NORFOLK, Va. — As Virginia prepares for a historic inauguration weekend, a Hampton Roads priest will help set the tone for the ceremony marking a new chapter in state leadership.
Father Jim Curran, rector of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, has been chosen to deliver the invocation ahead of the inauguration of Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger — the first woman elected governor in Virginia history.
Spanberger will be sworn in Saturday, Jan. 17, at noon in Richmond. The inauguration is part of a full weekend of events running from Jan. 16 through Jan. 18 under the theme “United for Virginia’s Future.”
News 3 will stream the ceremony live on wtkr.com, Facebook, and the station’s streaming apps.
Curran said he was stunned when he received the invitation.
“No, no — and I was blown away when I got the call,” he said. “I’ve always just been a very, very kind of a simple parish priest. I’m very, very focused on my parish, my people.”
Curran has served at the Basilica in Norfolk for more than 13 years and has been a priest for 25. Despite decades in ministry, he said he never imagined participating in a moment with national attention.
He said he was asked to deliver the invocation after being recommended by one of his parishioners — Virginia Attorney General-elect Jay Jones, who will also be sworn in Saturday alongside Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi.
For Curran, the invitation carries special significance given both the historic nature of the inauguration and the current political climate.
“We’re in such a troubling times where there’s no conversations between people who disagree,” Curran said. “There’s such hatred, there’s such violence, there’s such negativity. And I think to — you know — this is the first woman elected Governor of the state of Virginia, and the first black man elected as attorney general. So to be a part of that is just incredible.”
Curran said those realities are shaping how he approaches the prayer. While the invocation will be distinctly Christian, he said inclusivity is central to how it will be delivered.
“I want to be as inclusive as possible,” he said. “So the language will be inclusive, but still — I mean — I am a Catholic priest.”
The inauguration ceremony Saturday will include an interfaith prayer breakfast earlier in the day, followed by the swearing-in ceremony at Capitol Square. Hampton University’s Concert Choir is scheduled to perform the national anthem, and the invocation will be delivered by Curran. An inaugural parade and ball will follow the ceremony, with events continuing through Sunday.
Curran said the goal of his prayer — much like the theme of the weekend — is unity.
“I think it’s a great time where we can lock arms,” he said. “Martin Luther King did it. He locked people arm in arm — the Orthodox, the Catholics, the Protestants, the Jews, the Muslims — all locked arm in arm, marching for justice. I mean, that’s powerful and united. We cannot be defeated.”
For many parishioners at the Basilica, Curran said the invitation feels like a point of pride — not just for him personally, but for the broader Catholic community.
“When a priest shows up, it’s the whole church,” he said. “Even if I’ve never met the person before, it’s the church showing up.”
As Spanberger prepares to take office, she will inherit a General Assembly controlled by Democrats in both the House and Senate — creating a clearer path for legislation on issues such as minimum wage increases, marijuana sales legalization, and collective bargaining.
For Curran, however, Saturday’s role is less about politics and more about the moment.
“Just to be a part of it is remarkable to me,” he said.
