At the Archdiocese of Washington's Jan. 18 Mass honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory and clergy kiss the altar as the Mass begins. (CS photo/Andrew Biraj)
Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory celebrated the Archdiocese of Washington's annual Mass on Jan. 18 honoring the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. More than 300 people attended the Mass at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Washington, D.C., where Archbishop Gregory said the civil rights leaders' words about human dignity, justice, equality and character continue to challenge us today. (CS photos/Andrew Biraj)
Members of the Archdiocesan Gospel Mass Choir sing at the Jan. 18 Mass honoring Dr. King. (CS photo/Andrew Biraj)
Archbishop Gregory and participating clergy bow before the altar at the beginning of Mass. (CS photo/Andrew Biraj)
Sandra Coles-Bell, program director for the Archdiocese of Washington's Office of Cultural Diversity and Outreach, called the event “our time to honor (Dr. King's) life and death and all that he hoped for to come.” (CS photo/Andrew Biraj)In his homily, Archbishop Gregory noted, “Dr. King admonished all Americans to yearn for the day when each of us would be judged not by our skin color, not by the land of our origin, not be the languages we first speak, not by our age or gender or political opinion or IQ or any other defining attribute, but ultimately only by our character and human integrity.” (CS photo/Andrew Biraj)Archbishop Gregory receives the offertory gifts at the Mass. Below, people share the sign of peace during the liturgy. (CS photos/Andrew Biraj)In the photo above, Archbishop Gregory gives Communion to a man at the Mass, and below, the archbishop processes from the altar, offering a blessing to members of the Knights of Peter Claver and Knights of St. John and the other local Catholics attending the Mass. (CS photos/Andrew Biraj)After the Mass, Archbishop Gregory greets women who had attended the liturgy at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Washington, D.C. (CS photo/Andrew Biraj)
In his Catholic Standard article on Archbishop Gregory's Mass honoring Dr. King, the paper's managing editor, Richard Szczepanowski, noted that the archbishop said, “As we honor Dr. King today... we must recommit ourselves to living lives of harmony, integrity, compassion and charity, so that our own character might inspire another generation of Americans no matter what their age or background.”
