The Consecration of the 14th Bishop of Maryland

Consecration to take place at the National Cathedral in Washington

The Consecration of the 14th Bishop of Maryland will take place at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, on June 28. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will be the principal consecrator.

Detailed arrangements and design of the liturgy will be made by the Transition Committee working with the bishop-elect, the presiding bishop’s office, the Diocesan Liturgy and Music Commission, with assistance from the staff of the National Cathedral.

Visit the National Cathedral online.

Consecration Participants

All churches in the Diocese are invited to participate in the Grand Procession of Banners. We hope to have every parish represented at the consecration. If you would like to process a banner from a church, school or ministry in the diocese download this flyer to learn more.

A Festival Choir made up of singers from the Diocese of Maryland will perform during the Consecration service. Each parish is invited to send choir members to participate. Read this letter from the liturgy planners for more information then download the Festival Choir signup form.

Consecration Admission Passes

General Admission Passes

Passes will be required to attend the consecration of the 14th bishop of Maryland, the Rev. Canon Eugene T. Sutton. So that every church in the Diocese of Maryland is represented at the consecration, 15 General Admission passes will be allotted to each parish for laity and clergy spouses/partners and then distributed through the parishes in two phases.

Phase One: May 10-June 1
Each parish is asked to collect names and then fill out the form available through the Weekly Clergy Mailing or Parish E-mailing and return it to bishoppasses@aol.com. The requested passes will be mailed to the parish for distribution. If a parish has more than 15 people hoping to attend, they are advised to keep a waiting list.

Phase Two: June 2-13
Any unclaimed passes will be available through the parishes on a first come, first served basis. Using the same form, parishes will be able to e-mail requests and passes will be distributed by mail to the parish for distribution.

Who needs a General Admission Pass?

• Banner Bearers – be sure to bring your church’s banner and stand, and designate a banner bearer for the procession.
• Clergy Spouses/Partners – while all clergy (canonically resident) of the Diocese of Maryland will receive passes as part of the procession, their spouse/partner will not.
• Youth Greeters – greeters for all liturgy participants who will be gathering before the service begins. These youth will also assist people after the service to get to a reception location. E-mail consecration@ang-md.org to volunteer.
• Lay Members of the Congregation – Anyone wishing to attend the Consecration, including children, who is not participating in the procession or liturgy. Only babies in laps do not need a pass.

Who in the parish does not need a General Admission pass?

• Liturgy Participants – If you have been selected to usher, verger, be a Lay Eucharistic Minister (LEM) or choir member, then you will receive a “Participant” pass and will not be counted toward your parishes 15 pass allotment. Anyone interested in serving, please e-mail consecration@ang-md.org and someone will contact you.
• Diocesan Staff (clergy or lay)
• Clergy who are canonically-resident in the Diocese of Maryland

Helpful Hints

• Be patient. Not every parish will use its 15 pass allotment so chances are that passes will be available in the second round of distribution.
• If your parish obtains passes for people who later become vergers, ushers, LEMs or choir members, either return the pass to the Transition Committee for redistribution or simply offer it to another member of the parish.
• For additional information e-mail consecration@ang-md.org or bishoppasses@aol.com.