The ladies of the Ukrainian Catholic Parish hosted World Day of Prayer at Hafford March 7.
The prayer service was held in Holy Eucharist Parish Church with 36 people in attendance. The theme for 2014 was "Streams in the Desert," written by the World Day of Prayer Committee of Egypt. In attendance were people from five Christian denominations.
This year's World Day of Prayer was for peace and security to be returned to Egypt. Part of the service in Hafford consisted of four women, dressed in Egyptian attire and carrying symbols of that country, presenting the difficulties, resilience and faith of Egyptian women. They also presented the dialogue from John 4:3-42, between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. The guest speaker was Father Vladimir Simunovic, pastor of Ukrainian Catholic Parish of Holy Eucharist. The theme of his homily was the early roots of Christianity in Egypt, and the theology of the fathers of the Church that come from or were active in Egypt.
More than 84.5 million people live in Egypt. Arabic is the official language but English and French are widely understood. Family laws, such as marriage and divorce are exclusively governed by the different faith structures. As such, Egyptian women encounter these laws in different ways. Many families face a difficult existence in large urban slums. Millions of Egyptian children are born into poverty.
Egyptians are looking forward to a better constitution and a strong democratic government sincerely interested in protecting minorities, promoting social and economic justice, and developing international relations, while continuing to reclaim desert lands. This year's World Day of Prayer was to pray that peace and security be returned to them.
Following the service, a lunch featuring recipes from Egypt was enjoyed. All had a taste of Egyptian cuisine and learned more about the culture and heritage of Egypt.
