ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio — The Belmont County Board of Commissioners issued an official proclamation recognizing Thursday, May 1 as the National Day of Prayer, joining communities across the country in honoring this day of contemplation for all faiths.
A public ceremony will be held at noon on the Belmont County Courthouse plaza in St. Clairsvile, and all residents are invited to attend. The event will feature prayers for the community, the nation and its leaders.
Commissioner Jerry Echemann said that leading up to the ceremony, residents have gathered on the courthouse plaza to read passages from the Bible.
Now in its 74th year nationally, the National Day of Prayer was established in 1952 by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan designated the first Thursday of May as its official annual observance. The day is intended to encourage Americans of all faiths to pray for the nation and its people.
