Faith Leaders to Gather at Newport City Hall Friday at Noon to Pray for Peace

Newport, RI — Local faith leaders will gather in front of Newport City Hall at noon Friday to pray for peace, forgiveness and reconciliation and healing in America.

The gathering, which is open to all people of all backgrounds and beliefs, has come together quickly and organically in the wake of yet another day of tragedy and violence in Dallas beginning Thursday night where five police officers were killed by a gunman.

Paula Jestings of Evangelical Friends Church Newport said that the plan for the prayer service began with Pastor Paul Hoffman, who has since invited all local pastors and faith leaders to join him. The event was spontaneously planned, she said, and Hoffman is a "take-charge kind of guy trying to cover this whole situation in prayer."

"The point is to bring the community together at a time when people are hurting, grieving and angry," Jestings said in a telephone interview.

Jestings said many people are heartbroken and troubled by the drumbeat of violence. No matter who is being shot or doing the shooting, "it has been nonstop with with all these tragedies. We see it all over social media. People are at a loss. They don't know what to do."

By gathering together in prayer, Jestings said Hoffman hopes to create a forum for residents of Newport County to lend each other moral support and togetherness.

"We see a lot of good things happening when people are called together," Jestings said.

It's a way to counter the negativity, the hatred, she said.

Newport City Hall is located at 43 Broadway.