The Greater St. Cloud Faith Leaders is a group comprised of leaders from multiple religious and spiritual communities in the St. Cloud area. Gathering since 2014, they focus on bringing their communities together for relationship-building, support and making the community a safe place for all. The group is non-partisan and includes many diverse perspectives – both in respect to the individuals within the group and the communities they represent.
Prior to the 2024 elections, the group made a public statement encouraging those within the group’s represented faith communities and the broader civic community to engage with one another and the issues at hand with civility and respect.
“As election day came and went, the challenging and divisive rhetoric, unfortunately, has continued,” said Kateri Mancini, diocesan director of Social Concerns. “Just as we feel our nation divided, we recognize that our local community and even our places of worship, too, are divided on issues and concerns going forward.
“And yet, there is common ground within all our traditions, each of which speaks of community, paths of peace, kindness and care for our fellow peoples. We may not all agree on everything in these days following the elections and into the coming years, but we believe we can agree on the need for hope and peace.”
For more information on the Greater St. Cloud Faith Leaders, visit their website: https://faithleaders.us/
Greater St. Cloud Faith Leaders’ Post-Election Message (in English and Spanish):
This election season was again a contentious one between the candidates and throughout our community. Although Election Day has passed, our witness as people of faith to the values of peace and unity is needed more than ever. Despite differences in political viewpoints and priorities, it’s important to remember what we share in common — a desire to build communities of kindness, civility, hope and peace — here in the St. Cloud area and beyond. We share our hope that all of us will be role models of civility and respect in our conversations with neighbors and co-workers, in our civic participation, and in all the other ways we engage our communities. Let’s create opportunities to build relationships, foster mutual understanding, and model the ways of peace that are so needed in our society today.
Esta temporada electoral volvió a ser polémica entre los candidatos y durante todo en nuestra comunidad. Aunque el día de las elecciones ya pasó, nuestro testimonio como personas de fe ante los valores de paz y unidad son más necesarios que nunca. A pesar de las diferencias políticas puntos de vista y prioridades, es importante recordar lo que compartimos en común: un deseo para construir comunidades de bondad, civismo, esperanza y paz, aquí en el área de St. Cloud y más allá de nuestra área. Compartimos nuestra esperanza de que todos nosotros seamos modelos de civismo y respeto en nuestras conversaciones con vecinos y compañeros de trabajo, en nuestra participación cívica y en todas las demás maneras en que involucramos a nuestras comunidades. Trabajemos por oportunidades para construir relaciones, fomentar comprensión mutua y modelar los caminos de paz que tanto se necesitan en nuestra sociedad hoy.
