A prayer service has been planned for June 16 at Christ Church Newman Center in St. Cloud to honor the memory of Earl H. Potter III, the president of St. Cloud State University, who died in a tragic car accident June 13.
The service, which begins at noon, will include prayer, Scripture and song. People of all faiths are invited to attend. The Newman Center is located at 396 1st Ave. S., on the north end of the campus.
“This is what people of faith do when someone important in our lives passes,” said Father Anthony Oelrich, pastor of Newman Center. “We want to entrust President Potter to the hands of God, we want to thank God for the gift of his life and, of course, we want to be able to pray as a source of comfort for his family.”
Father Oelrich recalled Potter as a “very warm and welcoming man” and “very encouraging to the various faith communities on campus.”
“In fact, he was a person of faith himself, a very devout Christian man,” he said. “My impression is that he worked very hard to create a space of mutuality and understanding amongst people of different religions…for people to feel at home and comfortable on the university campus.”
Bishop Donald Kettler issued a statement following Potter’s death.
“I offer my condolences to the family of President Earl H. Potter III and to the St. Cloud State University community mourning his tragic death. During my time in the Diocese of Saint Cloud, I witnessed the positive impact President Potter made on the university’s students and faculty as well as the wider St. Cloud community. He will be greatly missed. I will keep him and his loved ones in my prayers.”