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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Elizabeth Mullen |
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KENTUCKY TO BE HONORED AT SPECIAL SERVICE WASHINGTON – Kentucky leaders and citizens will be celebrated at a special worship service May 21 at Washington National Cathedral. Noted Bible scholar and author Ben Witherington III, a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky., will serve a guest preacher for Kentucky Day. Worshipers from the Bluegrass State will play key roles at the service, bearing communion elements and offering up gifts for the poor. The choir from Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Anchorage, Ky., directed by choirmaster Lisa Lewis, will perform a prelude to the 11 a.m. service. The Right Rev. Stacy Sauls, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, will lead the visiting congregation as chief celebrant. As part of its national ministry, Washington National Cathedral offers prayers for the people and leaders of each state annually. The Cathedral honors each state with a major observance once every four years. The Kentucky flag will be placed on the chancel steps for the service and will remain there for a week in further recognition of the state. “The National Cathedral Association invites all from Kentucky to participate in this special day,” said Vanessa Andrews, director of the National Cathedral Association. “Since 1899, when people first gathered on the Cathedral site prior to construction, we have recognized that the strength of Washington National Cathedral is the citizens from across our nation and around the world who helped build this cathedral church and help us live into our mission as a national house of prayer for all people.” Dr. Witherington, professor of New Testament Interpretation and the author of more than 30 books, is considered one of the top biblical scholars in the world. He will address the congregation from the historic Canterbury Pulpit, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his final Sunday sermon, and from where former Missouri senator John Danforth, an Episcopal priest, gave the homily at Ronald Reagan’s state funeral in June 2004. Other invited guests include Gov. Ernie Fletcher, Sens. Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell, Kentucky members of Congress and members of the Kentucky State Society, the organization of state natives who live and work in the Washington area. Afterwards, guides will lead guests on a special tour of the Cathedral, the sixth-largest in the world, highlighting references to Kentucky. For instance, the state seal is represented on a needlepoint wall hanging in the War Memorial Chapel, and needlepoint kneelers in St. John’s Chapel honor Daniel Boone and Henry Clay. A log cabin in the window on the east wall of Lincoln Bay depicts Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home in Kentucky. “As a national house of prayer for all people, the Cathedral opens its doors to all. On May 21, we especially welcome Kentucky citizens as we recognize their contributions to our nation,” Andrews said. “In our own way, the Cathedral will celebrate this commonwealth whose people are known for their warm welcome and hospitality.” The National Cathedral Association (NCA) is the friends’ organization of Washington National Cathedral. It counts more than 14,000 members in every state and around the world who support the cathedral’s missions and ministries. Its regional leader in Kentucky is Mrs. Roderick S. Heard of Lexington.
ATTN PRINT MEDIA: An account of the celebration and photos from the event will be available by May 22. If you desire e-mail transmission of this account and/or photos sent as JPEG attachments please contact Elizabeth Mullen at the number above. Available on the web site are print-quality photos of Washington National Cathedral (“Photos for Print” under “News” at www.cathedral.org/cathedral). | |