Josh Groban, Patti LaBelle to perform at virtual inaugural prayer service

Singers Josh Groban and Patti LaBelle are among those scheduled to perform at the Inaugural National Prayer Service on Thursday, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Tuesday.
The service, scheduled for the day after President-elect Joe Biden takes office, is set to be entirely virtual this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Washington National Cathedral will host the livestreamed event.
“The National Prayer Service is an important tradition for our nation and for President Biden, who has always been a man guided deeply by his faith,” Delaware State University President Tony Allen, the chief executive of the inaugural committee, said in a statement. “The program announced today will honor the role of faith in our country, and provide a moment to reflect on the unprecedented challenges we face, as we enter this new American chapter of healing to beat the pandemic, build back our economy better, and unify our country.”
Civil rights activist Bishop William J. Barber II is set to deliver the homily, and multiple other faith leaders are scheduled to offer remarks, including Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, the dean of Washington National Cathedral; Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Primate Archbishop Elpidophoros; Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, senior rabbi of the Beit Simchat Torah Congregation; and Muslim Community Network President Debbie Almontaser.
“This Cathedral is a House of Prayer for All People and a sacred space where America gathers in moments of deep significance, and we are honored to welcome the nation to pause, give thanks and seek God’s help in the hard work ahead,” Hollerith said in a statement. “We thank President Biden, Vice President Harris and all our leaders for beginning this work in prayer as we strive to become the people God calls us to be.”
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