On my last trip to England, I was lucky to visit the ancient Winchester Cathedral. A millennia-old center of pilgrimage and religiosity, the place where the present-day Gothic cathedral was built in the 11th century on Norman foundations, still visible at the intersection of the church’s aisles. It was the seat of shrines that disappeared in the distant past, even before the Romans.
One of the exceptional characteristics of this magnificent work is that a river Avon flows underneath the cathedral, making it a kind of stone boat above the water currents, with all the symbolic and esoteric content that derives from it. On the other hand, it is like a mystical bridge that connects one bank to the other over the cold underground waters.
In its basements, three springs emerge, and its special construction allows for strong acoustics throughout its aisles, as confirmed by listening to its famous organ, as well as through the interesting tradition of continuous afternoon ringing that lasts for minutes.
The cathedral is impressive. Since the bells are programmed to ring with a continuous sound, it sounds as if angels are playing huge harps above the highest arches. This effect is difficult to describe. To those who have never experienced it, it is almost impossible to imagine.
However, my article is not about the cathedral itself, but about a humble man, William Walker, a professional diver born in 1869.
For almost a thousand years, water has been eroding the foundations of the cathedral, and at the beginning of the 20th century, it seemed doomed to collapse – large cracks appeared in its walls, and this marvelous Gothic structure was sinking with its foundations. The technical means and the layout of the submerged walls did not allow the insertion of support materials, so engineers were faced with a seemingly unsolvable problem.
That’s when William’s heroic figure appeared. He offered to descend through a small opening and carry one bag of cement at a time, which was necessary for the restoration. reinforcing submerged structures. The amount of cement that engineers calculated was needed to support the enormous building exceeded the logical capabilities of manual labor, especially the work of one person. But the diver was not intimidated and with his heavy diving suit, into which his friends manually pumped air in the basement of the cathedral, he dived into the cold water.
It was the year 1906. Day after day, without rest, the diver descended and climbed the stairs carrying bags, blocks, and beams in his hands. Not measuring the magnitude of his work, he completely dedicated himself to it, paying no attention to his health or what he would be paid for it. It was his authentic act of love. Everyone thought he would be able to do only a small part of the work… one human being cannot endure daily work in such conditions. But the diver was not just any human being, but an embodiment of will and perseverance. He worked until 1912 and it is estimated that during that time he carried 25,800 bags of cement, 114,900 concrete blocks, and 9… 00000 bricks. His hands have carried 500 tons of material in 6 years.
We emphasize the example of William Walker who worked and put his life into a humble but transcendent effort so that others could continue to pray and listen to the choir of bells under that perfect roof. He descended into the icy abyss so that people he had never met could enjoy such beauty.
In the cathedral, a bronze statue with outstretched arms has been erected in his honor, the only tool in his monumental work. Today, on a metal plate, it reads: “Winchester Cathedral, built to the glory of God, 1087-1093. Preserved from danger by the grace of God, 1905-1912.”