Retired U.S. Army Ranger Maj. Jeff Struecker — a Silver Star recipient who fought in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu depicted in Black Hawk Down — will visit Owensboro in May as the featured guest for a series of National Day of Prayer events across the city.
The two-day observance, marking the 75th anniversary of the National Day of Prayer, will include four public events across Owensboro on May 6-7, all free to attend.
Struecker, a member of the Army Ranger Hall of Fame, will serve as the featured speaker throughout the events.
The two-day schedule begins May 6 with an evening of prayer, worship, and testimony from 6-8 p.m. at RiverPark Center. A pre-event performance by Owensboro’s Blue Bridge Boys will begin at 5:30 p.m.
On May 7, Struecker will speak during Breakfast with Veterans from 8-9:30 a.m. at VFW on the River. The event is hosted by the SPC Brandon Scott Mullins Memorial Fund.
Later that morning, the community is invited to gather for the annual prayer event at 11:30 a.m. on the Daviess County Courthouse lawn. Local organizer Jo Barron said one of the most distinctive parts of the courthouse gathering is the “Circle of Good News,” where volunteers read the Bible aloud around the courthouse square.
“We need 365 volunteer readers who each receive a portion of the Bible,” Barron said. “At 11:30, everyone begins reading aloud at the same time, and within about 20 minutes, the entire Bible has been read. When you walk around the block, you hear people of all ages reading their portion. It is amazing to hear God’s word being read all the way around the courthouse.”
After the reading concludes, attendees gather on the courthouse lawn for prayers focused on several areas of community life, including government, family, education, business, media, the church, and those struggling with addiction.
Barron said the event has long drawn strong participation from across Owensboro, including local churches, businesses, and students.
“Our public high schools allow students to check out and attend,” she said. “We have students from several schools who come and participate. Owensboro has always been very supportive of this event.”
The final event will take place from 6-8 p.m. on May 7 at the National Guard Armory as part of Our Community Salutes, a ceremony honoring local high school seniors who are enlisting in the military.
Barron said the ceremony allows families and the community to recognize young people who have chosen to serve their country.
“They are stepping into a new chapter of their lives serving our country, and it gives their families a chance to see them recognized,” Barron said.
Barron said the Owensboro observance is part of a nationwide tradition, though each community organizes its own local activities. Barron said the national observance was established by Congress in 1952, and Owensboro has held its own annual event for decades.
“The National Day of Prayer itself is recognized across the country, but the details of what we do here are organized locally for our community,” Barron said. “Connie McCoy felt led to start one in Owensboro probably about 35 years ago, and I’ve been serving on the committee for around 30 years.”
