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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Contact: Elizabeth Mullen |
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WEST VIRGINIA TO BE CELEBRATED WASHINGTON – Washington National Cathedral will host a worship celebration on January 27 in recognition of the people and leaders of West Virginia. More than 300 visitors from the Mountain State including invited clergy, elected leaders and parishioners are expected at the majestic house of prayer for the service. 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. West Virginians will play key roles at the Cathedral’s 11:15 am service marking the state’s celebration. 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 to further mark West Virginia State Day. The Right Rev. W. Michie Klusmeyer, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, will preside at the service. Rick Warren, one of the nation’s leading evangelical leaders, will preach at the service and also will be spotlighted in the Cathedral’s Sunday Forum program leading up to the worship. “The Sunday Forum at Washington National Cathedral: Critical Issues in the Light of Faith,” is moderated by The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III, the dean of Washington National Cathedral. It provides a space for honest, intellectually probing and generous-spirited dialogue about the major issues of our time as seen from the Christian perspective. Warren is founder and senior pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., which grew over 25 years to become the largest Christian church in the state. He also has written books including the best-selling ‘Purpose Driven Life.’ Following the Sunday Forum, Vocal Tapestry, a choral group from Fairmont, West Virginia, led by Douglas Bunner, will call the congregation to worship with a choral prelude to the West Virginia Major State Day service. After the worship service, Cathedral guides will lead guests on a special tour of the cathedral, the sixth-largest in the world, highlighting its ties to West Virginia. The state flag hangs in the cavernous nave, and the West Virginia state seal has a prominent location in the Narthex floor on the West End of the Cathedral and is represented on a needlepoint wall hanging in the War Memorial Chapel. Additionally, the Blenko Glass Company of Milton made the hand-blown glass in the Cathedral’s South Rose Window. “As a house of prayer for all people, the Cathedral opens its doors to all. On January 27, we especially welcome West Virginia citizens as we honor their contributions and service to their neighbors and our nation,” said Benjamin Bradburn, senior manager for national outreach and the National Cathedral Association, which is organizing the service. “West Virginia State Day will be a celebration of 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, has nearly 13,000 members from many denominations in every state and around the world. Its regional leader in West Virginia is Hollie A. Mitchell of Charleston.
ATTN PRINT MEDIA: An account of the celebration and photos from the event will be available on January 18. 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.) | |