Multi-faith reception inspires new mayor

Bill Donovan
Special to the Independent

GALLUP — For Bob Rosebrough, it was the perfect way to begin his administration as Gallup's new mayor. He was surrounded by some 250 local residents of many cultures who listened to ministers of many faiths talk about the joys of living in Gallup.

The unique event at Sacred Heart Cathedral last night took place shortly after he and new city council member Mary Ann Armijo were sworn in by district court judges Grant Foutz and Joseph Rich.

The other two officials elected last week - council member Frank Gonzales and municipal judge Linda Gasparich Padilla - were unable to make the swearing in ceremony and will be sworn in today, Padilla at 9 a.m. and Gonzales just before the start of tonight's city council session.

"It was just wonderful to see the diversity of Gallup in one place," said Rosebrough after the event at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

With 11 ministers of various faiths on hand, Gallup residents celebrated their uniqueness with Rosebrough and the city government getting blessings in many languages. It was also a time of intense patriotism as Melissa Argo ended the festivities with a stirring rendition of the Lee Greenwood anthem "God Bless the USA."

Rosebrough said that he personally invited about two-thirds of the ministers while City Clerk Ruth Ruiz invited the others. The goal was to get a good cross-section of the many faiths that watch over Gallup on a daily basis. These included representatives of these faiths: Catholic (the Very Rev. Lawrence j. O'Keefe), Hindu (Victor Patel), Non-Demoninational Christian (Grace Lueras), Baptist (Rev. E.L. Sanderson of the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church), Native American Church (Harrison Jim), Stronghold Church (Hank Stokes), Islam (Aboue Abbas El Sayed) and Church of the Latter Day Saints (Jeff Notle). There were also two traditional representatives - Lolita Reed, Laguna/Zuni and Anderson Hoskie, traditional Diné.

All gave a simple message - the joy of living in a city and a country where people of many faiths can get together without hatred to celebrate the peaceful transition of one government administration to another.

During the evening, Rosebrough received a garland from Patel, symbolizing a blessing in his faith. Jim also called on Rosebrough, Armijo and city council member Bill Nechero to come to the altar area for a blessing using feathers that is done within the NAC.

Reed said she "can only hope that the new administration works for the good of all people."

|Top | Current Daily News

Contact the Gallup Independent

Please send the Gallup Independent feedback on this website and the paper in general.

E-mail: gallpind@cia-g.com

By mail: The Independent PO Box 1210 Gallup, NM 87305 500 N. 9th Gallup, NM 87301