The traditional post-inaugural National Prayer Service in Wednesday will feature prayers from eight different American religious leaders from eight different faiths, including one from Hartford: Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America and a director of Islamic studies at the Hartford Seminary.
The idea, according to the inaugural committee, is to “symbolize America’s traditions of religious tolerance and freedom.”
This service will also mark the first time a woman -- Rev. Sharon Watkins -- delivers the sermon.
The prayer service has been held at the Washington National Cathedral since 1985 -- the second inauguration of President Ronald Reagan. The cathedral, designated by Congress as a national house of prayer, is an Episcopal church but is the routine site of inter-faith events and services.