Fort Leonard Wood community comes together for National Day of Prayer

By Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonardo Wood Public Affairs OfficeMay 4, 2023

Chaplain (Maj.) Jeremie Vore, with 3rd Chemical Brigade, prays for active-duty service members during the National Day of Prayer service today at Fort Leonard Wood’s Main Post Chapel. More than 60 community members participated in the event, hosted by Fort Leonard Wood and the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence chaplains and chaplain assistants.
Chaplain (Maj.) Jeremie Vore, with 3rd Chemical Brigade, prays for active-duty service members during the National Day of Prayer service today at Fort Leonard Wood’s Main Post Chapel. More than 60 community members participated in the event, hosted by Fort Leonard Wood and the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence chaplains and chaplain assistants. (Photo Credit: Photo by Melissa Buckley, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — More than 60 community members visited the Main Post Chapel this morning to participate in the National Day of Prayer event, hosted by Fort Leonard Wood and the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence chaplains and chaplain assistants.

Events like this give the community an opportunity to come together, connect and build resilience, said U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Dave Stoner.

“We need to take care of our souls,” Stoner said. “We always talk about mental and physical health, but spiritual health is also important. Events like this allow us the time to focus on something more important than ourselves.”

Stoner said there are 26 chaplains on Fort Leonard Wood, representing 17 denominations and seven religious traditions — and the National Day of Prayer celebrates all faiths.

“The Army recognizes all religious traditions and is charged with the responsibility to ensure the free exercise of those faith traditions,” Stoner said.

As they do at this event each year, chaplains took turns praying for the nation, its elected leaders, military leaders, service members, military families, peace and the community. The 30-minute service also provided a moment of silence for personal prayers.

3rd Chemical Brigade Chaplain (Maj.) Jeremie Vore prayed for  service members.

“For the dangerous tasks, I ask for your protection around their positions. For the rough seas, I ask for your calming power. For the skies they patrol, I ask for our sharp vision,” Vore said.

Congress created a law signed by President Harry Truman in 1952, calling on the president to proclaim the first Thursday in May each year as the National Day of Prayer.

In his proclamation this year, President Joe Biden called on American citizens to embrace their ability to pray in a free country.

“The right to pray is enshrined in our Constitution and stamped firmly in the American tradition,” Biden wrote. “The belief that prayer can move mountains is, at its core, a belief in making the impossible possible. There is nothing more American than believing in the endless possibilities of what we can do when we do it together.”

Stoner said installation chaplains are available to assist those in need here.

“We are here for the entire community. Service members, their families, civilians and contractors — everyone on the installation,” Stoner said.

Call the Religious Support Office — located in Bldg. 340 — at 573.596.2127. More information about religious support resources and services can be found here.