Morinville – Christians from three local churches will unite with followers from around the world on the first Friday in March for the Annual World Day of Prayer. The Catholic Women’s League from St. Jean Baptiste Church, Morinville United Church and host St. Andrews Anglican Church will put their hands and their prayers together at Heritage Lodge Mar. 7. The event takes place at 1:30 p.m. and all are welcome.
“It is so heart-warming to see these people and how they respond to us,” said organizer Dora Legge. “The Morinville Minstrels come every year and they are very dedicated to it. It is just so heart-warming to see how people are so eager to participate. They look forward to us coming.”
Started in North America in 1922, the international ecumenical prayer offering now takes in many countries and communities. “It is 92 years since a group of women in Canada and the United States began World Day of Prayer,” Legge said. “It is now observed in 170 countries, including almost 2,000 communities in Canada.”
Legge said women in the Bahamas are already preparing the 2015 service. The organization meets once every five years to determine the next list of countries. Women in Egypt prepared the theme for the 2014 iteration of the annual event.
“The theme [this year] is Streams in the Desert,” Legge said, adding the picture on the front of this year’s program is by Egyptian artist Farid Fadel. “It depicts a stream meandering through huge mounds of sand. The stream represents God, the living water, transforming the deserts of despair into streams of love.”
The organizer enjoys being part of the annual service and has been involved for the last 40 years, initially in her native Newfoundland and in Morinville since moving to the community at age 65. “It has helped me to make a lot of friends,” Legge said. “The idea of so many people around the world worshipping together, using the same program is such a heart warming thing. When I think about the injustice around the world, it makes me very thankful for everything I have in my life, and I admire women who persevere in the face of adversity.” Legge went on to say she is a great believer in the power of prayer and believes the World Day of Prayer event is something that would reinforce participants’ belief in equality and justice for women everywhere.
The event takes place at Heritage Place Lodge Mar. 7 at 1:30 p.m. Legge said all are welcome to attend and people and encouraged to stay for refreshments afterwards.
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