A day of prayer is being celebrated tomorrow across the world as well as here in Portage.

Kerry McGowan Parish Council President of the Catholic Women's League says the service has been prepared by women in Malaysia and it's being held at the Good Parish Shepherd Church at 2 p.m. McGowan says it's not just limited to women although the tradition of the gathering has been organized by women for quite some time. She adds archives exist which date back to 1976 and she suspects its been happening in Portage for longer than that, but the records were kept by the host churches. McGowan says every year the service moves from church to church and this year over 10 congregations are involved from Portage.

McGowan explains the World Day of Prayer was begun by Women in Canada and the U.S. in 1922 and its observed in more than 170 countries today. She says it's an opportunity to gather and pray with and for women in many countries on issues of justice, spirituality, and advocacy. McGowan adds there is a collection taken and grants are distributed every year. She notes grants are issued to countries around the world and can be anywhere from $5,000