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PEACE FOUNTAIN - ST. JOHN THE DIVINE


Above, a winged St. Michael wields the sword with which he has vanquished Satan, whose head dangles from the claw of an immense crab laying upon a pedestal in the shape of a double DNA helix.  A tranquil moon looks to the west and a smiling sun to the east. Next to the sun a lion and a lamb lie together.  Nine giraffes prance around the center. Flames arise from the base.  Circling the fountain are small bronze statues of animals designed by school children.



In May of 1985, I was fortunate to be able to attend the dedication of the Peace Fountain on the grounds of St. John the Divine Cathedral in NYC.  I traveled there from Brattleboro, VT with Tom Boudreau, my Peace and Conflict teacher at the School for International Training.  The dedication ceremony was overseen by the Bishop of New York with over 1,300 persons attending.  The crowd was diverse, placing high-level church and government dignitaries alongside peace activists and curious spectators.  One strange element that stood out to me was the presence of the United States Navy Band, who performed under the theme of “Peace through Strength”.  The highlight came near the end of the dedication ceremony when the wistful sound of a single tenor sax drifted through the garden, becoming stronger as Paul Winter, artist-in-residence at the Cathedral, climbed to the top of a nearby mound of dirt to play in honor of the dedication.

 There is some music by the Paul Winter consort at the the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_5Zliy2u8M&list=RDz_5Zliy2u8M&start_radio=1&t=61


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