CROWLEY – Tonight, Acadia Parish residents from all types of religions and denominations will gather at the International Rice Festival Building to unite for the Crowley Day of Prayer.

The event will host dignitaries, as well as priests, preachers and reverends. Also on hand will be a choir and speakers to help spread the message of uniting.

Each year, the city designates the first Thursday of May as the National Day of Prayer. Tonight’s will occur at 6:30 p.m.

That evening, the city holds the event that they hope and believe continues to bring the community closer together.

“It’s a great day when we can all get together and pray for the good of the community,” said Mayor Greg Jones.

“I hope everyone takes away a positive experience from the event.”

This will mark the 12th year Crowley hosts the event, which continues to be well attended. In fact, Crowley’s National Day of Prayer event is regularly boasts the largest attendance in the southwest region.

President George Washington began observing a national day of prayer during his presidency, but Congress made it official in 1952.

Crowley’s Day of Prayer is designed to be the one time each year that residents and city officials gather, meet and pray for each other.

“This is an occasion that I think the people of Crowley look forward to,” said Ezora Proctor. “At the end of the event you still see people sitting in the chairs and standing around talking. It’s good fellowship.”

Highlighting the event will be the Boy Scouts posting the colors, a testimony from Mike Francis and residents of the Welcome House performing a song that they will also do sign language along with the song.

The National Association of University Women Youth Pacesetters and the Salt of the Earth Choir from St. Theresa Catholic Church will also be involved.

The event will focuses its prayers on the military and their families, the nation, the state, the parish and the community and all of its leaders.

“We will also, of course, pray for our children, our schools and so on,” said Proctor.

Helping Crowley pray for all of these things will be Rev. Glen Howie (Mowata Baptist Church), Rev. Donald Burnette Sr. (Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church), Rev. Stacey Miller (associate pastor of Maxie Tabernacle Gospel Church), Bishop Renella Smalls (Greater Mount Ephriam Outreach) and Rev. James Proctor.