Worcester City Council Backs Invocations

Yesterday's Worcester (MA) Telegram & Gazette reported that Worcester City Council voted 6-5 to block Mayor Konstantina B. Lukes from seeking a legal opinion from the city solicitor on the legality of opening Council meetings with sectarian invocations. The issue was raised after Council's Dec. 5 meeting at which a local minister led an invocation that included "remember what Christmas is all about – it's about Jesus, in whose name we pray". That prayer led the Massachusetts Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State to request that invocations be eliminated entirely from Council meetings.