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Health & Fitness

Hardy Faithful Pray in the Rain at Town Green Observing National Day of Prayer on its 63rd Anniversary

The rain came on a wet Thursday morning, May 1, 2014. And then. the rain went away!  Thank God. 

Undeterred by the wet weather, a half hundred or so of Southington’s hardiest faithful assembled, as one voice united in prayer, on the north side of the gazebo at the Town Green at noon Thursday, May 1, 2014. It was National Day of Prayer, an annual day of observance held on the first Thursday of May, designated by the United States Congress, when people are asked "to turn to God in prayer and meditation".

Led by Rev. Victoria Triano, pastoral care leader of Southington Care Center and member of the Southington Town Council, the robust faithful of many denominations, including other local pastors and community leaders joined, as one voice united in prayer, in many prayers of thanks and faith. Opening with the Pledge of Allegiance and concluding 38 minutes later with the group singing of God Bless America, some 30 came forward with individual petitions for the hungry, the poor, the sick, the lonely, the elderly, the protection of our children from violence, our government leaders at all levels, our clergy, our churches and faith communities. They prayed for world peace, for a return to economic stability and prosperity and for the wisdom of our elected officials in times to put politics and divisiveness aside, in these dangerous times for our free and democratic republic.  

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Rev. Triano read the 2014 proclamation of Gov. Daniel Malloy and that of President Lincoln in 1863.  Nationaal days of prayer have been called for since 1775, when the Continental Congress designated a time for prayer in forming a new nation. The modern law formalizing its annual observance was enacted by the Congress and signed by President Truman in 1952. President Reagan later established the first Thursday in May for the observance of the National Day of Prayer.  Each year since its inception, virtually every president has signed a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. The constitutionality of the National Day of Prayer was unsuccessfully challenged by the Freedom From Religion Foundation when its first attempt was unanimously dismissed by a federal appellate court in April 2011.
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