DuPage officials say power of prayer gives them strength

Government officials from across DuPage County gathered Thursday morning in Bloomingdale to pray for guidance and wisdom in the coming year.

More than 1,000 people attended the 38th annual DuPage County Christmas Prayer Breakfast, which featured former county board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom and his successor, Dan Cronin.

“Certainly, any success the county board and I have had for the people of DuPage County over the past years could not have been done without your prayers,” Schillerstrom told the crowd. “No one can be successful in public office alone, and you certainly made sure we were not alone.”

For more than three decades, the prayer breakfast has given public officials and citizens the chance to share their faiths and summon divine inspiration in preparation for decisions that lie ahead.

Cronin said the event is particularly meaningful in times of uncertainty and challenge.

“Our day-to-day worries can often only be eased through prayer,” he said. “In times of trouble, we pray for help and guidance. In times of bounty, we pray with gratitude.”

Organizers stress the prayer breakfast isn't a religious lobby, nor of political design. There are no VIP tables, so public officials tend to dine with groups of people they have never met.

One visitor, Renee Stima of Wheaton, said government officials supporting prayer and faith set a good example for tomorrow's leaders.

“To me, it was just very, very powerful to say we need all the help we can get,” she said. “This is something good for all of us.”