Washington D.C., Jan 23, 2017 / 11:24 am
Religious leaders gathered in prayer for the country and the Trump administration on Saturday, continuing a decades-old tradition of national prayer at the start of a new presidential term.
"Almighty God, You have given us this good land as our heritage. Make us always remember Your generosity and constantly do Your will," Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. prayed the "Prayer for Our Country" near the end of the National Prayer Service for the 58th Presidential Inaugural.
The National Prayer Service at the Presidential Inauguration is a tradition that dates back to 1933 with the inauguration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Religious leaders gather to pray for the new president and his administration at the beginning of their term.
Saturday's prayer service at Washington National Cathedral in Northwest Washington, D.C. featured calls to prayer from Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders, as well as prayer by Hindu, Sikh and Ba'hai leaders.