125 Turned Out in Billings, Montana
Posted by Amy Semour (June 8, 2012 at 5:27 pm)
Beautiful weather and rousing speeches were the order of the day in Billings, Montana, where 125 people turned out for the second Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally there.
After a brief welcome from Rally Captain Amy Seymour, April Seymour, 16, led the crowd in singing the National Anthem. Fr. Ray Nyquist, retired Catholic priest and temporary pastor of St. Benedict’s in Roundup, Montana, led the opening prayer.
Then Fr. Bart Stevens (pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe/Holy Rosary/Little Flower Catholic Church Cluster in Billings) and Rev. Cal Zastrow (non-denominational Christian minister and passionate pro-life advocate) gave some impassioned speeches.
“Amazing Grace” and “God Bless America” were sung in between times, and then Colie Hamiton (Evangelical Christian, musician, and founding member of Yellowstone Valley Christians for Life, which sponsored the rally locally) gave a moving closing prayer, during which everyone knelt on the courthouse lawn. Fr. Ray delivered a rousing Call to Action, and then all four verses of “America the Beautiful” were sung.
There was one lone counter-protester there, quietly holding a pro-Obama sign, but (ironically) joining in on the singing. Passers-by trickled in to see what was happening and employees in nearby offices opened their windows to listen to the speeches taking place on the courthouse lawn. All in all, it was a very successful rally on a quintessentially perfect nearly-summer day!
Humble thanks for your work!
Citizen who depends on people like you to stand up for what’s right and would not know how to do much about it otherwise.
June 9th, 2012 at 12:04 pm