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Where to find a Catholic MLK Day event (2024 edition)

How does MLK Day intersect with the Catholic Church this year? Let me count—or list—the ways.

,   and  Nate Tinner-Williams
9 min read
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks during a civil rights rally at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum in May 1964. From left: Walter O'Keefe, the Rev. Bryon C. Cole, Fr Joseph Francis, SVD, and the Rev. John H. Burt. (Cal Montney/Los Angeles Times)

On Monday, January 15, we will mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day—on and around which Black Catholic events will be found in good measure. Below, you will find a list of such events throughout the nation, both in-person and virtual.

(This list may not be exhaustive. Please contact your local diocese, Black Catholic office, or a Black parish in your area for more info. We will be updating this page and the BCM calendar as more events are announced.)

National

Albany

Arlington

  • 1/14: MLK Mass at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Reston with Bishop Michael Burbidge at 9:30am ET. Pancake breakfast to follow. 
  • 1/14: MLK Youth Celebration at St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Hapeville at 3pm ET.
  • 1/15: MLK Holy Hour at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria at 6:30pm ET.

Atlanta

  • 1/13: MLK Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart with Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv. at 1pm ET.

Austin 

  • 1/13: MLK celebration at St. Edward’s University’s Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel with Bishop Joe S. Vásquez and speaker Lauren Warner at 11am CT.

Baltimore

  • 1/14 (virtual): MLK virtual celebration with the St. Ignatius Antiracism Task Force and the Pastorate of St. Ann, St. Francis Xavier & St. Wenceslaus at 2pm ET. Registration required.
  • 1/15: MLK/Msgr Edward M. Miller Peace Walk at St. Bernardine Catholic Church with Archbishop William Lori, Auxiliary Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, and speaker Pastor George Hopkins of Gallery Church at 12pm ET. Lunch to follow.

Baton Rouge

  • 1/13: MLK celebration at Bayou Maringouin (Landry St) at 9:30am CT. Program and refreshments to follow at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Maringouin.
  • 1/15: MLK Mass at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at 9am CT. Breakfast reception to follow.

Beaumont

  • 1/13: MLK Mass at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica with Bishop David L. Toups at 4pm CT. Reception to follow.

Birmingham

Boston

  • 1/15: MLK prayer breakfast at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church with Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley and speaker Rev. Ada Renée Williams at 9am ET. Tickets required.
  • 1/15: Annual Metrowest MLK, Jr. Memorial Breakfast at Weston United Methodist Church in Weston at 9am ET. Tickets required. (Co-sponsored by the St. Julia's Roman Catholic Church Social Justice Commission)

Bridgeport

  • 1/17: MLK celebration at the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts in Fairfield with speaker Aisha Losche at 1pm ET.

Brooklyn

  • 1/15: MLK Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas in Brooklyn with Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia at 12pm ET.

Buffalo

Burlington

Chicago 

Cincinnati

Cleveland

  • 1/15: MLK Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist with Fr John Judie at 12pm ET.

Columbus

  • 1/15: MLK celebration at Holy Rosary-St. John Catholic Church with Dr. Andre Brown at 12pm ET.
  • 1/16-20: MLK Week at the University of Dayton.

Denver 

  • 1/15: MLK Peace and Justice Mass at Curé d'Ars Catholic Church with Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodríguez at 9am MT. Reception to follow before annual marade.

Detroit

Dubuque

  • 1/15: MLK breakfast at Mount Mercy University’s Betty Cherry Heritage Hall in Cedar Rapids with Dr. Charles Martin-Stanley II at 8:30am CT.
  • 1/15: MLK Visit Day at Loras College.

Fort Wayne-South Bend

Fort Worth

  • 1/20: MLK Mass at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Colleyville with Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski of St. Louis at 5pm CT.

Fresno

  • 1/15: MLK Community March at St. John’s Cathedral with the Fresno MLK Unity Committee at 9:30am PT.

Galveston-Houston

  • 1/13: MLK prayer breakfast at St. Monica Catholic Church with the Knights of Peter Claver Junior Division #151 at 9am CT. Tickets required.
  • 1/14: MLK Mass of Remembrance at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart with Cardinal Daniel DiNardo and homilist Fr Martins Emeh at 3pm CT. Reception to follow. 
  • 1/14: MLK concert at St. Mary of the Purification Catholic Church with the Scott Joplin Chamber Orchestra and director Dr. Anne Lundy at 4pm CT.

Helena

  • 1/15: MLK March for Peace from Rose Park to St. Anthony Catholic Church in Missoula at 3:15pm MT.

Jackson

Kansas City in Kansas

Kansas City-St. Joseph

  • 1/15: MLK prayer service at St. Therese Little Flower Catholic Church in Kansas City, Missouri, at 10am CT.
  • 1/23: MLK lecture at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Student Union in Kansas City, Missouri, with Kevin Willmott at 6pm CT. Registration required.

