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The Reverend
Daniel P. Coughlin
To serve as Chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives is truly an honor and a privilege. At one and the same time to be a minister of the Lord and an officer serving the United States government responds to a two-fold call to serve others and offer prayer which unites heaven and earth.
With 435 members in the House and their staffs, plus all the other wonderful people who serve here with committee work or in the Chamber, including teenage pages, creates the pastoral duties that are many and varied. The effort is to meet the needs of this working community on a personal level. The concerns that weigh on their hearts and the problems that block their clarity of thinking at times become the concerns of the Chaplain.
The formal prayer before each legislative session of Congress or even on the days of pro forma sessions casts a light on the day which awakens faith and calls forth a nation to stand with its leaders and say in unison: “In God we Trust.” But daily prayer for the members of the House cannot end there.
I ask people across this great county to join me in praying for the Members of the House of Representatives. Know the member of your Congressional district by name and raise his/her name before God each day with us here in the nation’s capital.
Pray for the Chaplain also that I may be always rooted in prayer and a good instrument for accomplishing God’s holy will here. Only by being free in the Spirit could the Chaplain serve all the people here regardless of their faith persuasion or denomination. Only by listening to each person in depth could good counsel be offered, encouragement be readily given or correction be artfully applied.
Thank you for your interest in the Members of the House and your support of them.
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In March 2000 Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin became the first Roman Catholic priest to be named Chaplain for the United States House of Representatives since the position was created in 1774. Prior to his appointment, Coughlin served as Director of the Office for Divine Worship for the Archdiocese of Chicago for 15 years. He has served on many national and international committees regarding issues related to spirituality and renewal in prayer. He was one of the contributors to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' publication, "The Spiritual Renewal of the American Priesthood."
Continue reading the biography of Reverend Coughlin
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View the locations and service times for places of worship near the U.S. Capitol. The list is organized alphabetically by denomination.