• Why does St. Patrick get a day dedicated just to him?
• Do you know your Irish-American Presidents—were they men of faith?
• St. Patrick has a great prayer for all praying kids! Do you know it?

President and Mrs. Bush visited the kids at College Park Elementary School in Gautier, MS, earlier this week, bringing encouragement and support to this area that is still struggling with the impact of Hurricane Katrina. Mrs. Laura Bush also announced a new program, called The Gulf Coast School Library Recovery Initiative, to help Gulf Coast schools that were damaged by the hurricanes rebuild their book and material collections so they can have great school libraries where kids love to learn. Photo courtesy of the White House.

1. President and Mrs. Bush went again to the Gulf Coast region this week, just so they could see how the rebuilding efforts are going there, and so they bring hope and courage and confidence to the folks there. Mrs. Bush also announced that for those elementary schools still needing to restore and replenish their libraries, there is new money available to buy books. So that is really great news, and it’s a great time to pray for both the people rebuilding and the people still in need in the Gulf Coast region, that all will have God’s encouragement and strength, and that the money they need will be provided. Pray that their determination will stay strong and their faith will grow even stronger. Pray also that the people rebuilding the levees in New Orleans will have great success so that people can feel confidence to move back there.

President Bush spoke with workers cleaning up the Lower 9th Ward neighborhood of New Orleans when he visited the Gulf Coast earlier this week. Pray for all the workers—from businesses, churches, the military or the government—who are working to make things better in New Orleans. Photo courtesy of the White House.

2. Did you know that the churches and other religious organizations of America have made a huge difference in the rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast Region? There is still so very much work to be done, but many of God’s people are working hard to show the love of Jesus Christ as they volunteer and donate to help bring new hope and confidence to the people there. So we can pray for the people showing the love of Jesus as they help the Gulf Coast, asking God to spread and bless their message so that many people will turn to God with gratitude and hope. Pray especially for kids who have had a rough go of things, that they will stay hopeful and have their needs will be met.
3. President Bush has frequent meetings with leaders of the world and this week, he will welcome to the White House President Alejandro Celestino Toledo Manrique of Peru on March 10 to talk about free trade and economic growth. On March 13, he will meet with Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda to share appreciation for his partnership in the advancement of freedom and to discuss the promotion of democracy in the Balkans and other issues of mutual concern. So this is the very best time to pray for the President as he meets with world leaders, asking God to strengthen him as he speaks with others. Since we know that President Bush also has a personal relationship with God in Christ, we can pray that the nations of the world will be impacted by God’s life being lived out through him.
4. Our troops keep on working very hard to help the nation of Iraq gain its freedom and to safeguard freedom for all of us here at home. So we must pray for our troops as they serve faithfully around the world, asking God to keep each and every one of them safe and to help them as they do their jobs every day. Thank God for their responsibility and dedication.

Photo courtesy of the White House.

Secretary of Commerce—Carlos Gutierrez
The Secretary of Commerce oversees the important areas of business and manufacturing in our nation, helping small and large companies thrive. His department is very involved in strengthening trade with other nations and in helping all Americans, especially minorities, to start and grow their own small businesses. In his job, Secretary Gutierrez works to create a great climate for business to thrive while providing encouragment and help for those entrepreneurs who wish to start new businesses.

Secretary Gutierrez follows in the footsteps of Secretary Don Evans who served faithfully for four years. Mr. Gutierrez comes to the office from a very successful career with Kellogg Company—that’s right, the folks who make cereal. He has served as its CEO for several years. Secretary Gutierrez emigrated from his homeland of Cuba in 1960 and joined the Kellogg Company after getting a job delivering cereal in Mexico City. Ten years later, he was running the Mexican business. Fifteen years after that, he was appointed its CEO. President Bush hailed Carolos Gutierrez as a fantastic American success story. Our country is very fortunate to enjoy his gifts and talents in leadership.

Secretary Gutierrez has been married to his wife, Edi for 25 years, and together they have three children, Carlos, Erika and Karina.

Photo courtesy of the White House.

Secretary of Agriculture--Mike Johanns
Mike Johanns brings a lot of valuable experience with him to his job of Secretary of Agriculture. As the former Governor of Nebraska, he has farms and farming very near to his heart, because he grew up on a dairy farm in Iowa. In fact, Secretary Johanns likes to joke that anything seems easy to him after his experiences growing up on the farm!

As Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns is the person responsible for the grain and meat produced by America’s farms and ranches. He and his staff of 113,000 must work hard to make sure our food supply is kept safe all the time, whether the threat comes from disease, terrorism or something else. The Department of Agriculture also works to find energy sources that are “renewable,” like grain that can be grown. Ethanol (fuel made, in part, from grain) is an example of this. The USDA is also America’s largest conservation agency, working to encourage voluntary efforts to protect soil, water, and wildlife on the 70 percent of America's lands that belong to private owners rather than the government. His department also oversees the export of agricultural products to markets overseas. That sounds like a lot, doesn’t it?

Trained as an attorney, Secretary Johanns received his undergrad degree from of St. Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona. He earned a law degree from Creighton University in Omaha and practiced law in Nebraska before being elected mayor of Lincoln.

Secretary Johanns is married to Stephanie Johanns, a former Nebraska State Senator. The couple has two children, Justin and Michaela and two grandchildren.

What mighty praise, O God, belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you, for you answer our prayers, and to you all people will come. Though our hearts are filled with sins, you forgive them all.
--Psalm 65:1-3

O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Listen to me, O Lord, and hear! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib's words of defiance against the living God.
--Isaiah 35:16-17

As a kid who loves to pray for the President, it’s really great for you to get to know some of the fantastic people God has raised up to serve our nation in the office of president! Today we get to look at some really special people—our nation’s Irish presidents. Many of our nation’s presidents can trace their roots to an Irish heritage, including Presidents Polk, Buchanan, McKinley, Wilson, Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan and Clinton. And in many cases, they were men of great faith who loved God and who wanted to honor Him as they served the nation. Take a look at the leaders below and see what you think about these great Irish Americans.

Portrait courtesy of the National Gallery.

ANDREW JACKSON
The first Irish American president was Andrew Jackson whose family hailed from County Antrim, Ireland. When you read his words below, taken from President Jackson’s Second Inaugural Address, see what you think about his faith in God.

Finally, it is my fervent prayer to that Almighty Being…that He will so overrule all my intentions and actions and inspire the hearts of my fellow-citizens that we may be preserved from dangers of all kinds and continue forever a united happy people.
--Andrew Jackson, March 4, 1833

Portrait courtesy of the National Gallery.

JAMES BUCHANAN
James Buchanan led our nation during the years leading up to the Civil War. He tried very hard to keep the nation from dividing, but by the time he left office, the South had already begun to secede. Read his words below and see what you think about his faith in God.

Self-preservation is the first law of nature, and has been implanted in the heart of man by his Creator for the wisest purpose; and no political union, however fraught with blessings and benefits in all other respects, can long continue, if the necessary consequence be to render the homes and firesides of nearly half the parties to it habitually and hopelessly insecure. Sooner or later the bonds of such a union must be severed. It is my conviction that this fatal period has not yet arrived; and my prayer to God is that He will preserve the Constitution and the Union throughout all generations.
-James Buchanan, December 3, 1860