The Inter-Mountain photo by Taylor McKinnie Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco, left, joined by Reverend Tim Edin with the First United Methodist Church, middle; Pastor Jerry Lockett with the Highland Park First United Methodist Church, far right; Reverend Brett Rinehart with the First Baptist Church of Elkins, right; and Mike Brooks with the Woodford Memorial United Methodist Church, far left, to read the ‘Day of Prayer’ proclamation at the National Day of Prayer event at the Rotary Amphitheater on Thursday.

ELKINS — Religious leaders and members of the community came together to celebrate the National Day of Prayer this week.

A ceremony was held at the Rotary Amphitheater at the Elkins Railyard Depot at 11:30 a.m. with members of the community joining the mayor and local religious leaders in prayer. Mayor Jerry Marco signed a proclamation to declare May 1 as “a Day of Prayer” throughout the City of Elkins.

“When we come to spring, things are alive and we’re here right around the Easter season, so National Day of Prayer lands at a good time of the year,” Vicki Fowler said in the event’s opening remarks.

Marco was joined on stage by community religious leaders Reverend Tim Edin with the First United Methodist Church, Pastor Jerry Lockett with the Highland Park First United Methodist Church, Reverend Brett Rinehart with the First Baptist Church of Elkins and Mike Brooks with the Woodford Memorial United Methodist Church to read the “Day of Prayer” proclamation that was signed on April 23.

“Whereas from the first prayer of our Continental Congress in 1774, to the opening of every session of the House of Representatives and Senate and throughout the hearts and homes across America, the practice of prayer continues to seek God for guidance, wisdom, power, protection and provision that has preserved hope and united us as one nation, under God,” Rinehart read from Marco’s proclamation.

The religious leaders led the group in several prayers, with focuses on topics including education, family, businesses, military and first responders. Multiple members of the community also came up to the stage to give religious testimony and lead the group in prayer.

According to Marco’s proclamation, the National Day of Prayer has been a part of American heritage since 1775, when it was declared by the First Continental Congress. The United States Congress established a Public Law revolving around a National Day of Prayer in 1952 that was later approved by a Joint Resolution by Congress and President Ronald Regan in 1988, according to the proclamation.

The Joint Resolution, known as Public Law 100-307, according to the proclamation, affirmed “it was essential for us as a nation to pray and directs the President of the United States to set aside and proclaim the first Thursday of May annually as a National Day of Prayer.”

“Leaders and citizens of our nation are afforded the privilege of prayer, affirming our spiritual legacy of instituting times of thankfulness and renewed reliance on Almighty God; we out to exercise the freedoms we have to gather and pray, to unify hears, communities and our country, while we hold dear out faith, freedoms and to one another as fellow Americans all fearfully and wonderfully created in the image of God,” Marco said in the proclamation. “May we take time to pray for our nation and our neighbors.”

On April 15, Marco also signed a proclamation to recognize April as Donate Life Month to help raise awareness towards the critical need for organ donations and transplants. Marco also proclaimed April to be recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month on March 31.

On May 1, Marco proclaimed the Month of May to be Frontline Worker Appreciation Month.