Gray Looks To Create Greater Role For Faith Community

During the campaign for mayor, Mayor-elect Vince Gray strongly courted religious voters: On the final Sunday before the September primary, he traveled from church to church trying to win over voters. And now the mayor-elect is rewarding their support.

Speaking at the National Cathedral Sunday, Gray promised to re-establish the Office of Religious affairs, an agency that folded into another department under the Fenty administration. And he says he'll create an inter-faith committee to give religious leaders a greater voice.

Gray says he also wants an annual prayer breakfast and joked it may take a little help from above to solve the city's financial woes.

"I'd like to bring as many from the religious community together to collectively pray that money will rain down on the District of Columbia," he says.

Gray says he attends a Catholic church in the District, and before entering politics, he was the founding director of Covenant House Washington, a faith-based non-profit that helps homeless youth.