Wilmington, Del., Jan 12, 2010 / 09:42 am
President Obama and the First Lady are attending a Catholic funeral service today for Vice President Joe Biden's mother, Mrs. Jean Biden. Services are taking place at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware.
Vice President Joe Biden released a statement last Friday, announcing his mother's death, saying that Catherine Eugenia “Jean” Finnegan Biden “passed away peacefully today at our home in Wilmington, Delaware, surrounded by her children, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren and many loved ones.”
“At 92, she was the center of our family and taught all of her children that family is to be treasured, loyalty is paramount and faith will guide you through the tough times. She believed in us, and because of that, we believed in ourselves,” Biden said Friday.
“Together with my father, her husband of 61 years who passed away in 2002, we learned the dignity of hard work and that you are defined by your sense of honor. Her strength, which was immeasurable, will live on in all of us,” the vice president added.
Following the two-hour funeral today, the President and First Lady will return to the White House.