By Daniel Payne
CNA Staff, Jan 7, 2025 / 13:30 pm
Catholic leaders and U.S. President Joe Biden came together on Monday for an interfaith prayer service in New Orleans to honor the victims of the tragic terror attack that shook the city on New Year’s Day.
On January 1, a horrifying incident took place on Bourbon Street where fourteen innocent lives were lost as a truck plowed into a crowd of New Year’s revelers. The truck bore the flag of the Islamic State, and the perpetrator was later killed in a confrontation with the police.
President Biden joined other dignitaries at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans for the evening service, led by Archbishop Gregory Aymond and Archbishop Emeritus Alfred Hughes.
“We know what it’s like to lose a piece of our soul,” Biden empathized with the grieving families, acknowledging the profound pain and loss they are experiencing. He offered words of comfort and hope, assuring them that healing and peace will eventually come.
“My prayer is that that day comes sooner rather than later, but it will come, and when it does, [that] you might find purpose in your pain,” the president said.
Archbishop Aymond emphasized that the attack was not just a wound to New Orleans, but a tragedy that touched the hearts of the entire nation. The interfaith service served as a beacon of unity, faith, and resilience in the face of adversity.
