Since 1937, the United States presidential inauguration has included one or more prayers given by members of the clergy. Since 1933 an associated prayer service either public or private attended by the President-elect has often taken place on the morning of the day. At times a major public or broadcast prayer service takes place after the main ceremony most recently on the next day.
List of clergy at main ceremony
January 20, 1937 inaugural of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Invocation by Chaplain ZeBarney Thorne Phillips - Episcopalian, Chaplain of the United States SenateBenediction by Father John A. Ryan - Catholic, professor, Catholic University of AmericaJanuary 20, 1941 inaugural of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Invocation by Chaplain ZeBarney PhillipsBenediction by Father Michael J. Ready, Catholic, general secretary of the National Catholic Welfare ConferenceJanuary 20, 1945 inaugural of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Invocation by Bishop Angus Dun - Episcopalian, Bishop of WashingtonBenediction by Monsignor John A. Ryan - CatholicJanuary 20, 1949 inaugural of Harry S. Truman
Invocation by Rev. Edward Hughes Pruden, Baptist, First Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.Prayer by Rabbi Samuel Thurman, Jewish, United Hebrew Congregation, St. Louis, MissouriBenediction by Archbishop Patrick A. O’Boyle, Catholic, Archbishop of WashingtonJanuary 20, 1953 inaugural of Dwight D. Eisenhower
Invocation by Archbishop Patrick A. O’Boyle, Catholic, Archbishop of WashingtonPrayer by Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, JewishPrayer by President EisenhowerBenediction by Rev. Henry Knox Sherrill, Episcopalian, Presiding BishopJanuary 21, 1957 inaugural of Dwight D. Eisenhower
Invocation by Rev. Edward L. R. Elson - Presbyterian, Chaplain of the United States SenatePrayer by Michael - Greek OrthodoxPrayer by Rabbi Louis Finkelstein, JewishBenediction by Cardinal Edward Mooney - Catholic, Archbishop of DetroitJanuary 20, 1961 inaugural of John F. Kennedy
Invocation by Cardinal Richard Cushing - Catholic, Archbishop of BostonPrayer by Iakovos, Greek OrthodoxPrayer by Rev. Dr. John Barclay, pastor of the Central Christian Church of Austin, TexasBenediction by Rabbi Nelson Glueck - JewishJanuary 20, 1965 inaugural of Lyndon B. Johnson
Invocation by Archbishop Robert E. Lucey - Catholic, Archbishop of San AntonioPrayer by Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel - Jewish, Congregation Beth Israel of HoustonPrayer by Rev. Dr. George R. Davis - Disciples of ChristBenediction by Iakovos - Greek OrthodoxJanuary 20, 1969 inaugural of Richard Nixon
Invocation by Rev. Charles Ewbank Tucker - African Methodist Episcopal Zion, bishopPrayer by Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin - Jewish, Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Los AngelesPrayer by Iakovos - Greek OrthodoxPrayer by Rev. Billy Graham - Southern Baptist, text of Billy Graham prayer 1969Benediction by Archbishop Terence J. Cooke - Catholic, Archbishop of New YorkJanuary 20, 1973 inaugural of Richard M. Nixon
Invocation by Rev. E. V. Hill, National Baptist Convention, pastor of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los AngelesPrayer by Rabbi Seymour Siegel - Jewish, professor, Jewish Theological SeminaryPrayer by Iakovos - Greek OrthodoxBenediction by Archbishop Terence J. Cooke - Catholic, Archbishop of New YorkJanuary 20, 1977 inaugural of Jimmy Carter
Invocation by Bishop William Cannon - United MethodistBenediction by Archbishop John R. Roach - CatholicJanuary 20, 1981 inaugural of Ronald Reagan
Invocation by Rev. Donn Moomaw - Presbyterian, pastor of Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los AngelesBenediction by Rev. Donn MoomawJanuary 21, 1985 inaugural of Ronald Reagan
Invocation by Rev. Timothy S. Healy - Catholic, president of Georgetown UniversityPrayer by Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk - Jewish, president, Hebrew Union CollegePrayer by Rev. Donn Moomaw - PresbyterianBenediction by Rev. Peter Gomes, chaplain, Harvard UniversityJanuary 20, 1989 inaugural of George H. W. Bush
Invocation by Rev. Billy Graham - Southern Baptist, text of invocation 1989Benediction by Rev. Billy Graham - Southern BaptistJanuary 20, 1993 inaugural of Bill Clinton
Invocation by Rev. Billy Graham - Southern Baptist, text of invocation 1993Benediction by Rev. Billy Graham - Southern BaptistJanuary 20, 1997 inaugural of Bill Clinton
