SAN DIEGO – Bishop Robert McElroy will celebrate on Sunday, Jan. 17, the second annual Mass to promote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Call to Service.”
The diocesan Commission for African American Catholics is organizing the Mass. Deacon Robert Booth will deliver the homily at the Mass, concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishops John Dolan and Ramón Bejarano.
The Mass will be held outdoors at St. Rita’s Parish at 10 a.m. Those who attend are asked to wear masks, observe social distancing and other safety guidelines. The Mass also also will be livestreamed.
The president of the commission, Jo Hart, said the Mass is a call to reflect on the lived reality that Blacks, Latinos and other non-Anglo minorities continue to experience daily. She cited the killing of George Floyd and the overwhelming impact of the pandemic as two examples of this reality.
Catholics are challenged to live out the Gospel of equality for all of God’s heirs, she said.
“The Catholic Church is a universal Church. It’s not just for people who look like you, who live in your neighborhood.”
Hart is part of the diocesan committee organizing forums examining racism in the Church and proposing ways to root it out. She invites all faithful to participate in the Mass and the virtual forums as a way to respond to Dr. King’s “Call to Service.”
See details about the Mass on Sunday, Jan. 17, on sdcatholic.org/events.
