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Bishop Allin To Be Installed As 23rd Presiding Bishop

Diocesan Press Service. April 4, 1974 [74095]

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In an impressive yet simple service the Rt. Rev. John Maury Allin, Bishop of Mississippi, will be installed as the 23rd Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (Washington National Cathedral) in the nation's capital on June 10 -11.

Bishop Allin was elected Presiding Bishop -- the spiritual leader and chief executive officer of the 3.2 million member church -- by the House of Bishops and confirmed by the clerical and lay members of the House of Deputies at the 64th General Convention of the church in Louisville, Ky., last October. According to the Canons of the church, the Presiding Bishop's term of office is 12 years.

Bishop Allin will succeed the Rt. Rev. John Elbridge Hines, who is retiring May 31 from the post he has held since his installation on January 27, 1965.

In 1940 the General Convention designated the Washington Cathedral as "the Seat of the Presiding Bishop for his use on occasions incident to the exercise of his office as Presiding Bishop" and requested that the Bishop of Washington and the Cathedral Chapter "provide him with a Seat in the Cathedral commensurate with the dignity of his office, and to make suitable provision for his use of the Cathedral as Presiding Bishop."

The inaugural celebration will begin on Monday, June 10, with a Eucharist at 6:00 p. m., with Bishop Allin as the celebrant. The Second Service of the Trial Liturgy will be used. The Rev. John B. Coburn, rector of St. James' Church, New York City, and president of the House of Deputies of the General Convention, will preach. There will be no reserved seats for this service.

Following the Eucharist there will be an open house given by the cathedral.

Bishop Allin will be formally installed into his office on Tuesday, June 11, beginning at 11:00 a.m., in a service which mingles the richness of the traditions of the ancient church with the simple directness of the best of the modern.

Music for the two-day installation services will be provided by the Washington Cathedral choir of men and boys who will be joined by boys choirs from Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis and Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, the choir of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., and " The Trees," a group from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.

A series of processions will include church dignitaries from many streams of Christendom -- including bishops of the Episcopal Church, primates and bishops of other Anglican bodies, ecumenical leaders, and Executive Council members and staff.

When the processions have taken their places, the Very Rev. Francis B. Sayre, Jr., dean of the Washington Cathedral, accompanied by others, will proceed to the west doors to await the arrival and traditional knock of the presiding bishop-elect. With the sounding of trumpets, Bishop Allin will enter and be greeted by Dean Sayre and escorted to the crossing, where most of the service will take place.

One feature of the service will be the celebration of Bishop Allin's new ministry, when he will be handed visible symbols of his ministry, including a Bible, a Prayer Book, bread and wine, water, oil, and a staff.

Bishop Allin will take the oath of office at the Altar rail with his hand on the Book of Common Prayer. Following this, he will be conducted to the Presiding Bishop's Chair, located on the left side of the great choir, where he will be officially seated.

Following this ceremony, Bishop Allin will deliver his inaugural sermon from the pulpit at the southeast corner of the crossing. At the High Altar he will offer prayers, be vested in a gold cope and mitre, and give his blessing to conclude the service.

Following the service there will be an informal reception in the Bishop's Garden. A light lunch may be purchased.

For the June 11 installation service, a limited number of tickets will be available to the public upon request (no more than two per request). Each diocesan bishop will be issued an allotted number of tickets for himself and diocesan representatives. In addition to other reserved seats for guests and officials, some seats will be unreserved and open to the general public.

Because of the immensity of the cathedral -- the size of a 10-story football field --the taking of pictures by the public is discouraged. The cathedral does not permit hand cameras and flash pictures. Sets of color slides and black and white prints will be offered for sale after the event. Requests for photographs and slides should be directed to: Hibbard G. James, Communications Director, Washington Cathedral, Mount Saint Alban, Washington, D.C. 20016.

The news media will provide full coverage of the ceremonies, with a large representation from the daily newspapers, weekly news magazines, wire services, diocesan and general church publications, and radio and television stations. CBS-TV will film the June 11 service for later viewing in edited form, probably in late June. (Check local television schedules for exact time and channel.)

Requests for information and for tickets for the June 11 service should be directed to: The Rev. Canon Jeffrey P. Cave, Coordinator for Presiding Bishop's Installation, Washington Cathedral, Mount Saint Alban, Washington, D.C. 20016.

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