c. 1998 Religion News Service

NEW YORK _ Atop the marble steps of the Interchurch Center chapel here, 25 bright-faced men and women practice a hymn.”Misy Olona Ory Sy Mahantra,”they sing in near-perfect harmony.”There are suffering and poor people out there.” The song is a Christian hymn from Madagascar and the Malagasy singers are preparing for the 1998 World Day of Prayer on Friday (March 6), an annual observance held in 170 countries and sponsored by Church Women United, an ecumenical movement of Christian women from Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions.

Madagascar, an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa, figures prominently in this year’s observance because the worship service that will be used in the 170 nations has been designed by Malagasy women around the theme”Who is My Neighbor?”The liturgy incorporates songs and rituals from the Malagasy culture.”All the preparations that we do create an opportunity to discover the vastness of our global Christian faith,”said Eileen King, executive director of World Day of Prayer.”In particular, the Malagasy people bring to the rest of us a reminder that there’s strength in gentleness.” In 1997, millions of people around the globe participated in approximately 27,000 World Day of Prayer services _ from small groupings to hundreds of participants, according to organizers. This year, the World Day of Prayer will be observed in Cambodia for the first time.

The observance began 111 years ago when lay Presbyterian women in the United States began a national day of prayer as a time for inner reflection and communion around the Lenten season and in preparation for Easter. Soon after, the observance spread abroad.

In 1941,”World Day of Prayer”became an official interdenominational movement, incorporating women from many religious traditions and cultures.”World Day of Prayer helps us to see the diversity of Christian expression as a richness,”King said.

Each year, a different nation is featured in the observance, with hymns, prayers and other indigenous rites and rituals used to create the liturgy.

Madagascar, this year’s featured country, is about 45 percent Christian, evenly divided between Protestants and Roman Catholics. About half of the country’s population belong to tribal religious groups and 5 percent are Mulsim.

In addition to underscoring the diversity of global Christianity, World Day of Prayer organizers also seek to raise money for projects in the featured country. This year, Church Women United, the U.S. sponsor of the observances, hopes to generate $25,000 for projects in Madagascar and an additional $17,000 for women’s projects in the United States.

Sabine Randriamanana, who will sing at a World Prayer Day festival at the Interchurch Center on Saturday (March 7), said she hopes the observance will make people more aware of her country.”People come up to me and say, `Madagascar _ oh, that’s in Europe. That’s in France,'”Randriamanana said.”My prayer is that people come to understand more about our country and the warmth of the people there.” Prisca Rabetafika, founder of MAD.USA, a nonprofit group serving Malagasy people, said she hopes this year’s World Day of Prayer will help bring immigrants from Madagascar together.”Many of us are all alone here,”she Rabetafika, whose parents returned to Madagascar five years ago after her father retired from work at the United Nations.”This event is a way we all find each other.”

Eds: For information on World Day of Prayer events in your area, call Church Women United at 212-870-3339.)

DEA END CHRISTIE