Invocation by Rev. Billy Graham - Southern Baptist, text of invocation 1997Benediction by Rev. Gardner C. Taylor - BaptistJanuary 20, 2001 inaugural of George W. Bush
Invocation by Rev. Franklin Graham - Southern Baptist, text of invocation and benediction 2001Benediction by Pastor Kirbyjon H. Caldwell - United MethodistJanuary 20, 2005 inaugural of George W. Bush
Invocation by Rev. Luis León - Episcopalian, rector St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square (Washington, D.C.)(Text of Invocation)Benediction by Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell - Senior Pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas(Text of Benediction)January 20, 2009 inaugural of Barack Obama
Invocation by Rev. Dr. Rick Warren - Baptist, Pastor of the Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CaliforniaBenediction by Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery - United MethodistJanuary 21, 2013 inaugural of Barack Obama
Invocation by Myrlie Evers-Williams, the first woman and non-clergy to deliver an inaugural prayer.Benediction by Rev. Dr. Luis León, fourteenth rector of St. John's Church. Pastor Louie Giglio had originally been tapped by the inaugural committee but withdrew amid controversy regarding an anti-gay sermon he had delivered in the 1990s.January 20, 2017 inauguration of Donald Trump
Invocation by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New YorkInvocation by Rev. Dr. Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Leadership ConferenceInvocation by Pastor Paula White, Senior Pastor, New Destiny Christian CenterBenediction by Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean, Simon Wiesenthal CenterBenediction by Rev. Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse and The Billy Graham Evangelistic AssociationBenediction by Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, Great Faith Ministries InternationalPresidents since 1933 have often worshipped privately before the actual ceremony.
1933 - Franklin Roosevelt attend a service at St. John's Episcopal Church in the morning (Saturday) before being sworn in.1937 - Franklin Roosevelt attended a service at St. John's Episcopal Church in the morning (Wednesday) before being sworn in.1941 - Franklin Roosevelt attended a service at St. John's Episcopal Church in the morning (Wednesday) before being sworn in.1945 - Franklin Roosevelt had a private service in the White House.1949 - Harry Truman attended a service at St. John's Episcopal Church in the morning (Thursday) before being sworn in.1953 - Dwight Eisenhower attended a service at National Presbyterian Church in the morning (Tuesday) before being sworn in.1957 - Dwight Eisenhower attended a service at National Presbyterian Church (Sunday) before being sworn in privately. He was publicly sworn in the next day.1961 - John F. Kennedy attended the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at Holy Trinity Church.1965 - Lyndon Johnson attended a private service at National City Christian Church in the morning (Wednesday) before being sworn in. Billy Graham gave a sermon.1969 - Richard Nixon had a prayer breakfast in the State Department1973 - Richard Nixon had no prayer service. He did attend church the next day, a Sunday. There was also a White House Prayer Service with Billy Graham (sermon), Archbishop Joseph Bernardin, and Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin as speakers.1977 - Jimmy Carter attended a private service at First Baptist Church1981 - Ronald Reagan attended a private service at St. John's Episcopal Church. Speakers included Billy Graham.1985 - Ronald Reagan attended a private service at St. John's Episcopal Church on Sunday, January 20.1989 - George H. W. Bush attended a private service at St. John's Episcopal Church.1993 - Bill Clinton attended a private service at Metropolitan AME Church1997 - Bill Clinton attended a private service at Metropolitan AME Church2001 - George W. Bush attended a private service at St. John's Episcopal Church on January 202009 - Barack Obama attended a private service at St. John's Episcopal Church2013 - Barack Obama attended a private service at St. John's Episcopal Church on the morning of Monday, January 21, immediately before his public inaugural ceremony. (He had privately been sworn in the previous day.)2017 - Donald Trump attended a private service at St. John's Episcopal ChurchIn 1789 George Washington along with Congress attended a service at St. Paul's Chapel in New York City after his swearing in. The ceremony was presided over by Bishop Samuel Provoost. No similar service is known until 1933.
