On January 21, 2021, President Joe Biden continued an American tradition by attending a prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral. The event included a closing prayer from Presiding Bishop Curry. Since 1933, the National Inaugural Prayer Service has been a familiar part of the inaugural ceremonies, but even before the was a National Cathedral, The Episcopal Church prayed for—and with—Presidents. That tradition began with George Washington and the first inauguration in 1789.
Washington took the oath of office at Federal Hall in New York City, the nation’s temporary capital, on April 30, 1789. After swearing his oath, the new President and his wife Martha walked up Broadway to pray at St. Paul’s Chapel, now part of the Parish of Trinity Church Wall Street. The Episcopal Church officially acknowledged Washington’s ascension to the nation’s highest office, sending the new President a message on August 7, 1789. This message, offered by a developing church to the first president of a new nation, is worth considering as we greet with relief the continuation of our democracy.