St Paul’s Cathedral

An Advent offering from the St Paul’s Trust in America

The Advent Calendar tradition dates back to German Lutherans in the mid-19th century who left chalk marks on their doors or candles lit to count the days leading up to Christmas.  Calendars became popular when German printer Gerhard Land created the first cardboard version.  Over the years, they have taken on all sorts of forms, from a daily picture of the creche to a dose of chocolate.  

As we enter the seasons of Advent, we offer you these 25 virtual windows, each with their own surprise.  We hope you will use this tool as a source of prayer and reflection as well as a way of celebrating the rich traditions of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Day One

Grinling Gibbons was an English sculptor and woodcarver who often worked alongside Christopher Wren. Gibbons delicate carvings are in the Cathedral quire (choir), the first part of the Cathedral to be built and consecrated.

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A stone angel holding a horn has been edited to create the number one.

Day Two

St Paul's is built in the shape of a cross, with a large dome crowning the intersection of its arms. At 111.3 metres high, it is one of the largest cathedral domes in the world and weighs approximately 65,000 tons. The area under the dome is the principal place for worship in the Cathedral.

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The St Paul's Cathedral dome sits atop the number two. Animated snowflakes fall all around it.

Day Three

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptise you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

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A soldier in a WWII uniform stands atop a roof holding binoculars and looking out over the London city scape. In the distance, the St Paul's Cathedral dome is visible. The number three sits in the middle.

Day Four

At the east end of the Cathedral behind the High Altar is the American Memorial Chapel, also known as the Jesus Chapel. This part of the Cathedral was destroyed during the Blitz and as part of the restoration it was decided that the people of Britain should commemorate the 28,000 Americans stationed in the UK who lost their lives during WW2.

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A stained glass window from the American Memorial Chapel in St Paul's Cathedral has been edited into the shape of the number four.

Day Five

St. Paul’s three Christmas trees are gifts from the Queen, grown on her Sandringham estate. It’s a tradition dating back to the time of George V!

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Three Christmas trees covered in tiny lights sit in the middle of the number five. Small stars are scattered in the background.

Day Six

Thousands of hours of needlework went into decorating this extraordinary vestment set composed of a cope, a stole, and a mitre. The set was originally presented to the Diocese of London to commemorate The Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 and was worn at the special Thanksgiving Service that year.

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An illustration of St Paul's Cathedral that has been sewn into fabric has been edited into the shape of the number six.

Day Seven

On the east wall these mosaics were made by Messrs Powell in London, using their own glass tesserae. The central mosaic, Christ in Majesty Flanked by Mary and St. John, was installed in 1886 when the chapel was refurbished.

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A mosaic in St Paul's Cathedral, "Christ in Majesty Flanked by Mary and St. John", sits in front of the number seven.

Day Eight

The original ball and cross were erected by Andrew Niblett, Citizen and Armourer of London, in 1708. They were replaced by a new ball and cross in 1821 designed by the Surveyor to the Fabric, CR Cockerell and executed by R and E Kepp. The ball and cross stand at 23 feet high and weigh approximately 7 tonnes.

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The ball and cross from St Paul's Cathedral is nestled inside the number eight.

Day Nine

This allegorical mosaic is one of six allegories of Christian virtues in the apse of St Paul’s Cathedral. The male and female figures are shown with symbolic objects, also known as attributes, and represent the following moral concepts: charity, truth, fortitude, chastity, hope and justice.

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A mosaic of an angel from St Paul's Cathedral has been edited into the curve of the number nine.

Day Ten

Opaque glass mosaic, designed by William Blake Richmond, executed by Messrs Powell of Whitefriars, completed by 1896. Melchisedech, priest and king of Salem (later Jerusalem) blessed Abraham upon return from battle and brings bread to feed the troops. According to some Christian traditions, Melchisedech was a son of Noah, which would link this mosaic and its counterpart on the south side of the apse.

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A mosaic in St Paul's Cathedral, depicting Melchisedech as he blessed Abraham upon return from battle and bringing bread to feed the troops. The image has been edited inside the number ten.

Day Eleven

This is a colourfully illuminated set of agreements known as an indenture quadripartite (four-part), of which several copies were made. They formed part of a larger collection, including a series of four indentures bipartite (two-part) and an indenture septipartite (seven-part).

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A mosaic from St Paul's Cathedral has been edited into the number eleven.

Day Twelve

The present high altar dates from 1958 and is made of marble and carved and gilded oak. It features a magnificent canopy based on a sketch by Christopher Wren, but which wasn't built in his time. It replaced a large Victorian marble altar and screen, which were damaged by a bomb strike in WW2, which destroyed a large part of the east end of the Cathedral.

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The high altar in St Paul's Cathedral has been edited into the number two, while the one has been outlined in gold. The whole image forms the number twelve.

Day Thirteen

"I am the Light of the World; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life". St John’s Gospel records Christ's proclamation which inspired Holman Hunt to paint this world famous image.

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The figure of Christ from the painting "The Light of the World" has been edited into the number one, while the number three is filled with a soft gradient and speckled with tiny stars. The whole image makes up the number thirteen.

