EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). Many thanks to “Aunt Teresa” for reminding us of the event and providing the video… At Donald Trump’s second campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on October 5, 2024, Orthodox priest Fr. John Charest opened the event with a solemn prayer. Fr. Charest, rector of Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, began with the traditional “O Heavenly King” invocation. He then offered prayers for the repose of the soul of the individual killed during the July assassination attempt on Trump, for the protection of President Trump and all of America, and for those affected by Hurricane Helen.
This rally marked Trump’s return to Butler following the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt, where he was grazed by a bullet, resulting in the death of one spectator and injuries to others. Fr. Charest’s prayer emphasized gratitude for the right to peacefully assemble, the grace to choose good over evil, and the blessings bestowed upon the nation. The inclusion of an Orthodox Christian prayer at the rally underscored the event’s spiritual dimension and the community’s support for the former president in the aftermath of the attempted assassination.
It was a masterful delivery of a prayer!… Elpidophoros and the rest of our hierarchs will be well advised to watch it repeatedly to learn a thing or two…
====================
