FRANKFORT — Representatives of the Catholic and Jewish faiths and the largest Kentucky organization of churches said they were not invited to Gov. Paul Patton's annual “interfaith prayer breakfast.”

        Jody Lassiter, commissioner of the Department of Local Government and the administration's organizer of the prayer breakfast, said no specific groups were invited to attend. The breakfast is scheduled for this morning.

        “We've tried to make it as broad-based and inclusive as possible,” Mr. Lassiter said Tuesday.

        But the lack of an invitation is being interpreted by some as meaning they are excluded.

        “I am surprised the governor's office did not notify the organization that represents over half of the churches in the commonwealth of Kentucky,” said the Rev. Nancy Jo Kemper, executive director of the Kentucky Council of Churches.

        After learning of the Rev. Ms. Kemper's complaint, however, Mr. Lassiter called to invite her. The Ms. Rev. Kemper could not be reached late in the day.

        Patton spokesman Mark Pfeiffer said all faith groups are welcome to attend the breakfast.

        “I don't think it's a matter of not inviting people or trying to exclude people, and if that's the impression, it's totally wrong,” Mr. Pfeiffer said.

        Scott Wegenast, a policy analyst for the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, said his organization was also not notified. “I don't know why we would not be invited. I certainly hope it's just an oversight. And we're in the book,” Mr. Wegenast said.

        Mr. Wegenast said the Catholic Conference has been invited in past years.

        The Rev. Ms. Kemper said she has not been invited to participate in the prayer breakfast since Mr. Patton became governor.

        The Rev. Ms. Kemper and Rabbi Jonathan Adland of Lexington said they received invitations during the administration of Gov. Brereton Jones.

        “Interfaith from Governor Patton's perspective may be Protestants and Catholics,” Rabbi Adland said.

        Told that the Catholic Conference had also not been invited, Rabbi Adland said, “Well, maybe it's Methodists and Presbyterians.”

        Mr. Lassiter said word of the annual event is generally distributed by the Frankfort-Franklin County Ministerial Association, though notices are also included in state government pay checks, and news releases are sent to church publications from the governor's office.

        The Rev. K.L. Moore, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Frankfort and president of the ministerial association, said the governor's office is in charge of publicity and notifying people about the breakfast.

        “It's gotten out from the governor's office,” the Rev. Moore said.

        The Rev. Moore said the Council of Churches, the Catholic Conference and Jewish groups should have been invited.

        “And if they haven't gotten the word, it's only because somebody goofed,” the Rev. Moore said.

        Rabbi Adland said he delivered the benedictions at both of Mr. Patton's inaugurations. “That's about as interfaith as I imagine he's gotten,” Rabbi Adland said.

        Rabbi Adland said he was invited by Mr. Jones to be the main speaker at one breakfast, but found the experience “not comfortable” because it appeared to him to be a largely Christian undertaking.

        The featured speaker at the breakfast will be Bishop James R. King, who was recently appointed the head of the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church.

        The gathering breakfast is open to the public. There is a $5 charge for the breakfast.

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