Maj. Veinotte is keynote speaker for 5th annual Lakes Region Prayer Breakfast

LACONIA — The Lakes Region Interfaith Prayer Breakfast will take place on Thursday, May 2, at St. Andre Bessette Parish Hall, with the theme “Prayer and Faith in the Military.”

Guest speaker will be Chaplain (Major) Steve Veinotte who has served with the New Hampshire Army National Guard since 2003, and currently serves as the Fulltime Support Chaplain. His duties include performing religious services, providing pastoral counseling, and working with the families of soldiers.

Chaplains describe much of what they do as “ministry of presence” which involves serving alongside service members as they perform their duties in order to be available at opportune times for spiritual and emotional support. He has provided training to hundreds of military families through weekend retreats that focus on communication skills and functioning as a team.

He intervenes on a regular basis with service members and their families in crisis, including suicidal ideation, substance abuse, homelessness, and a host of behavioral health issues. He also has served in a variety of pastoral roles for several civilian congregations in New Hampshire since 1997.

Veinotte was born and raised in New Hampshire and currently lives in Campton with his wife of 33 years, LeeAnn.

Proceeds from the event will be shared equally between the Gilford-based Patriot Resilient Leader Institute, which provides four-day retreats (Camp Resilience) for disabled veterans from throughout New England, and the Laconia Veterans of Foreign Wars “Field of Flags” commemorative display for Memorial Day 2019.

The local breakfast is one of thousands conducted across the United States each year on the first Thursday in May, originally designated as the National Day of Prayer in 1952. The local effort, now in its fifth year, has committee members from several area churches: Congregational Church of Laconia, First United Methodist Church, Gilford Community Church, Lakes Region Vineyard Church, Parish of St. Andre Bessette, and Temple B’nai Israel. Other area churches wishing to participate should contact Chris Ray at 603-528-2920.