~ by Mark Pattison, Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Hours before his inauguration as president, Joe Biden and incoming Vice President Kamala Harris were joined by the spouses and congressional leaders from both political parties for what was termed a Mass of thanksgiving early Jan. 20 at St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington.
Among those invited to the Mass were House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, a Catholic, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, new Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, tweeted, “Such an honor to be able to attend the inaugural church service this morning at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew. It is aptly called the ‘Mass of Thanksgiving.’”
Jesuit Father Kevin O’Brien, president of Jesuit-run Santa Clara University in California, was the scheduled celebrant.
President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, attend Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington Jan. 20, 2021, before his presidential inauguration. (CNS photo/Tom Brenner, Reuters)
It was important to Biden, she said, that a bipartisan group of congressional leaders join him as “the beginning of a path forward” to national healing and political unity at the outset of his term.
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