Sunday, March 5, 1933 "National Inaugural Prayer Service" at Washington National Cathedral. Presided over by Episcopal Bishop James Edward Freeman of Washington.
Thursday, January 20, 1977 James Carter had a half-hour interfaith prayer service at the Lincoln Memorial in the morning (8am) before the main ceremony; he did not attend. Speakers included
Martin Luther King Sr., father of Martin Luther King Jr.Rev. Bruce Edwards, Plains, GeorgiaRuth Carter StapletonLeontyne Price and Sherrill Milnes sang1981 Ronald Reagan had a service at National City Christian Church on Thomas Circle, Washington, D.C.
Sunday, January 20, 1985 Ronald Reagan had a public service at the Washington National Cathedral. Speakers included
Billy Graham gave a sermonSunday, January 22, 1989 George H. W. Bush attended a Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral the day after his swearing in.
John T. Walker, Episcopal Bishop of Washington presidedCharles A. Perry, Cathedral Provost, officiatedSermons were given by
Peter Gomes, Harvard ChaplainJohn Ashcroft, governor of MissouriEdmond Lee Browning, presiding bishop of the Episcopal ChurchOther participants included
Rabbi Matthew H. Simon from the B’nai Israel Congregation in Rockville, Maryland, read from the TorahVilma Guerrero Smith read reading part of the Forty-seventh PsalmRev. Canon Carole Crumley read part of the fifth chapter of MatthewCardinal James Hickey, Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington, read from the New TestamentIakovos, archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America, read from the New TestamentGeorge Walker Bush read a prayerMrs. James A. Baker, III, honorary chairman for the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving, read a prayerRev. Stephen E. Smallman (Vice-President Quayle’s pastor) from McLean, Virginia, read from the Old TestamentSunday, January 21, 2001 - George W. Bush had a prayer service at the National Cathedral.
Nathan D. Baxter, dean of the CathedralJane Holmes Dixon, bishop of Washington pro tempore (Episcopalian)Franklin Graham gave the sermonRabbi Samuel Karff from Congregation Beth Israel of Houston read Jeremiah 29:11–13 and gave one of the prayersBeulah “Bubba” Dailey of Austin Street Center in Dallas, read Proverbs 3:1–8Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America led the people responsively in the Twenty-Third Psalm. He also gave one of the prayers.Mark Craig of Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, read 1 John 4:7–8Theodore E. McCarrick, Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington, read Matthew 6:25–33 and gave one of the prayersKirbyjon Caldwell of Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston, read the Prayer for the Nation.Rev. Peter Grandell, Cathedral staffRev. Luis León, rector of St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C.Rev. Suzanne Love Harris, of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole, WyomingDr. Jack Hayford, pastor of the Church on the Way, Van Nuys, CaliforniaFriday, January 21, 2005 - George W. Bush had a service at the National Cathedral the day after the inauguration. Speakers included:
John Bryson Chane, Bishop of Washington, EpiscopalianA. Theodore Eastman, Vicar of Washington National Cathedral, EpiscopalianMark Craig, Dallas, Texas, United Methodist, gave the sermonBilly Graham, Charlotte, North Carolina, Southern Baptist (prayer)Rabbi Morton Yolkut, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaBishop G. E. Patterson, Memphis, Tennessee, Church of God in ChristLuis Cortes, Jr., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, BaptistThe Metropolitan Herman Archbishop of Washington and Metropolitan of all America and Canada Orthodox Church of America, Syosset, New YorkCardinal William Keeler, Baltimore, Maryland, CatholicImam Yahya Hendi Muslim Chaplain, Georgetown University, Washington, DC (Did not participate because of illness.)Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick, Washington, DC, CatholicArchbishop Demetrios Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, New York, New YorkKirbyjon Caldwell, Houston, Texas, United MethodistCanon Mary Sulerud, Washington, DC, EpiscopalianWednesday, January 21, 2009 - Barack Obama had a service at 10am in the National Cathedral.
