Girls from St. Mary’s College in Crosby have been taking part in an international day of prayer for women.  The students gave a number of readings as part of celebrations to mark Women’s World Day of Prayer at St Peter and Paul’s Church.  This global event, which dates back to the 1920s, sees Christian women from many cultures joining forces to worship together.  It begins as dawn breaks over the islands of Tonga in the Pacific, and continues across each continent until the last services of the day are held back in the Pacific on the islands of Samoa, circling the world in prayer in about 35 hours.  Women’s World Day of Prayer is now celebrated in more than 170 countries and over 1,000 languages, with estimates suggesting there were 5,000 events in the UK alone this year.  In each case, the service is based on bible passages, hymns and prayers prepared by one of the participating countries, which this year was Chile.  St. Mary’s College Principal, Mike Kennedy, said: “This event is a great way to unite Christian women from across the globe and at the same time raise awareness of their different countries and cultures.”

Helping to circle the world in prayer - St. Mary’s students (from left) Ruth Cawdron, Katie Malone and Annabel Harley.