Yellowknife (May 19/04) - Two hundred individuals representing 12 Yellowknife churches have signed up for a marathon Bible reading beginning today.

"It's 14 hours a day for 10 days," said Shawn MacLellan, an organizer of the event.

The participants -- including Mayor Gordon Van Tighem and Premier Joe Handley -- will take turns reading passages.

One couple who had hoped to read could not attend because they are getting married in Montreal on Saturday. So they taped their reading ahead of time.

"It will be played at the same time they're getting married in Montreal," MacLellan said.

The readings will be a celebration of faith and of Yellowknife's cultural diversity.

"We're encouraging as many people as possible to read in their own languages," MacLellan said.

Participants will be reading in languages ranging from Filipino to Dogrib.

"There was a Dogrib translation of the New Testament released last year," MacLellan said. "We're really happy to be able to use that."

The readings will take place daily in the Salvation Army Chapel from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. until the 28th of May.

All are invited to attend the readings.