L.A. County Declares Its Own Day of Prayer, Aligning With 75-Year National Tradition

Los Angeles County now has its own Day of Prayer.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a motion by Supervisor Janice Hahn to proclaim May 7, 2026, as “County Day of Prayer” and to establish the observance annually on the first Thursday of May, aligning it with the National Day of Prayer. The proclamation applies countywide, encompassing Pasadena, Altadena and all communities across the county’s 88 cities and unincorporated areas.

“During these trying times, the County Day of Prayer is an invitation for people across Los Angeles County to pause, reflect, and pray in any way they choose for whatever is on their hearts that could make our communities, our County, and our nation better,” Hahn said during the Board meeting, according to a press release from her office.

The move comes on the eve of the 75th annual National Day of Prayer, which falls on Thursday. Congress established the national observance in 1952 through a joint resolution signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation fixing the date to the first Thursday of every May. Every sitting president since 1952 has issued a National Day of Prayer proclamation, and most state governors have followed with their own.

Hahn, who represents the 4th Supervisorial District, noted her experience serving as co-chair of the National Prayer Breakfast during her time in Congress, where elected leaders gathered in reflection and prayer for the nation. In 2014, she co-chaired the 62nd annual National Prayer Breakfast alongside Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas. In her remarks Tuesday, Hahn said the county’s observance mirrors the spirit of the National Day of Prayer — an inclusive invitation for people of all backgrounds and beliefs, according to the press release.

In reflecting on her own prayers for the county during the Board meeting, Hahn invoked Pope Leo XIV. The pope, speaking in Bamenda, Cameroon, on April 16, had criticized leaders who spend on war rather than on human needs. Hahn told her colleagues she was reminded of the pontiff’s words, saying that recently, while speaking about leaders who put their own political and economic gains first, Pope Leo said: “They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found.”

“Colleagues, there are so many people in every one of our Districts that depend on LA County for healing, for education, for restoration, and for so much more,” Hahn said, according to the press release. “You don’t have to be religious to appreciate that message.”

The idea for establishing a County Day of Prayer was brought to Hahn by county employee Destiny Castro of the Chief Executive Office, whom Hahn thanked in her remarks.

National Day of Prayer events are scheduled across Los Angeles County on Thursday, including observances by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The national observance is coordinated by the National Day of Prayer Task Force, and gatherings are expected in tens of thousands of communities across all 50 states. This year’s national theme is “Glorify God Among the Nations — Seeking Him in All Generations.”

The county’s action places Los Angeles County among the local governments formally recognizing the day alongside state and federal counterparts. Meeting footage from Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors session is available on YouTube, linked in the press release from Hahn’s office.