Washington National Cathedral Ceremony Details

On Saturday, September 1, 2018, at approximately 10:00am ET, a national memorial service celebrating the life of Senator McCain will take place at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Senator McCain’s family, friends, congressional colleagues and staff, as well as U.S. and international leaders have been invited to attend and participate in the service. The memorial service will begin at approximately 10:00am ET:

  • Anthems in Procession by The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of Washington
  • Welcome by The Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean of Washington National Cathedral
  • Hymn 608, “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” (The Navy Hymn), sung by the congregation
  • Tribute by Meghan McCain
  • Reading of Poem, “The Requiem,” by Jimmy McCain
  • Anthem, “My Country Tis of Thee,” sung by the congregation
  • Tribute by Senator Joseph I. Lieberman
  • Tribute by Dr. Henry A. Kissinger
  • Anthem, “Battle Hymn of the Republic”
  • Tribute by President George W. Bush
  • Tribute by President Barack H. Obama
  • Anthem, “Battle Hymn of the Republic”
  • The Collect for Burial by The Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean of Washington National Cathedral
  • Prayer for Those Who Grieve by The Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean of Washington National Cathedral
  • Reading, Wisdom 3:1-5, 9, by Senator Kelly Ayotte
  • Anthem, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” led by the Washington National Cathedral Choir
  • Reading, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, read by Sidney McCain
  • Hymn, “How Great Though Art,” sung by the congregation
  • Gospel, John 15:12-13, read by Senator Lindsey Graham
  • Homily by Father Edward A. Reese, S.J.
  • Musical Reflection, “Danny Boy,” sung by Renee Fleming
  • The Lord’s Prayer
  • The Prayers
  • Concluding Prayer, led by The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of Washington
  • Anthem, “America the Beautiful”
  • The Commendation, led by The Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean of Washington National Cathedral; The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of Washington; and Father Edward A. Reese, S.J.
  • The Blessing by The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of Washington
  • The Dismissal by The Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean of Washington National Cathedral
  • Postlude, “Final,” from Symphony I, OP.14 and Piece d’orgue, BWV 572

Tributes and Readings (Listed Alphabetically):

Senator Kelly Ayotte: Friend. Serves on the boards of Caterpillar, News Corps, BAE Systems as well as the One Campaign and the International Republican Institute. Formerly, United States Senator from New Hampshire, and Attorney General for the State of New Hampshire.

Senator Lindsey Graham: Friend. United States Senator from South Carolina. Formerly, United States Representative for the Third District of South Carolina.

Jimmy McCain: Son. Officer in the U.S. Army. Previously served in the Army National Guard and United States Marine Corps.

Sidney McCain: Daughter. Promotions Director of WMSE-FM radio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

President George W. Bush: Friend. Forty-third President of the United States of America

President Barack Obama: Friend. Forty-fourth President of the United States of America

Senator Joseph Lieberman: Friend. Senior Counsel at Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman LLP. Formerly, United States Senator from Connecticut, Attorney General for the State of Connecticut and Democratic Party Vice Presidential nominee in 2000.

Dr. Henry A. Kissinger: Friend. Chairman, Kissinger Associates Inc. Formerly, the fifty-sixth United States Secretary of State and Assistant to President Richard Nixon for National Security Affairs.

Meghan McCain: Daughter. Co-host of ABC’s “The View.”

Pallbearers (Listed Alphabetically):

Vice President Joseph Biden: Friend. Former Vice President of the United States, six-term United States Senator from Delaware, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Warren Beatty: Friend. Actor and filmmaker, and political activist. He received fourteen Academy Award nominations for his work as an actor, director and screenwriter.

Michael Bloomberg: Friend. Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bloomberg L.P. Served three terms as Mayor of the City of New York. Recognized as one of the nation’s leading philanthropists.

Secretary William Cohen: Friend. Founding partner of the Cohen Group. Formerly, the United States Secretary of Defense, three-term Senator from the State of Maine, and three term United States Representative from the Second District of Maine.

Senator Gary Hart: Friend. Author and attorney. Professor at the University of Colorado at Denver. Formerly, U.S. Special Envoy for Northern Ireland, Co-chairman of the U.S. Commission on National Security for the 21st Century, and two-term United States Senator from Colorado.

Stephen Dart: Friend. Businessman.

Richard Davis: Friend. Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Pegasus Capital Advisors, LP. Formerly, national campaign manager for Senator McCain presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2008, Special Assistant to President Reagan.

Carla Eudy: Friend. President, the Eudy Company. Longtime fundraiser.

Senator Russ Feingold: Friend. Visiting Professor at Marquette University Law School. Formerly, three-term United States Senator from Wisconsin and U.S. Special Envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Senator Phil Gramm: Friend. Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Formerly Vice Chairman of UBS Investment Bank, three-term United States Senator from Texas, and three-term United States Representative from the Sixth District of Texas.

Vladimir Kara-Murza: Friend. Vice Chairman of Open Russia, and Chairman of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom.

Governor Tom Ridge: Friend. Formerly United States Secretary for Homeland Security, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and seven-term United States Representative from the 21st District of Pennsylvania. Veteran of the Vietnam War.

Mark Salter: Friend. Author. Formerly, Chief of Staff to Senator McCain.

Fred Smith: Friend. Founder, Chairman and President of FedEx. Formerly, an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Veteran of the Vietnam War.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse: Friend. Serving his second term as United States Senator from Rhode Island. Formerly, Attorney General for the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations; U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island.

For coverage information, visit: https://www.johnmccain.com/press