Locals observe World Day of Prayer, learn about Slovenia

World Day of Prayer is observed on the first Friday of March each year.

This year, locals came together at Jackson’s First Presbyterian Church to commemorate the day and learn about the lives of women in the central European country of Slovenia, which is this year’s World Day of Prayer host country.

“It fosters understanding and you get to know other people who are concerned about making the world better,” First Presbyterian member Jonell McNeely said.

McNeely, who helped organize the event, said funds collected in the offering taken during the service go to the organization World Day of Prayer USA and are then used for “projects to better the lives of women and children.”

She said the funds are distributed as grants throughout the world including the United States with a couple projects recently taking place in St. Louis.

Susan Loenneke of Jackson attends a World Day of Prayer event Friday at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson.Jacob Wiegand

Although McNeely said the World Day of Prayer organization is not exclusively a women’s organization, it focuses on the problems faced by women and children.

“I just want them to feel closer to the women and children all over the world,” she said.

Fellow First Presbyterian parishioner Roberta Brown helped McNeely organize the event.

“I like the unity. How even though we are so diverse, we come together and work together and praise the Lord together,” Brown said.

Diana Prince, originally of Minneapolis, and now Jackson, portrayed a Slovenian woman while taking part in the program.

Prince said she did not identify specifically with the woman she portrayed, but was reminded of how she was brought up when hearing the story of another Slovenian woman.

“A lot of the people are just the same as us,” Prince said. “They go through the same things we go through.”

McNeely said the event takes places locally each year at a different church in Cape Girardeau County. Although she has personally been involved since the 1950s, she believes the event got its start in the county in the 1940s.

Next year’s program is scheduled to take place at New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson, with Zimbabwe acting as the host country.

jwiegand@semissourian.com

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