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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAJOR EVENT CELEBRATES WYOMING AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL WASHINGTON - Dozens of Wyoming natives led by Sen. Michael Enzi and religious leaders from the state took part in a major worship service and celebration Jan. 25 at the landmark Washington National Cathedral. Pilgrims from Wyoming comprised a substantial portion of the 428 worshipers who attended the cathedral’s 11 a.m. service marking Wyoming State Day. Wyoming visitors played key roles throughout the service. The Rev. Dr. Sally Palmer, pastor of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Laramie, was featured as guest preacher. She addressed the congregation from the historic Canterbury Pulpit, from where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his last Sunday sermon Dr. Palmer told the congregation that God’s presence is easily discerned in the towering mountains and persistent winds that characterize Wyoming. “To live in Wyoming is to feel the mysterious expansiveness of the One who called the worlds into being,” Dr. Palmer said. When Christ was born, hope was born with Him “that’s as strong as the Wyoming wind and as wide as the Western sky.” Welcoming the visitors, The Right Rev. A. Theodore Eastman, Vicar of Washington National Cathedral, said Dr. Palmer’s sermon “was as close to a perfect sermon as one can get. It was wise and it was done with passion. It struck just the right note.” The Right Rev. Bruce Caldwell of Laramie, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming, was chief celebrant at the service. The Rev. David Duprey, rector of St. Peter’s Church in Sheridan, The Very Rev. Marilyn Engstrom, Dean of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Cathedral in Laramie and The Rev. Canon Gus Salbador of the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming also took part. For the past six years, Washington National Cathedral has set aside one major state day each month in seeking to fulfill its outreach mission to all faiths. The National Cathedral Association, the organization of friends that supports the cathedral’s ministries, organized Wyoming State Day and invited religious and political leaders and parishoners to take part. Also represented was the Wyoming State Society, the organization of Wyoming citizens living in the Washington area. “We were thrilled to have so many friends of all ages with us on the day from Wyoming,” said Vanessa Andrews, Director of the National Cathedral Association. “Our volunteer leader and friends from across the state worked so hard to make the day happen. It was a wonderful sight to see the fruits of their labor.” Sen. Enzi and Rachel Patton of Sheridan, a student at George Washington University and a state society member, read Scripture at the service. Sen. Enzi said the event “was an extremely moving experience for me and for all the people from Wyoming. You could feel the spirit of God and the fellowship of the people.” He joked that a service held in a worship space longer than a football field and 10 stories high from floor to ceiling “is a little more formal that the church service I usually attend.” Washington National Cathedral is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world. Sen. Enzi’s wife Diana Enzi, Linda Clark of Sheridan, Mary Naumann of Laramie, Sarah Engstrom of Casper, Bill Walker of Hartville and Richard Waggener of Laramie carried gifts to the altar during the offertory. Visitors from Wyoming carried colorful banners representing home parishes in the service’s opening procession, including those from Church of Our Saviour in Hartville, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Casper and St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Laramie. Mary T. Dailey of Sheridan, the National Cathedral Association’s volunteer leader in Wyoming, carried the state flag in the opening procession. The flag was placed on the chancel steps, where it will remain for a week in further recognition of the state. Afterwards, the National Cathedral Association together with the Wyoming State Society sponsored a reception recognizing Wyoming participants. Bishop Eastman presented Dr. Palmer and Sen. Enzi with pins designating honorary membership in the National Cathedral Association. Kim Sears, president of the Wyoming State Society and a Gillette native, read a message from Gov. David Freudenthal recognizing ties between the state and the cathedral. “I am pleased to join on Wyoming Day in recognizing the importance of the National Cathedral as both a symbol of our independence and as a place of worship for those who seek a greater understanding of their faith,” Freudenthal said in a signed proclamation.. Cathedral officials also thanked the NCA’s volunteer leaders and association members in Wyoming, part of a network of more than 13,000 people in every state and around the world. ATTN PRINT MEDIA: If you desire e-mail transmission of this account and/or photos sent as JPEG attachments please contact Steven Gotfried at the number above. Also, print-quality photos are available on our website. |