Contact: Jojo Smith, 226-821-2155

TORONTO, Ontario, June 25, 2021 /Standard Newswire/ -- On July 28, thousands of Christians will converge at Massey Hall for a day of prayer, worship and fasting for the City of Toronto and the nation of Canada.

TheCRY Toronto is a large-scale prayer event that is part of the international CRY Movement. Organizers emphasize the movement's motto: "It's not a concert. It's not a conference. It's a CRY." The event focuses on the power of unified prayer and blessing. "The heart of TheCRY is to bring people of faith together to bless this nation through prayer," said Faytene Grasseschi, Director of TheCRY.

TheCRY first kicked off in 2002 when approximately 10,000 Christians gathered on Parliament Hill to pray for Canada. The movement has traveled the nation, with CRYs held in cities from Iqaluit to Vancouver to St. John's. Organizers say that prayer has touched thousands of lives. "We've seen ... people even testifying in their own life how they've had personal heart changes and personal renewal and hope revived," said Grasseschi.

The movement launched internationally in March 2012 when TheCRY Hollywood took prayer to the heart of the entertainment industry at Universal City. Thousands of Americans and Canadians turned out to pray for God’s blessings on a city and industry that affects the world. The gathering was also broadcast to a potential 500 million viewers through GOD TV.

The next stop is part of Canada's Hollywood North -- Toronto. TheCRY Movement is calling Christians with a heart to see God move in this generation to converge at the historic Massey Hall in the centre of downtown Toronto.

Why send out a call to pray in the heart of Toronto? Organizers of TheCRY point out that Toronto is not only an epicentre for Canada's entertainment industry, but an epicentre for many economic, educational and even governmental trends. To impact Toronto is to impact Canada. Furthermore, as one of the world's most diverse cities, Toronto has a global impact. According to the 2006 census, half of Toronto's 2.48 million residents were born outside of Canada. Over 140 languages and dialects are spoken in the city, and the population represents over 200 distinct ethnic origins. Pointing to this diversity, Grasseschi said, "If God can impact the nations within Toronto, it will literally impact the whole world."

Organizers of TheCRY say that their goal is not to criticize, but to bless the city to reach it's full potential. "Back in the day it was called 'Toronto the Good,'" said Grasseschi. "And so we're going to come in and say, 'Toronto, you're good,' and call forth that dream in the heart of God for Toronto to manifest His goodness and for that to ripple across Canada and to the ends of the earth."

A broad range of Toronto's diverse Christian communities will be represented at TheCRY.

"Pastors in the city, cross-denominationally, cross-ethnically, have been sensing the call to come together to pray," said Hany Boghossian, Chair of MissionGTA. "We're seeing Anglicans, Charismatics, some non-denominationals, Evangelicals ... we have the Spanish Pastors Network that is coming along and bringing their churches and their congregations. We have the Filipino community ... there is a level of excitement that I have not seen in such a long time."

Grasseschi agreed, "The movement of unity definitely is transcending age groups and denominations and it's something God is doing not just in a nation, but in a generation."

On July 28, organizers of TheCRY believe unified prayer will bring new blessings and positive change to Toronto and the nation of Canada.

For further information about the event and TheCRY Movement visit www.thecrymovement.com.