St. Cloud Cathedral Students Promote Peace, Love and Hope [PHOTOS]

ST. CLOUD -- In a time when violence and hate are creeping into the St. Cloud community, St. Cloud Cathedral students are choosing to spread love and hope.

Tonight (Tuesday) the school celebrated it's 2nd annual World Peace Day prayer vigil on the eve of World Peace Day.

Put on by Cathedral's Student Campus Ministers, community members came out to pray for those affected by violence. Deb Schnettler is the Cathedral Campus Minister, she says peace is needed everywhere, in St. Cloud and elsewhere.

"I think around the world everybody is looking for more peace. We are here at school, we are in the community, and I think it's a nice idea to be able to have people come together, in a timely way and support each other."

St. Cloud has been no stranger to violence, with the most recent stabbing attack at the Crossroads Mall on Saturday it has caused tensions within the community.

Cathedral senior and member of the student campus ministry, Austin O'Kefe says the goal of the gathering is to focus on unity.

"As many people know there has been a lot of recent violence and a lot of recent tragedies, not only in central Minnesota but around the globe. Our mission here is to promote our diversity, promote acceptance and just remember that we are all children in the light of God."

Regardless of faith or religion everyone from the community was invited to the event.

Last year over 300 people came out to the World Peace Day prayer vigil.