The Glasgow Cathedral, or St. Mungo’s Cathedral, is one of the oldest churches to have survived the reformation. Located in the center of Glasgow, it sits across the street from the oldest home in the city. It is a beautiful church and is home to the largest post war collection of stained glass windows in Britain.
St. Mungo was the patron saint of Glasgow. In the lower church, there is a shrine dedicated to him, and hundreds of people make a pilgrimage to this shrine each year on January 13, the day of his death. In 1451, the pope declared it as meritorious to make a pilgrimage to St. Mungo’s as to Rome itself.
We also visited St. Mungo’s Museum of Religious Life and Art. The museum houses religious symbols and artifacts from around the world. It explains how various religions affect the culture of the people participating. What I found most fascinating was that despite all of the differences, we have more similarities than we realize. Most religions share similar values, such as the sanctity of marriage, or being pious. The differences tend to lay in the variety of ways that people worship and their beliefs in the after life.
I find the different ideas of the hereafter both amazing and terrifying. For example, the Egyptians believe that you are brought before God and all of you sins are weighed against the feather of truth. If your sins weigh more than the feather, you are sent to the underworld. While it is a quick and decisive judgment, it is an intimidating idea to me.
I enjoyed looking at the various wedding day styles and traditions as well. Weddings are a time of great joy for all people of all cultures.
St. Mungo’s was a beautiful cathedral, and an enlightening museum experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone in the Glasgow area.
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