On September 29, 1990, Washington National Cathedral's final finial was laid and 83 years of construction came to a close. On that day, head stone mason Joe Alonso stood high on a scaffold, watched by the media and a crowd from all over the area. There was a moment of breathless anticipation as he picked up his trowel to lay the very last stone of Washington National Cathedral's construction.

In the 25 years since Washington National Cathedral was completed, it has been the place to which our nation naturally turns in times of celebration and mourning . . . a place that unites people of faith . . . and a place to address the most complex issues of our time from a perspective of faith.

Celebrate with us as we reflect on 108 years of relationship-making and what inspires us through the mission and ministry of this house of prayer for all people. Hear from Cathedral enthusiasts across the country and discover how your support makes a difference. Today is a celebration of why the Cathedral is important to all of us.

About the Panel:

The Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton has been Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland since June 2008. He served as canon pastor and director of the Cathedral Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage at Washington National Cathedral until his consecration as bishop in 2008.
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Joseph Alonso began his apprenticeship as a stone mason in 1979 (his father was also a mason) and came to the Cathedral in 1985 during the construction of the west towers. He took over as mason foreman in 1990, guiding the towers' final year of construction, and had the honor of setting the Cathedral's "final finial" stone.
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Ms. Jan Smith is a member of the National Cathedral's congregation. She is a past trustee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and a former board member of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.
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Ray A. Foote has served as a member of the National Cathedral's development committee since July 2014. From 2000 until 2002 he was the Cathedral's director of the National Cathedral Association, and from 2002 until 2006 he served as the Cathedral's senior director of membership and development.
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