Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon Sir Patrick Allen (second right), addressing journalists at a media briefing on the National Prayer Vigil, at King’s House Wednesday (December 2). The Vigil will take place at the St. Ann’s Bay Baptist Church, St. Ann, on Sunday, December 13. Also in the picture are (left-right) Treasurer of the St. Ann’s Bay Ministers’ Fraternal, Everton Cummings; Superintendent of the St. Ann’s Bay Methodist Church Circuit, Rev Wilfred Alexander; Chairman of the St. Ann’s Bay Ministers’ Fraternal, Rev Monroe Wisdom; and Chairman of the National Committee for Justice, Unity, Peace and Healing, Rev. Dr. Roy Henry.
This year’s vigil will be hosted by the St. Ann’s Bay Ministers’ Fraternal. It will be under the patronage of the Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon Sir Patrick Allen, and will be at the St. Ann’s Bay Baptist Church, St. Ann. This will be the 18th staging of the event.
Speaking at a media briefing for the event, Wednesday (December 2) at King’s House, the Governor-General described the vigil as a very important activity to which the country should give its full support.
The Governor-General noted that, while the results of prayer are not always immediately evident, the act of the nation coming together to pray will plant seeds of cooperation and unity for building a better society.
“We must remember that, through prayer, we expect individuals in this nation to develop a way of life that is reverent, responsive, caring and demonstrating love for each other. So, this is something that the church is bringing the community together and, hopefully, these fruits will become evident in their lives,” he said.
The St. Ann’s Bay Ministers’ Fraternal is hoping for at least 1,000 attendees at the service, which will take place between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Individuals from across Jamaica are being asked to join in the vigil from their homes, or in groups, during those hours.
The Vigil should take the form of prayer, praise and worship, messages and dramatic presentations.
Chairman of the National Committee for Justice, Unity, Peace and Healing, Rev Dr. Roy Henry, said that in addition to the prayer vigil, a social project is usually carried out.
This year the national project targets the purchase of a Haemotology Analysis Machine for the Princess Margaret Hospital, St. Thomas, at a cost of $2 million. However, the St. Ann’s Bay Ministers’ Fraternal also has local projects focusing on the St. Ann’s Bay Hospital and the St. Ann’s Bay Infirmary.
The group is hoping to contribute an industrial washing machine to the infirmary, and an oxygen saturation monitoring machine and a sterilization machine to the hospital.
The Ministers’ Fraternal said it has been asking churches in St. Ann’s Bay to collect money towards the project, while a special offering will also be collected at the Vigil. Persons interested in making a contribution to the cause can also send cheques to the St. Ann’s Bay Ministers’ Fraternal, Four Davis Street, P.O. Box 289.