The Christian Heritage Week proclamation, which was signed Wednesday by Gov. Jesse Ventura's office, reads:

WHEREAS: The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Minnesota states that, "We the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring [to] perpetuate its blessings and secure the same to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution"; and

WHEREAS: Benjamin Franklin, and the Constitutional Convention of 1787 stated, "It is impossible to build an empire without our Father's aid. I believe the sacred writings which say that "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it"; and

WHEREAS: George Washington enunciated, "Animated alone by the pure spirit of Christianity, and conducting ourselves as the faithful subjects of our free government, we may enjoy every temporal and spiritual felicity"; and

WHEREAS: Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote, "Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are the gift of God"; and

WHEREAS: James Madison, father of the U.S. Constitution, advocated, "The diffusion of the light of Christianity in our nation" in his Memorial and Remonstrance; and

WHEREAS: Patrick Henry quoted Proverbs 14:34 for our nation, "Righteousness alone can exalt a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people"; and

WHEREAS: George Mason, in his Virginia Declaration of Rights, forerunner of our U.S. Bill of Rights, affirmed, "That it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity toward each other"; and

WHEREAS: These, and many other truly great men and women of America, giants in the structuring of American history, were Christian statesmen for caliber and integrity who did not hesitate to express their faith."

NOW THEREFORE, I, JESSE VENTURA, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim that the week of October 13 through October 19, 2002, shall be observed as:

CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WEEK

In the state of Minnesota.

Signed,

Jesse Ventura, governor, and Mary Kiffmeyer, secretary of state