The Washington National Cathedral knows that many locals are going to be praying on Election Day. So, for the first time since the pandemic began, the Cathedral is re-opening the nave for an all-day prayer vigil.

“It’s an election that has a lot of passion around it,” says Dean Randy Hollerith. “We thought it was very appropriate for us to have a vigil, to pray for our democracy, pray for the election, and pray for our country.”

The day after the 2016 election, the National Cathedral held a service that invited folks “to pray together for reconciliation” and to help “find common ground ” after such a divisive election. However, a Cathedral spokesperson says they can’t say for certain whether they’ve done an all-day vigil like this before.

The vigil begins at 7 a.m. and runs until 9 p.m., a total of 14 hours. Throughout the day, clergy will lead continuous prayers, the reading of Psalms, and moments of quiet. Prayers include a 7 a.m. morning prayer, a mid-day prayer at noon, and evening prayers at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.

And, every hour on the hour, a prayer for the nation and the election will also be read.

“Between the fears of the pandemic … and the stress of this election, we wanted to be a place that offered peace, solace, and a place of prayer,” says Hollerith.

As expected, health and safety precautions are being taken. Only 100 people will be allowed into the nave at a time (in accordance to current D.C. regulations for places of worship), properly worn face masks are required for anyone over six years old, social distancing is required, and worshipers need to provide contact information for contact tracing purposes.

The rest of the Cathedral — like the gift shop and Open City Cafe — will remain closed.

Also, no clothing, signs, or items that campaign for a specific candidate are allowed inside of the Cathedral. “We’re not doing political advertising and this is not a time or space in which to do campaigning. This is a time for quiet and peacefulness and prayer,” says Hollerith.

For those choosing to stay home, the entire 14 hours will be streamed live as well. 

And on Wednesday, the Cathedral will open once more after the mid-day prayer at noon (which will be streamed live) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. to provide a place for reflection after Election Day.

After that, though, it’s unclear when the National Cathedral will be open again to the public. The grounds have remained open and will continue to be so, but with cases spiking again there are no future plans for reopening of the building, Hollerith says. The Cathedral has been streaming services virtually since it closed in March.

For those that prayer may not be their thing, Hollerith offers other tips to find some solace during a particularly stressful time. “If you’re not a person of prayer, I find trying to be out in nature and taking quiet time for yourself in the beauty of this fall can be a way to settle and center,” says Hollerith. He also recommends expressing feelings through writing (and not sharing it with anyone) and meditation.

For Hollerith, though, being able to pray with others at the National Cathedral at least for one day is what will help him through these times.

“I’m such a big believer in prayer,” says Hollerith. “To calm our hearts, to calm our minds, to give us a little bit more perspective than we might have in the midst of such a stressful time.”

This story was updated to clarify when the National Cathedral will be open to the public on Wednesday.