About the Altar of Peace

George Nakashima's vision of placing "Altars of Peace" in each continent has manifested in New York, Auroville, Moscow and a planned one for Cape Town at the Desmond Tutu Peace Center.

The first Nakashima Altar of Peace was consecrated in 1986 in the world's largest Gothic Cathedral. It was a New Year's Eve service, ecumenical in spirit with representatives of many religions and diplomats of many countries joining in prayer and song. It was reinstalled and rededicated on June 7, 2009 and is pictured in full here.

The 2nd Altar was built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations in 1995. It is made from the same monumental black walnut tree as the 1st and was also blessed at the Cathedral.

It served as a unifying presence at The Hague Appeal for Peace in May 1999 and now resides in the newly renovated Russian Academy of Art.

A 3rd Table, built for Asia and sent to India in 1996, has a permanent home in the "City of Peace", Auroville, which sprang from the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry where Nakashima was once a disciple.

The Cathedral suffered a fire eight years ago and only now has reopened the entire cleaned and restored sanctuary. In fact, the Altar of Peace is the first artifact of the Cathedral's collection to be reinstalled.

The 400 rose petals which were held by the participants during my meditation and then offered in silent prayer were afterwards used in the compost for the Cathedral's garden. This is in keeping with the strong environmental concern that Nakashima had as a pioneering ecologist.

Nakashima lived at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram from 1938-39. He was given the name of Sundaranada, "one who delights in beauty", and his whole life was then devoted to creating works of beauty out of wood.

He is internationally recognized and in 1983 was given The Third Order of the Sacred Treasure by the Japanese Foreign Office under the aegis of the Emperor and the Japanese Government.

Among Nakashima's many achievements is a room in The Arts of Japan Galleries at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I am grateful to say that I was involved in this endeavor as well.

The Program

Rededication of the Nakashima Altar of Peace
Sunday, June 7

A Ceremony of Rededication

Music: The Great Organ

Welcome
The Reverend Canon Thomas Miller, Canon for Liturgy & Art

Opening Music
Tiokasin Ghosthorse      Flute

Remarks
Scott McVay        Out of a Dream: the Nakashima Altar of Peace
Irene Goldman     Installation of a Nakashima Table of Peace, Russia
Julian Lines          Installation of a Nakashima Table of Peace, India

Music

Observations
The Very Reverend Dr. James A. Kowalski, Dean
     The Nakashima Altar of Peace: A Prayer For Peace, A Dream For Humanity

Reading
Narad      A selection from the epic poem, Savitri, by Sri Aurobindo

Meditation
Miriam Belov      Guided meditation and offering of flower petals

Music
Paul Winter

Closing
Mira Nakashima-Yarnall
The Reverend Canon Thomas Miller

Ringing of the Bells