Jesuit will deliver invocation at Biden's inauguration The tradition of invocations at presidential inaugurations goes back to 1937 Trending Jesuit Father Leo O'Donovan speaking at the Dutch Embassy in Washington D.C. in 2017 (Photo: en.wikipedia.org) Jesuit Father Leo O'Donovan, former president of Georgetown University, will deliver the invocation at the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden on Jan. 20. The priest, a friend of the Biden family, was the main celebrant at the funeral Mass for Biden's son Beau in 2015 at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Wilmington, Delaware. He confirmed with National Catholic Reporter Jan. 6 that he would be delivering the invocation, saying Biden had personally called him and invited him, which he accepted.