Both the SCTimes and radio station WJON reported these rumors are exaggerated, citing a written statement from the hospital that said about 50 crucifixes have been broken in the past year due to accidents and occasionally due to vandalism.
The rumors blamed St. Cloud’s Somali community for the damages, which the hospital said is not the case, according to the reports. St. Cloud Hospital spokeswoman told the SCTimes,”We are on a journey as our community grows more diverse. It takes intentional effort to understand and relate to those who may be different than ourselves.”
In a January report in the SCTimes about the hospital’s policy on religious symbols, the newspaper reported staff will remove crucifixes at a patient’s request. “Our patients are going to be cared for like that regardless of whether the crucifix is present,” Bret Reuter, director of mission and spiritual care for CentraCare, the hospital’s parent system, told the SCTimes in January. St. Cloud Hospital also offers a variety of religious materials and texts, and offers patients access to their faith leader of choice, according to the report.
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