Newly elected El Monte city leaders were blessed by a group of religious leaders during a Jan. 23 interfaith prayer service at Nativity Church, where the community was urged to develop a spirit of collaboration with the new government and to envision the unity of the Christian Church.

Last November, El Monte citizens elected new city and school officials. A month later, Roberto "Bobby" Salcedo, a devout Catholic who had been re-elected as board member of El Monte City School District, was slain in Mexico by alleged drug traffickers.

The tragic event brought the community together, as concerns about growing drug trafficking and drug use in the area re-surfaced. The issue was addressed at Salcedo's funeral by Cardinal Roger Mahony and Father Alberto Villalobos, Nativity's pastor, who both challenged city leaders to work on becoming drug-free communities.

The reading for the special service (Ephesians 4:30-5:3) reminded the assembly to live a life pleasing to God without "bitterness, rage or anger," to be "imitators of God" and to live a life of love without a "hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed," as St. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus.

The elected officials and the assembly were encouraged by the religious leaders to find courage, strength and healing in the example of Jesus, and to practice unity and prayer.

"Without unity in the church we can't do anything," said Pastor Gary Philllips, from the Calvary Assembly of God, urging the community to embrace "the power of prayer. We pray 'Thy Kingdom come and thy will be done in this city.' Then we continue to pray week after week after week until we see change."

Philllips assessed the important role of pastors, prophets and religious teachers in helping the community build a spirit of collaboration. "When we remain silent, we are saying that (the situation or issue) is not worth my time," he noted.

Valley Community Church Youth Pastor Matt Russell addressed the difficulties the community went through during the campaign season. Using the example of Peter denying Jesus three times, he encouraged the assembly to transition from "an act of unfaith to an act of faith," as the apostle did.

He exhorted the people to review what they can do to remove distrust, and to ask themselves how they can help heal the hurts across all city entities.

El Monte Mayor Andre Quintero challenged the assembly to share their God-given talents with the city government. "There might be disagreements, but today we have been asked to see beyond the drama of politics," he said.

Admitting that the city and political leaders face the same challenges as the rest of El Monte residents, such as losing homes and jobs, Quintero asked the people to believe and trust in God.

Remarks were also offered by council members and Chief of Police Tom Armstrong, who reminded the assembly to learn to be content regardless of the circumstances, to persevere in order to build character, and to endure everything with the help of God.

Councilman Juventino "J" Gomez went a little further.

"We aren't going to make this city better until we believe in God, until we walk with God," he said. "Many of us out there have put God aside in government, in our schools, in all the things we do. We need to come back to God."

Nativity parishioner Sonia Soriano praised the religious leaders' efforts in bringing El Monte together. She has lived in the city for the last 30 years.

"It is nice to be in communion with others," said Soriano, a member of Nativity's prayer group. "We love the same God and there shouldn't be any quarrel. When the pastors stepped on the altar I felt such a joy; I felt like God had descended. The community should be united."