Friday, March 1 was the World Day of Prayer and an ecumenical prayer service to celebrate the day was held at St. Jude’s Roman Catholic Parish in Hawkesbury. The local churches participating in the event were St. Jude’s and Paroisse St-Pierre-Âpotre of Hawkesbury. Participating Vankleek Hill churches were Knox Presbyterian, Trinity United, St. John the Apostle Anglican, and Paroisse St-Grégoire-de-Naziane. The World Day of Prayer is historically an event organized by church women around the world, although men are always welcome to participate. In Canada, the World Day of Prayer is a project of the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada. The 2024 service featured reflections and prayers written by Christian women living in Palestine.
Each year, a different church in Hawkesbury or Vankleek Hill hosts the local World Day of Prayer service. In 2025, the service will be hosted by St. John the Apostle Anglican Church in Vankleek Hill. A candle is passed from one hosting church to the next.
