WAPAKONETA, OH (WLIO) - A Wapakoneta church was using the Sunday before the eclipse to showcase one former parishioner and his contributions to the U.S. space program. St. Paul United Church of Christ was Neil Armstrong’s home church when he was growing up, and they decided to do an eclipse-themed service Sunday and include Wapakoneta's favorite son. The church was surrounded by newspaper articles, signs, and other items about Armstrong during his time with the space program, including a prayer that was written for him during his moon mission.
“We had a prayer vigil during both of his flights, Gemini and Apollo, and so we have a long tradition of us being interested in science and how science and faith go together,” says Rev. Mark Bishop. “Neil himself was a very humble person, and knew what's really miraculous here is that God became human and lived among us.”
Following the service, they hosted a fundraiser lunch and an organ concert. They also had slides and videos from the Gemini and Apollo missions, as well as a documentary about Armstrong.
