Amanda Gorman recites her poem, "The Hill We Climb," at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 20, 2021, during the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States. She is a parishioner at St. Brigid Catholic Church in Los Angeles. (CNS/Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
Washington — Long before she burst into the public spotlight delivering her inauguration poem, Amanda Gorman got a standing ovation from fellow parishioners of St. Brigid Church in Los Angeles for reciting a poem she wrote about the parish.
And on Jan. 20, at the inauguration ceremony of President Joe Biden, parishioners watching this young woman on their TV screens — addressing political leaders and the nation at large about courageously rebuilding the country — applauded her all the more.