It was brought to FFRF’s attention that the Little Falls City Council in Minnesota was opening each year’s first meeting with a Christian prayer. Members of the Franciscan Sisters have given the opening invocation in 2016 and 2017, and have been exclusively been given the opportunity to do so.
On June 26, 2017, FFRF Senior Counsel Patrick Elliott wrote to Mayor Greg Zylaka informing him that the city must end the practice of having a Franciscan Sister give the yearly invocation because it creates the unlawful appearance that the city endorses Catholicism above other beliefs. Elliott noted that the nonreligious and members of minority religions should be permitted to deliver invocations. FFRF sent a follow-up letter on Dec. 15.
The city administrator responded on Dec. 28 informing FFRF that the city council would no longer place an invocation on the agenda for future council meetings.