Welcoming Gainesville’s interfaith service celebrates diversity

Inside the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, religious leaders from across Gainesville spoke the prayers of their respective faiths.

Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Unitarian, they came together to laud the city’s inclusivity in the face of the divisiveness, showing Gainesville’s embracing of all cultures and creeds.

Hosted by Welcoming Gainesville, the “Light in Darkness” interfaith service began at the church but soon moved across the street to Gainesville’s City Hall, where a crowd of about 100 people gathered around the building’s steps.

“It’s important to come together, and I think Gainesville is bringing people together in different ways, through faith and political beliefs,” said Cindy Nelly, a 46-year-old Gainesville resident who attended the service.

Richard MacMaster, the chair of Welcoming Gainesville, said he was excited with the turnout of the event.

“This was a way for the community to come together,” he said.

UF assistant professor of religion Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons said she was proud of Gainesville’s welcoming atmosphere, especially through its designation as a welcoming city, which means it prides itself on inviting immigrants, refugees and international students.

“There are lots of people in Gainesville and Alachua County that celebrate the idea of having new residents,” Simmons said.