Cathedral To Celebrate Juneteenth With Sermon from Rev. Sen. Raphael Warnock

June 8, 2023

WASHINGTON – In celebration of Juneteenth, Washington National Cathedral will host a special Holy Eucharist service featuring a guest sermon by Rev. Sen. Raphael Warnock on Sunday, June 18, at 11:15 a.m. ET, along with music provided by the Cathedral’s Contemporary Worship Ensemble. This service will be part of a larger series of events the Cathedral will host to mark Juneteenth.

 

Warnock is the junior U.S. Senator from Georgia and senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Following the service, the Cathedral will host an in-person public forum titled “Shaping a New Tomorrow” at 1:30 p.m. EST in the Cathedral’s nave. Invited experts will convene to discuss the importance of representation across faith, media, politics, and the arts. Media should register here to receive a live stream of the forum.

Panelists include: 

  • The Rev. Dr. Keith W. Byrd, Sr., Progressive National Baptist Convention, National First Vice-President, and Pastor of Zion Baptist Church
  • The Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin, Sr., Canon Missioner and Minister of Equity & Inclusion at Washington National Cathedral
  • Michelle Miller, Co-Host of CBS Saturday Morning
  • Dr. Eric L. Motley, Deputy Director at The National Gallery of Art

In collaboration with the March on Washington Film Festival, the Cathedral will also host a special talk with Jonathan Eig, author of the bestselling biography “King: A Life,” on Thursday, June 15, at 7 p.m. ET. “King: A Life”: An Evening with Author Jonathan Eig” will celebrate the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with an evening of conversation between Eig and Cathedral Canon Theologian Kelly Brown Douglas, moderated by The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, with special remarks from Representative Ayanna Pressley (D, MA-07). Eig and Rev. Douglas will delve into the fascinating new details uncovered by Eig’s book about Dr. King’s personal life, family, and the profound impact his legacy continues to have on civil rights today. Gospel group DreamLaunchers will perform a series of hymns in tribute to Dr. King’s enduring influence. Dr. King delivered his final Sunday sermon at the Cathedral on March 31, 1968, just four days before his tragic assassination in Memphis, TN.

The book event is free and open to the public; RSVPs are encouraged. Media are welcome to attend in person, but a live stream will be available on the Cathedral’s Youtube page.

The Cathedral’s Juneteenth festivities are sponsored by the Cathedral College of Faith & Culture and are part of the Cathedral’s windows replacement project, which began in 2015 and focuses on removing and replacing two stained glass windows dedicated to Confederate generals. Acclaimed artist Kerry James Marshall and poet Elizabeth Alexander are creating new windows and poetry, respectively, for the bay that previously held these two windows. The Cathedral has hosted public programming and education opportunities leading up to unveiling the new windows later this year.

Media is welcome to attend any of these events in person and should contact Eleanor Donohue for details.

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MEDIA CONTACTS
Eleanor Donohue, 202-704-5840, [email protected]

 About Washington National Cathedral
Grounded in the reconciling love of Jesus Christ, Washington National Cathedral is a house of prayer for all people, conceived by our founders to serve as a great church for national purposes.

About The March on Washington Film Festival
Held annually in Washington, D.C., the March on Washington Film Festival (MOWFF), now in its 11th year, is a civil rights and social justice legacy project. This annual storytelling experience focuses on illuminating the untold events and unsung heroes of the American civil rights movement and inspiring renewed passion for activism. By leveraging the power of film, music, scholarship, and the arts, the Festival shares important and influential stories to connect the past, present, and future in the fight toward social change in America and throughout the world.