Day Fourteen

Glory is at the heart of John’s gospel. In the very opening lines, we read: “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory. The glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).

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Two small angels sit in front of the number fourteen, with a soft glow illuminating them from behind.

Day Fifteen

The statue was commissioned for the previous Paternoster Square complex in 1975 and was replaced on a new plinth following the redevelopment of Paternoster Square.Sculptor Dame Elizabeth Frink (Thurlow, Suffolk 1930 - Blandford Forum, Dorset 1993), English sculptor and printmaker.

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A bronze sculpture depicting a shepherd leading his sheep has been edited into the number fifteen.

Day Sixteen

You need not go elsewhere to discover wonder: to dream and delight, to be astonished and grateful for the sheer joy of being alive. Watch a child take in life to be reminded how living in wonder is an innate gift. Wonder is to be found in the ordinary.

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A mosaic depicting three women kneeling in front of an angel has been edited into the number sixteen.

Day Seventeen

To live a life of Benedictine awareness means we must come to see what we cannot. To the monastic mind, everything speaks of God. What I have and what I do not have. What I want and what I do not want. What I care for and what I do not care for. But the message is not easily extracted. It takes reflection and prayer and the wisdom of others.

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The number seventeen has been filled with ancient texts, and a small book rests in front of the number one. The image background is a soft light that gently illuminates the number.

Day Eighteen

These tiny fragments of tile were once complete and whole, part of the floor of Chertsey Abbey. Like other such tiles, they were laid in the middle ages. Often, once an abbey or church was no longer used, they would be re-purposed and laid in a grand house or home. Over the years these tiles have been broken and fragments lost.

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Ancient floor tiles from Chertsey Abbey have been edited into the number eighteen.

Day Nineteen

His work included the replacement of the crypt floor with a scheme of mosaic decoration, the extension and re-arrangement of the choir, and the introduction of stained glass into the eastern arm of the cathedral. These works did not just change the appearance of the building, they were part of a complete re-articulation of the liturgical space and the experience of worship in St Paul's.

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A delicate illustration of an iron gate sits on top of the number nineteen. Tiny architectural marks about the gate surround the edges of the image.

Day Twenty

We build barriers when we are afraid. Barriers protect but they also hem us in. They exclude the enemy but also those who might be our friends.

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A sculpture of one angel standing behind a soldier with a second angel standing in front of the soldier extending a wreath towards him. At the soldier's feet, a male lion gazes up at him. The sculpture has been edited into the number twenty.

Day Twenty-
One

Birthing presents us with a paradox as Advent draws towards Christmas. It is such an active word, conjuring up the creative energy, agency and force of one nurturing new life and giving birth.

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Piano keys from the grand organ at St Paul's Cathedral have been edited into the number twenty-two. Holly berries, evergreen leaves, and a pinecone decorate the lower left corner of the image.

Day Twenty-Two

Christ depicted as man with a beard in a white hooded tunic, seated at the centre of a flock of sheep, with a lamb on his lap. His arms are opened in a blessing gesture; a mountain range as a dark blue silhouette forms the background against a golden sky, surrounded by a wreath frame in blue and gold.

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A mosaic of Christ depicted as man with a beard in a white hooded tunic, seated at the centre of a flock of sheep, with a lamb on his lap. His arms are opened in a blessing gesture; a mountain range as a dark blue silhouette forms the background against a golden sky, surrounded by a wreath frame in blue and gold. The mosaic has been edited into the number twenty-two.

Day Twenty-Three

The south walls of the Quire were decorated with scenes from the New Testament. Richmond used bright colours appropriate to the revelation of a new hope established by the annunciation to Mary that she would conceive and be the mother of Christ. 

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A mosaic of an angel with her right wing spread open and her right hand extended sits atop the number twenty-three.

Day Twenty-Four

At the heart of the Choir's being is the singing of Choral Evensong each day, with Choral Mattins and Sung Eucharist on Sundays. As well as this traditional routine, the Choir frequently gives concerts and broadcasts, as well as producing critically-acclaimed recordings and touring across the world.

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Children from the St Paul's Cathedral boys' choir hold are holding candles that illuminate their faces. They stand in front of the number twenty-four, which is gently illuminated from behind.

Day Twenty-Five

The ultimate question of Christmas is not what fantasy we revel in, but very practically, what part in the Christmas story do we play in our own lives?

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A delicate illustration of St Paul's Cathedral with a decorated Christmas tree, a tiny car, a double-decker buss, and a person riding a bike out front. Decorative flowers frame the lower half of the illustration, and tiny gold stars are sprinkled across the top. Holly berries adorn the upper left and right corners. The illustration sits atop the number twenty-five.

THE ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL TRUST IN AMERICA IS A U.S.-BASED 501(c)(3) PUBLIC CHARITY THAT FUNDS VITAL EDUCATION FOR THE ST PAUL’S CHORISTERS AND WORKS TO CONSERVE ENGLAND’S GREATEST SYMBOL OF HOPE.

‍For more information, go to: stpaulstrust.org
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