a fundamental preparation for the Lord’s coming into the world, harmonizes perfectly with many of the salient themes of Advent. This feast also makes references to the long messianic waiting for the Saviour’s birth and recalls events and prophecies from the Old Testament, which also are used in the Liturgy of Advent.” —Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 102