Philpot, the guest speaker at the 13th annual Ecumenical Community Prayer Breakfast today, said he’s attended similar functions that leave out praying altogether.

“We are all part of God’s family,” said Philpot, who sees families in crisis every day as a family court judge in Lexington, Ky.

“The main answer to being lonely is family,” he said. Unfortunately, families can get so messed up that society creates a special court to handle them.

“It’s not a matter of good or bad. We’re all born as sinners. We ask to be accepted into God’s family,” said Philpot.

Today's event -- entitled Families of Faith -- included remarks by Bishop Robert Morneau, Rabbi Shaina Bacharach and Salvation Army Maj. Bob Fay.

“When you say a Catholic bishop, Jewish rabbi and Salvation Army major got together 13 years ago, it sounds like the beginning of a bad joke,” Fay said. The gathering has since grown into a communitywide event. More than 285 people attended at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay.

“We gather to acknowledge that God is God. It’s great to be united this morning as brothers and sisters,” Fay said.

The event included prayer readings by groups representing a nuclear family, single-parent family, church family, Internet family and civic/community family.

Salvation Army Maj. Ruth Fay also asked for prayers for the poor and needy who couldn’t attend the event. She also thanked Morneau and Catholic officials for their support to establish St. John’s Homeless Shelter, which opened three months ago over City Council objections.