Day of Prayer focuses on women of Paraguay

Special to the WCR
Edmonton

The women of Paraguay have written the service for the 2007 World Day of Prayer to be celebrated in 170 countries around the world March 2.

Twenty churches in the Edmonton area will host the prayer service which uses the theme United Under God's Tent.

Wars and a long dictatorship have taken their toll on Paraguay. It lost its sea access and 80 per cent of its male population following the Triple Alliance War. The war, fought from 1864 to 1970, was the bloodiest war in the history of the Americas and it took Paraguay decades to recover.

In the 20th century the long dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner, from 1954 to 1989, left scars of poverty, environmental destruction and repression.

This year's World Day of Prayer service will provide an introduction to Paraguay's unique culture and heritage.

The World Day of Prayer has its roots in an ecumenical day of prayer organized by North American women in 1920. It spread around the world and is now celebrated on the first Friday of March.

In Canada, the World Day of Prayer is coordinated by the Women's Inter-Church Council, which has representation from Anglican, United, Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Baptist churches.

Edmonton area services:

• St. Timothy's Anglican, 7 p.m.
• St. Andrew's United, 1:30 p.m.
• St. Peter's Anglican, 1:30 p.m.
• St. Edmund's Roman Catholic, 7 p.m.
• Emmaus Lutheran, 7 p.m.
• Highlands United, 2 p.m.
• Berean Church of God International, 7 p.m.
• All Saints' Anglican Cathedral, noon.
• St. John's Lutheran, 1:30 p.m.
• St. Luke's Anglican, 7 p.m.
• Holy Trinity Anglican, 7 p.m.
• St. Paul's United, 1 p.m.
• Riverbend United, 1:30 p.m.
• St. Theresa's Roman Catholic, 7:30p.m.
• St. David's Anglican, 7:30 p.m.
• St. Thomas Anglican in Sherwood Park, Thursday at 7 p.m.
• St. Matthew's Anglican in St. Albert, 7 p.m.
• St. Augustine's Parkland Anglican in Stony Plain/Spruce Grove, 7 p.m.
• Heritage Place Senior Citizens Lodge, Morinville, 2 p.m.
• St. Columba Catholic, Clandonald, 2 p.m.

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