The Rev. Patrick Conroy, the chaplain for the House of Representatives, offered a prayer Thursday to cast out “spirits of darkness” after the chamber was engulfed in controversy with the White House.

Conroy, a Jesuit priest who has been the House chaplain since 2011, preached that it has been a “difficult and contentious week in which darker spirits seem to have been at play in the people's House."

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“In your most holy name, I now cast out all spirits of darkness from this chamber, spirits not from you,” he prayed. “Anoint your servants here in the House with a healing balm with a comfort and renew the souls of all in this assembly. May your spirit of wisdom and patience descend upon all so that any spirit of darkness might have no place in our midst.”

Conroy told CNN in an interview that the idea for the prayer came in response to Tuesday’s vote to formally condemn as racist President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE’s remarks that four congresswomen of color should go back to the “crime infested places from which they came.” Three of the four congresswomen were born in the U.S. and all four are citizens.

"I was on the House floor on Tuesday," Conroy told CNN, "and to me, it felt different than other days. It felt like there was something going on beyond just political disagreement. The energy of the House was very off. No one was relishing what was happening."

Conroy said his prayer was intentionally nonpartisan, saying “I wasn’t picking sides.”

“That's ultimately the goal every day. I want every member of the House to be able to say 'amen.' I'm praying for our better angels,” he told CNN.

The House has waged a rhetorical war over Trump’s remarks in recent days, as Democrats panned his comments as racist while many Republicans pointed to past controversial statements by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOn The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline McCarthy says there will be a peaceful transition if Biden wins Anxious Democrats amp up pressure for vote on COVID-19 aid MORE (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar Ilhan OmarOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' Democrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise MORE (D-Minn.), Ayanna Pressley Ayanna PressleyFauci, Black Lives Matter founders included on Time's 100 Most Influential People list Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' Pressley applauded on House floor after moving speech on living with alopecia MORE (D-Mass.) and Rashida Tlaib Rashida Harbi TlaibTrump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' George Conway: 'Trump is like a practical joke that got out of hand' Pelosi endorses Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate primary challenge MORE (D-Mich.), the four congresswomen the president targeted.