The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May each year inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. It exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, to create appropriate materials, and to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America’s leaders and their families.
The National Day of Prayer has great significance for us as a nation as it enables us to recall and to teach the way in which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. It stands as a call for us to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people. The unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as an annual event, signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning.
Please join us as we gather together and pray for our city.
Patrick McCaskey is a Chicago Bears board member and the Bears’ senior director of special projects. He has been working for the Bears since 1974. He is going for the Bears’ longevity record. He needs 30 more years.
Pat is a Notre Dame High School Wall of Famer for football and track. He is a Cheshire Academy Hall of Famer for cross-country and track. He is a national champion in masters’ track. Pat was a contributing editor to the literary magazines at Loyola University Chicago and Indiana University. He has a master’s degree from DePaul University Chicago in the interdisciplinary studies of business, writing, and performing.
Pat is knighted in the international charitable order of Saint Stanislas. He is in the Notre Dame College Prep Hall of Honor for faith, scholarship, and service. He has won the following awards: Notre Dame High School leadership and distinguished service, Harriet Beecher Stowe School voice of freedom, Illinois father of the year, Boy Scouts of America distinguished citizen, Sports Faith Light of Christ, and Chicago Youth Guidance Exemplary Service.
Pat and his wife, Gretchen, have three sons: Ed, Tom, and James. If his sons are not called to the priesthood, he hopes that they will marry someone like their mother. He is hoping for grandchildren. He left the swing set up on purpose.
Pat is the author of two books: “Bear with Me: A Family History of George Halas and the Chicago Bears” and “Sports and Faith: Stories of the Devoted and the Devout.
Pat is a speaker known for his moving and humorous presentations on sports, community, and faith. His talk “Faith & Sports” includes “The Ten Commandments of Football” and “If the Apostles Had Played Football.” His talk “Chicago Bears History” features a lifetime’s worth of his personal reflections, including his grandfather’s days as the team’s coach and owner; receiving tips from quarterback Bill Wade; finding himself on the receiving end of Walter Payton’s practical jokes; and how owning the Bears is a blessing for his extended family. His talk “Tears & Laughter” goes from the Garden of Eden to the possibility of the Pope saying Mass for the Bears.
Dr. John Fuder is the Dean of Global Cohorts for Resource Global. Doc Fuder's passion to teach and train others to engage the city comes from his many years of experience in ministry in California and training students in Urban Studies at Moody Theological Seminary. Now Doc Fuder is equipping the broader body of Christ to engage more deeply in contextualizing the Gospel in their local communities. He has also been leading the PrayChicago movement that began in 2014 and still growing today. He holds a B.R.E. from Prairie Bible College, an M.A. in Religion from Pepperdine University and a Ph.D. from Biola University. He and his wife, Nellie, have three children and a granddaughter and live on Chicago's north side.