Upon seeing the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City for the first time, its dean-elect was impressed by its enormity. Shortly thereafter the Rev. James A. Kowalski noticed that the massive stone and brick structure was unfinished. Fr. Kowalski, a Connecticut native with impressive stewardship and church-growth credentials, was approved by the cathedral board of trustees in November. He begins March 1.

Why did the cathedral choose someone the New York Times described as a low-profile rector from a prosperous, suburban parish?

Fr. Kowalski, who did not dispute the Times' description of him, said he believes St. John the Divine is most in need of someone capable of balance, someone who can help the cathedral to reclaim its original purpose while at the same time move it beyond a hand-to-mouth existence.

"We need places this big if we're talking about God and Jesus' gift of the Holy Spirit," he said. "This was meant to be the Episcopal Church's most international cathedral. The creation of the United Nations and its location in New York City was no accident. This is the world's most international city. This cathedral was built for the world, to inspire and bring together people of different faiths."

Historically, outside events have often overshadowed milestones at the cathedral, notes Fr. Kowalski. Construction was begun shortly after Ellis Island opened as an immigration processing center. It was largely stopped soon after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fr. Kowalski, who turned 50 on Sept. 11, believes the terrorist attack may be as significant for the cathedral as it was for the city and country, but he is cautious about any construction plans beyond preservation work at this time.

"I'm not even there yet," he said. "How can I talk about restarting construction?"