'Surely God has heard our prayers' National Day of Prayer gathering in Victoria Park
More than 100 people came together in Victoria Park yesterday evening to celebrate National Day of Prayer.
The service was the conclusion of a series of events over the past week, beginning with a 24-hour prayer service at Albouys Point, and also featuring a service outside Hamilton's City Hall and a 'prayer caravan' on Sunday.
The ceremony, lead by Bishop Neville Smith, featured music and prayers in English, Spanish and Hebrew, representing Bermuda's varied cultural heritage, was viewed by a large crowd which only grew as the evening continued.
"We want to thank God for all who have contributed to this nation," said Bishop Smith. "We may be a small nation, but we are big."
Spectators brought lawn chairs and blankets for the event, with several waving flags at points in the ceremony.
The week's events featured a large number of the Island's churches, with 42 different churches represented during the 24-hour prayer session that began Friday evening.
Joan Simmons, chairman of the National Day of Prayer Board, said: "This is not just another gathering. This is not just another event. We raised a canopy of prayer over Bermuda.
"It was tedious sometimes to bring 42 churches together, but we know we're going to see the fruit of our efforts."
Sunday's prayer caravan brought a number of men and women of the cloth from Dockyard to St. George's on three boats, along with many cars, praying throughout the trip.
Yesterday morning, many churches opened early for prayer, and at noon City Hall hosted a series of prayers by Bermuda's youth.
At the end of a long week of prayer, Bishop Smith is confident that all of the work will have a real impact.
"Surely God has heard our prayers," he said.