President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration, like many inauguration ceremonies before it, was a secular event with many sacred elements, including prayers from a variety of religious leaders.
A Catholic cardinal and evangelical Christian pastor offered the opening invocation, then a Jewish rabbi, Christian pastor and Catholic priest led the benediction.
Trump took the presidential oath of office with two Bibles, and concluded his oath with “so help me God” — even though those four words aren’t required by the Constitution.
A variety of faith leaders attended the event, including Elders Gary E. Stevenson and Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the Deseret News previously reported.
The inauguration ceremony concluded around 11 a.m. MST on Monday.
Here’s a closer look at the five faith leaders who played starring roles.
Invocation on Inauguration Day
Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, is one of two religious leaders who offered an opening prayer during Monday’s ceremony, according to Religion News Service.
The Rev. Dolan is a prominent Catholic leader in the United States, but he’s not known to be part of Trump’s inner circle.
He did not endorse Trump in 2024, Religion News Service reported.
However, the Rev. Dolan did participate in Trump’s first inauguration in 2017.
He read a prayer from the Book of Wisdom, as the Deseret News reported at the time.
The Rev. Franklin Graham
Unlike the Rev. Dolan, the Rev. Franklin Graham is well-known for his support of Trump and appeared at several campaign events in 2024.
He also backed Trump in 2016, Religion News Service reported.
The Rev. Graham is the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham and serves as president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Benediction on Inauguration Day
Rabbi Ari Berman
Rabbi Ari Berman is one of three faith leaders who took part in the benediction at the end of Monday’s ceremony.
He is the president of Yeshiva University, an Orthodox Jewish school in New York City.
Rabbi Berman called for unity in his prayer, as Yeshiva University said he would in a press release.
“Rabbi Berman’s blessing, immediately following President Trump’s inaugural address, will call for the nation to rise to this historic moment and unite around America’s foundational values as a source for realizing our shared dreams of a prosperous, compassionate country led by faith and trust in God,” the release said.
Rabbi Berman did not endorse Trump in 2024, per Religion News Service.

The Rev. Lorenzo Sewell
The Rev. Lorenzo Sewell also offered a benediction at the end of Monday’s ceremony. He is the senior pastor of 180 Church in Detroit.
The Rev. Sewell spoke at the Republican National Convention in July.
The Rev. Frank Mann
The Rev. Frank Mann is a retired Catholic priest who is based in Brooklyn, New York.
He found his way to the stage on Inauguration Day by striking up an unexpected friendship with Trump more than four years ago, according to the newspaper for the Diocese of Brooklyn, which is called The Tablet.
The friendship developed after the Rev. Mann contacted Trump ahead of the 2020 election to let him know that his loved ones' grave sites in Queens, New York, were a bit overgrown. Trump appreciated the Rev. Mann’s effort to get them cleaned up and invited him to a meeting after he left the White House in 2021.
The pair have been in touch several times since then and, in the lead-up to the 2024 election, spoke about what Catholics were looking for in a presidential candidate, The Tablet reported.
Muslim leader absent from inauguration program
Monday’s inauguration ceremony was also supposed to include a prayer from Imam Husham Al-Husainy, who oversees the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center in Dearborn, Michigan.
An inauguration committee spokesperson included him on the list of religious leaders taking part that was provided to Religion News Service.
Imam Al-Husainy has been credited with helping Trump pick up an unexpected win in Dearborn on Election Day.
“Al-Husainy was one of multiple Muslim leaders who expressed support for Trump during the final month of the campaign,” Religion News Service reported.
But the Muslim leader was apparently removed from the final program. He did not appear during Monday’s event.
This story will be updated if the inauguration committee or Imam Al-Husainy reveals why the last-minute change was made.