Table of Addresses and Salutations for Government Church and School Dignitaries This is a file of frequently encountered dignitaries and how properly to address them. The left hand column contains the person's title; the center column has the correct way(s) to address correspondence to the person; the right hand column has the acceptable salutations, ranging from the most formal to most casual. If this is an INSERT file, access by section using the following codes: A--Ambassador thru Archbishop M--Mayor thru Monsignor B--Bishop thru Brother P--The Pope thru Priest Ca--Cabinet thru City Council R--Rabbi thru Rector Co--Congressman thru Consul S--Senator thru Vice-President D--Dean thru Judge A-Ambassador thru Archbishop ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TITLE ADDRESS SALUTATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ambassador, The Honorable __________ Sir: American The American Ambassador Dear Mr. Ambassador: Address ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ambassador, His Excellency _________ Sir: Foreign The Ambassador of ______ Excellency: Address Dear Mr. Ambassador: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Archbishop The Most Reverend ______ Your Excellency: (Catholic) Archbishop of __________ Your Grace: Address Most Reverend Sir: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- B--Bishop thru Brother ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TITLE ADDRESS SALUTATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bishop The Most Reverend ______ Your Excellency: (Catholic) Bishop of ______________ Most Reverend Sir: Address ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bishop The Right Reverend _____ Your Excellency: (Episcopal) Bishop of ______________ Right Reverend Sir: Address Dear Bishop _______: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bishop The Reverend Bishop ____ Dear Sir: (Methodist) Bishop of ______________ Dear Bishop _______: Address ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brother Brother __________,* Dear Brother: Address Dear Brother ________: *add Abbreviation of order ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ca--Cabinet thru City Council ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TITLE ADDRESS SALUTATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cabinet Officer The Honorable __________ Sir: (Federal or state) Secretary of _____(State,etc) Dear Sir: Address Dear Mr. Secretary: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cardinal His Eminence (First Name), Your Eminence: Cardinal (Last Name) Address ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chaplain Chaplain ____________ Dear Chaplain: Captain, U.S. Army Dear Chaplain _______: Address ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- City Council The City Council Honorable Sirs: City of ________ Honorable Gentlemen: Address ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Co--Congressman thru Consul ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TITLE ADDRESS SALUTATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Congressman or The Honorable ___________ Sir: State Representative The House of Representatives Dear Mr. _________: Address Dear Congressman _____: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consul, The American Consul Sir: American (or: _________,Esquire) Dear Sir: (American Consul) Dear Mr. Consul: Address ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consul, The ________ Consul Sir: Foreign Address Dear Sir: Dear Mr. Consul: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- D--Dean thru Judge ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TITLE ADDRESS SALUTATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dean The Very Reverend ________ Very Reverend Sir: (Church) _________ Church Dear Dean _______: Address ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dean Dean ___________,* Dear Sir: (College) Name of College Dear Dean ________: Address *add abbreviation of degree ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Governor The Honorable _________ Dear Sir: Governor, State of ____ Dear Governor _____: Address ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Judge The Honorable _________ Dear Sir: Judge of the ______ Court Dear Judge _______: Address ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- M--Mayor thru Monsignor ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TITLE ADDRESS SALUTATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mayor The Honorable __________ Sir: Mayor, City of _________ Dear Mr. Mayor: Address Dear Mayor ______: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minister The Reverend __________ Dear Sir: (Protestant) __________ Church Dear Doctor: (if D.D.) Address Dear Mr. ________: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monsignor The Right Reverend Right Reverend Sir: Monsignor _________ Dear Monsignor: Name of Church Right Reverend and Address Dear Monsignor: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- P--The Pope thru Priest ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TITLE ADDRESS SALUTATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Pope His Holiness, Pope _______ Your Holiness: The Vatican Most Holy Father: Vatican City, Italy ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- President __________,* Dear Sir: (College or President, ______ College Dear President _______: University) Address *add abbreviation of highest degree ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- President The President Sir: of the The White House Dear Mr. President: United States Washington, D.C. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Priest The Reverend ________,* Reverend Father: Name of Church or School Dear Reverend Father: Address Dear Father _______: *add abbreviation of order ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- R--Rabbi thru Rector ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TITLE ADDRESS SALUTATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rabbi Rabbi __________ Reverend Sir: (or: The Reverend _______) My Dear Sir: Name of Church Dear Rabbi ________: Address ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rector The Very Reverend ________ Dear Father _______: Name of Church Very Reverend Sir: Address Dear Reverend ______: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- S--Senator thru Vice-President ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TITLE ADDRESS SALUTATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Senator The Honorable ___________ Sir: (U.S. or State) United States Senate Dear Senator: (or: The State Capitol) Dear Senator _____: Address ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sister Sister ___________,* Dear Sister: Name of Convent or School Dear Sister _______: Address *add abbreviation of order ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Superior Mother ____________,* Reverend Mother: of Sister Order Mother General Dear Mother General: Address Dear Sister Superior: *add abbreviation of order ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vice-President The Honorable ___________ Sir: The Vice-President of Mr. Vice-President: the United States Dear Mr. Vice-President: Washington, D.C. 20025 Vice-President of Mr. Vice-President: