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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Elizabeth Mullen |
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VERMONT TO BE RECOGNIZED WASHINGTON – On March 30, 2008, Vermont leaders and citizens will be recognized at a special worship service at Washington National Cathedral. Clergy and visitors from the state and Vermont natives now living in the nation’s capital will gather at the majestic house of prayer for this major event. As part of its national ministry, Washington National Cathedral offers prayers for the people and leaders of each state annually. The Cathedral, which hosts state funerals and other events of national significance, honors each state with a major observance once every four years. The special service will mark the beginning of the Cathedral’s week-long series of events, worship services and programs entitled “Remaining Awake”—A Week Celebrating Racial Reconciliation & Justice. This is held in observance of the 40th anniversary of the last Sunday sermon, of the same title, delivered by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King spoke at the Cathedral on March 31, 1968, days before his assassination. Guest preacher at the 11:15 a.m. service will be Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, a leader of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and a continued champion of human rights and civil liberties. Lewis also will be spotlighted in the Cathedral’s Sunday Forum program leading up to the Racial Reconciliation service. The congressman will converse with members of the congregation in a program moderated by the Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III, dean of Washington National Cathedral. Vermonters will play key roles at the cathedral’s 11:15 a.m. service with a special focus on racial reconciliation. They will participate in the service’s opening procession and will bear communion elements and offer up gifts to the poor. The state flag will be placed on the chancel steps in the cathedral for the following week in further recognition of Vermont and its peoples’ contribution to the fabric and history of the nation. The Right Rev. Thomas Ely, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, will preside at the service. The Green Mountain College Choir, directed by Jim Cassarino, will offer a choral prelude to the Cathedral’s Choral Evensong service later in the day. Vermont’s participation in programs spotlighting racial reconciliation is fitting because it was the first sovereign state to prohibit slavery, 231 years ago, said Ben Bradburn, the Cathedral’s senior manager for national outreach. In 1777, Vermont was an independent republic when it adopted a constitution that included a slavery ban. Vermont joined the union of states in 1791. Afterwards, docents will lead guests on special tours of the cathedral, the sixth-largest in the world. The tour will highlight references to Vermont, including needlepoint kneelers in St. John’s Chapel that honor President Chester A. Arthur and Admiral George Dewey, and Vermont marble utilized in construction of Dewey’s tomb and the statue of George Washington in the Washington Bay. “As a church for national purposes, the Cathedral opens its doors to all. On March 30, we especially welcome Vermont citizens as we honor their contributions and service to their neighbors and our nation,” Bradburn said. “Vermont State Day will recognize the role the state plays in the life of the cathedral and our nation.” The National Cathedral Association, the organization of friends of Washington National Cathedral, with over 30,000 people from many denominations in every state and around the world who support the Cathedral.
ATTN PRINT MEDIA: An account of the celebration and photos from the event will be available on March 31. 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 (you may also click ”News” then ”Photos for Print” at www.nationalcathedral.org.) | |