When bad things happen, or one is in need, is prayer enough? Many FāVS writers have written about the effectiveness of prayer over the past few weeks, as distressing headlines seem to be the norm as of late.
Today at 10 a.m. FāVS panelists will lead a forum, “The Role of Prayer” for its next Coffee Talk. This event, which is open to all, will be held in the student lounge in the Jepson Center on Gonzaga University’s Campus. Jepson is located on the Southwest side of campus, behind St. Al’s Church.
Panelists are:
- FāVS Board Secretary Elizabeth Backstrom, who wrote “The complications of prayer“
- The Rev. Andy CastroLang, of Westminster UCC, who wrote, “Prayer is my communion“
- Gonzaga Student and Wolff Fellow Francesca Nevil, who write, “The underestimated power of prayer“
FāVS will provide free coffee, though it is limited. Guests are also welcome to bring their own beverages.
FāVS wants to hold more community events like this. With your donation, we can.

Tracy Simmons is an award-winning journalist specializing in religion reporting and digital entrepreneurship. In her approximate 20 years on the religion beat, Simmons has tucked a notepad in her pocket and found some of her favorite stories aboard cargo ships in New Jersey, on a police chase in Albuquerque, in dusty Texas church bell towers, on the streets of New York and in tent cities in Haiti. Simmons has worked as a multimedia journalist for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas, Connecticut and Washington. She is the executive director of SpokaneFāVS.com, a digital journalism start-up covering religion news and commentary in Spokane, Washington. She also writes for The Spokesman-Review and national publications. She is a Scholarly Assistant Professor of Journalism at Washington State University.