Bush pauses to remember victims of hurricane Katrina
US President George Bush bowed his head in prayer today to remember the hundreds who perished in Hurricane Katrina, a disaster that forever changed the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico - and his presidency.
Bush and his wife, Laura, lit candles of remembrance, then slide into the front pew of the triple-spired St Louis Cathedral, which was left virtually untouched by the fierce winds and high waters that hit the city on August 29, 2005.
They knelt for a moment of silence to mark the first breaching of the levees, which were supposed to protect the city from the massive flooding brought on by Katrina.
The church stands in the French Quarter's Jackson Square, where last year the president declared: "This great city will rise again."
A pastor opened the service with a greeting in which he thanked Bush for his "steadfast support in our recovery".
Rebirth in New Orleans has begun, but it has been slow-going by all accounts, and Bush is looking to local leaders to design a rebuilding plan that can speed revival.
