President Bush Begins Inaugural Day with Traditional Prayer Service
Following the long-held tradition of American presidential history, President George W. Bush began his inaugural day with a prayer service with his family, Thursday, January 20, 2005. The venue for the first official inaugural event was St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington D.C. The rector of St. John’s, the Rev. Dr. Luis Leon, who was present during the brief prayer service, will also deliver the president’s invocation for the inauguration at 12 p.m. at the U.S. Capitol. The president will then take the oath of office and end it with the words, “So help me God,” as first spoken by George Washington during his inaugural.
According to the Associated Press, the prayer service is a tradition dating back to President Madison in 1809.
