The Ironton Area Ministerial Association is inviting the public in for a prayer event on Sunday.

Rob Hale, the ministerial association president and pastor of the Ironton First Church of the Nazarene, said that they have been planning the event for two months and it was originally going to be prayers for area leadership and prayers to bring jobs to this area.

But then tragedy struck, first in Las Vegas with 58 killed and 500 concert goers wounded on Oct. 1, and then in Decatur Township with four family members being killed on Oct. 11.

Prayer is needed at this time. While Arron Lawson has been caught and jailed while he waits for a date in court to be tried on 13 charges, that means there are months of hearings, motions and other court proceedings before a trial date is even set.

That means the mental wounds of the victims’ families will be opened again and again. And those families have had to deal with so much in such a short period of time.

So, although it is often overused, prayers and thoughts are needed for the family to get through a long trial and start to begin their recovery.