Former President Bill Clinton and Vice President-elect Joe Biden are among the dignitaries who will be offering eulogies at this morning’s funeral in Newport for former Rhode Island Sen. Claiborne Pell.

Rhode Island Episcopal Bishop Geralyn Wolf will officiate at the 10 a.m. service in historic Trinity Episcopal Church, overlooking the harbor. Eulogies will also be delivered at the televised service by Senators Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Jack Reed of Rhode Island and by Nicholas Lorillard Pell, one of Pell’s five grandchildren

Pell, who had started to suffer from Parkinson’s disease even before he completed his final term in the U.S. Senate, in 1996, died on Thursday just a few minutes into the New Year, at home. His death, at the age of 90, triggered an outpouring of grateful memories from people across the country, both the mighty and the lowly.

Thomas G. Hughes, a former top Pell aide, said a large delegation of U.S. senators planned to pay their respects. The confirmed list includes Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Democrats Richard Durbin of Illinois, John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut and Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, and Senate Republicans Orrin Hatch of Utah and Richard G. Lugar of Indiana.

With roughly half of the 700-seat church to be taken up by close friends and dignitaries, organizers yesterday were making provisions to open up the remainder of the seats to the general public. Hughes said doors to the church will open 9 a.m. and those in line then will be given first priority.

Once the church has filled to capacity, another 100 members of the public will be allowed into the church’s Honyman Hall, next door, to watch the service on television. Another part of the building has been set aside for the media.

After the service, the public has been invited to a reception at Salve Regina University’s Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, where people will be able to meet and express their condolences personally to members of the family.

Television coverage is being coordinated by WJAR (Channel 10), which was also providing pool coverage starting at 9:45 a.m. The service is also being aired live by WPRI (Channel 12) and by C-Span 2.

The Newport police announced parking restrictions beginning at 6 a.m. on Spring Street from Pelham to Mary streets; on Thames Street from Church to Mill streets; and on Mill Street from Thames to Spring streets. There will be no permanent road closures, but there may be intermittent closures depending on traffic flow.Today’s services

When: 10 a.m.

Where: Trinity Episcopal Church in Newport

How to watch: The service will be broadcast live on channels 10, 12 and C-SPAN.

rdujardi@projo.com