    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 36 (Monday, September 12, 2005)]
    [Pages 1365-1366]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Proclamation 7925--National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the
    Victims of Hurricane Katrina

     September 8, 2005

     By the President of the United States

     of America

     A Proclamation

        Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters in our
    Nation's history and has caused unimaginable devastation and heartbreak
    throughout the Gulf Coast Region. A vast coastline of towns and
    communities has been decimated. Many lives have been lost, and hundreds
    of thousands of our fellow Americans are suffering great hardship. To
    honor the memory of those who lost their lives, to provide comfort and
    strength to the families of the victims, and to help ease the burden of
    the survivors, I call upon all Americans to pray to Almighty God and to
    perform acts of service.
        As we observe a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the
    Victims of Hurricane Katrina, we pledge our support for those who have
    been injured and for the communities that are struggling to rebuild. We
    offer thanks to God for the goodness and generosity of so many Americans
    who have come together to provide relief and bring hope to fellow
    citizens in need. Our Nation is united in compassion for the victims and
    in resolve to overcome the tremendous loss that has come to America. We
    will strive together in this effort, and we will prevail through
    perseverance and prayer.
        Americans are reaching out to those who suffer by opening their
    hearts, homes, and communities. Their actions demonstrate the greatest
    compassion one person may show to another: to love your neighbor as
    yourself. Across our Nation, so many selfless deeds reflect the promise
    of the Scripture: ``For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty
    and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in.'' I
    encourage all Americans to respond with acts of kindness in the days
    ahead. By contributing time, money, or needed goods to a relief
    organization and by praying for the survivors and those in recovery
    efforts, we can make a tremendous difference in the lives of those in
    need.
        Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath resulted in a considerable loss
    of life. We pray that God will bless the souls of the lost, and that He
    will comfort their families and friends and all lives touched by this
    disaster. As the American people unite to help those who are hurting, we
    share a determination to stand by those affected by Hurricane Katrina in
    the months and years ahead as they rebuild their lives and reclaim their
    future. We are determined that the Gulf Coast region will rise again.
    The tasks before us are enormous, and so is the heart of America. We
    will continue to comfort and care for the survivors. We will once again
    show the world that the worst adversities bring out the best in the
    American people.
        Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of
    America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
    laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Friday, September 16,
    2005, as a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of
    Hurricane Katrina. I ask that the people of the United States and places
    of worship mark this National Day of Prayer and Remembrance with
    memorial services and other appropriate observances. I also encourage
    all Americans to remember those who have suffered in the disaster by
    offering prayers and giving their hearts and homes for those who now,
    more than ever, need our compassion and our support.
        In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of
    September, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
    thirtieth.
                                                    George W. Bush

     [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., September
    12, 2005]

    Note: This proclamation will be published in the Federal Register on
    September 13.

    [[Page 1366]]