La Crosse

Lafayette

Lansing

  • 1/15: An Evening of Spirituals at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Charlotte with Carl Clendenning at 7pm ET.
  • 1/18: MLK Symposium at the University of Michigan’s Rackham Amphitheatre with Rachel L. Swarns at 4pm ET.

Little Rock

  • 1/13: MLK Mass at the Cathedral of St. Andrew with Bishop Anthony B. Taylor at 4:30pm CT.

Los Angeles 

Louisville

  • 1/15: MLK celebration at the Cathedral of the Assumption with Archbishop Shelton Fabre at 10am ET.
  • 1/15: Annual MLK Celebration at St. Monica Catholic Church in Bardstown with Pastor Michael Caldwell of Pleasant Union Baptist Church at 12pm ET.

Manchester

  • 1/15: MLK celebration at Heberton Hall in Keene with Fr Greg Boyle, SJ at 6pm ET.

Memphis

  • 1/15: MLK Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception with Bishop Emeritus J. Terry Steib, SVD at 10am CT. 

Milwaukee 

  • 1/13: MLK prayer service at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church with Archbishop Jerome Listecki and Chief Judge Carl Ashley at 1:30pm CT. 

New Orleans

New York

  • 1/12: MLK interfaith prayer service at St. Joseph of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Harlem with Assemblymember Rev. Al Taylor at 7pm ET.
  • 1/14: MLK celebration at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in the Bronx with Colin Bereth, Esq. at 3pm ET.

Newark

  • 1/15 (hybrid): MLK Symposium at Seton Hall University’s Bethany Hall with Dr. Obery Hendricks at 8:30am ET. Registration required.

Oakland

  • 1/14: MLK Mass at St. Columba Catholic Church with Fr Bryan Massingale at 10:30am PT.
  • 1/14: MLK Mass at St. Benedict Catholic Church at 11am PT.
  • 1/14L MLK Mass at St. Patrick Catholic Church at 10:45am PT.

Omaha

  • 1/10-15: MLK Week at Creighton University.

Orange

  • 1/14: MLK Mass at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point with Fr Claude Williams, O.Praem at 11am PT. Panel discussion to follow. RSVP required for lunch. 

Palm Beach

  • 1/15: MLK dinner at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lake Worth at 6:30pm ET.

Pensacola-Tallahassee

  • 1/13: MLK luncheon at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pensacola with Mamie Webb Hixon. Tickets required.

Phoenix

Philadelphia 

Pittsburgh

  • 1/14: MLK Mass at St. Paul Cathedral at 12pm ET. Reception to follow with speaker Fr Carmen D’Amico.

Providence

  • 1/25-31: MLK Week at Salve Regina University in Newport.
  • 1/25: MLK Convocation at Providence College’s Peterson Recreation Center with Pastor Mike McClure Jr. of Rock City Church at 4pm ET.
  • 1/26-2/1: MLK event series at Providence College.

Raleigh 

  • 1/13: MLK presentation at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Durham with Fr Roy Lee at 1pm ET.
  • 1/13: MLK Mass at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Cary with Fr Roy Lee at 5pm ET.
  • 1/14: MLK Mass at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Durham with Fr Roy Lee at 10am ET.
  • 1.15: MLK Mass at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral with Bishop Luis Zamara and homilist Fr Roy Lee. 

Rochester

San Angelo

San Antonio

  • 1/14: MLK Mass at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church with Fr Kevin Fausz, CM at 9am CT.
  • 1/19: Christian Unity Service with the Sankofa Institute at 7pm CT.

San Diego

  • 1/14: MLK Mass at Christ the King Catholic Church with Cardinal Robert W. McElroy at 8:30am ET.

Santa Fe

  • 1/14: MLK Mass at St. Joseph on the Rio Grande in Albuquerque with Archbishop John C. Wester at 12pm MT.

Scranton

  • 1/14: MLK dinner at the University of Scranton’s Patrick and Margaret DeNaples Center with Sara E. Solfanelli, Esq. at 2pm ET. Tickets required.

Seattle

  • 1/15: MLK Mass and celebration at Seattle University’s Chapel of St. Ignatius at 11am PT.

St. Augustine

St. Louis

Toledo 

Washington

  • 1/13: MLK Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church with Cardinal Wilton Gregory and Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr. at 4pm ET.
  • 1/15: Let Freedom Ring Celebration at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with Georgetown University, featuring performers Jordin Sparks, Nolan Williams Jr., and Cécile McLorin Salvant at 6pm ET.

Wichita

Worcester

  • 1/15: MLK breakfast at Assumption University’s Plourde Recreation Center with Vincent D. Rougeau at 8am ET. Tickets required.

Youngstown

  • 1/15: MLK “What About the Children?” convocation at the Edward Peel Coleman Center in Canton with speaker Jeffery S. Talbert at 12pm ET. Honorees include affiliates of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church.

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.

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