Episcopal Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III, Dean of the Washington National Cathedral - welcomeEpiscopal Diocese of Washington Bishop John Bryson Chane - invocationRev. Otis Moss Jr., senior pastor emeritus at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio - opening prayerRev. Sharon E. Watkins, general minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) - sermonRev. Andy Stanley, senior pastor, North Point Community Church, Alpharetta, Georgia - prayer for civil leadersScripture readings by
Dr. Cynthia Hale, senior pastor, Ray of Hope Christian Church, Atlanta, GeorgiaArchbishop Demetrios, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, New York CityRev. Francisco González, S.F., auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of WashingtonRabbi David Saperstein, executive director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Washington, D.C.Responsive prayers by
Dr. Ingrid Mattson, president, Islamic Society of North America, Hartford, ConnecticutRev. Suzan Johnson-Cook, senior pastor, Bronx Christian Fellowship, New York CityRabbi Jerome Epstein, director, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, New York CityRev. Carol Wade, canon precentor of the Washington National CathedralDr. Uma Mysorekar, president, Hindu Temple Society of North America, New York CityRev. Jim Wallis, president, Sojourners, Washington, D.C.Rabbi Haskal Lookstein, Congregation Kehilath Jeshurunm, New York CityPastor Kirbyjon Caldwell, senior pastor, Windsor Village United Methodist Church, Houston, TexasArchbishop Donald Wuerl, Roman Catholic Diocese of Washington - a prayer for the nationEpiscopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori - closing prayerRev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, general secretary of the Reformed Church in America - BenedictionTuesday, January 22, 2013 - An interfaith National Prayer Service at 10:30 am in the National Cathedral was attended by President Obama, Vice President Biden and their spouses.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and Rev. Gary Hall, dean of the Washington National Cathedral gave the welcome.Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins, president and General Minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) gave the opening acclamation.Rev. Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, co-chair of the National African American Clergy Network gave the prayer for the day.Rev. Elder Nancy L. Wilson, moderator of the Metropolitan Community Church gave the first reading.Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly led the reading of the psalm.Cantor Mikhail Manevich of the Washington Hebrew Congregation gave the invitation to prayer.Rev. Dr. Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Kathryn Lohre, president of the National Council of Churches, and Imam Mohamed Magid, president of the Islamic Society of North America together gave the prayer for those who govern.Cardinal Donald Wuerl of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington led the second reading.Abdullah M. Khouj, president and imam of the Islamic Center of Washington, gave a traditional Islamic call to prayer.Sapreet Kaur, national executive director of the Sikh Coalition, Rev. Charles Jenkins II, senior pastor of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, and Dr. Stephen F. Schneck, of the Catholic University of America led the prayer for those who serve.Rev. Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition led the third reading.Allison Mondel, cantor of Washington National Cathedral, gave an invitation to prayer.Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR Jewish Community, Rev. Dr. Serene Jones of Union Theological Seminary (New York), and Archbishop Demetrios of America, primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America gave the prayers for the people.Dr. Wintley Phipps of the Dream Academy gave the anthem.Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of the Episcopal Church gave the prayer for the nation.Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell of Windsor Village United Methodist Church led the Lord's Prayer.Rev. Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist Church gave the benediction.
