MANILA: A prelate on Friday called on the faithful to pray for fathers and acknowledge their sacrifices in raising their families in commemoration of Fathers' Day this weekend. In an interview with Church-run Radyo Veritas, Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Office on Stewardship head Bishop Broderick Pabillo underscored the role of the father as the pillar of every household. "Fathers have a great influence on us. We also owe a lot to them so fathers are important in human life like San Jose (Saint Joseph) who played and stood as the father of Jesus here on earth. Let's thank God for our fathers, let's pray for them and show our appreciation for them," the Palawan prelate said. He also said fathers need moral support from their wives and children for them to stay strong and capable in fulfilling their duties. Pabillo noted that like God the Father, who provides for the needs of humanity, fathers also share in the mission of providing for the needs of the family, especially the children. Bas ed on history, the celebration of Father's Day began on June 19, 1910 in Washington in the United States, initiated by Sonora Smart Dodd to honor her father, a Civil War veteran, William Jackson Smart. In 1966, then US President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation designating the third Sunday of June as Father's Day. Source: Philippines News Agency