People from throughout the diocese gathered Jan. 8 at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica, Beaumont, to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Bishop Curtis Guillory, SVD, led a morning prayer service and reflected on the life of civil rights leader.
“I think his actions are still relevant today. He is the motivation and inspiration for us to continue his great work,” Bishop Guillory said.
Those in attendance took part in a breakfast following morning prayer where keynote speaker F. DeKarlos Blackmon, newly elected supreme knight and CEO for the Knights of Peter Claver, spoke on Losing One’s Life for the Gospel.
“The message I bring is to love one another, not judge one another. Love is the basis of everything,” he said.
Blackmon touched on the life of Dr. King and reminded the audience that no matter what race you might consider yourself “we are all bound by Christ Jesus.”
Elected the 16th Supreme Knight in St. Louis, Mo., Blackmon is the youngest supreme knight in the history of the organization. The Knights of Peter Claver Inc. is the nation’s only Black Catholic fraternal organization and the world’s largest Black Catholic lay organization. The order was founded Nov. 7, 1909, in Mobile, Ala., for Black men who were barred from other organizations in the Catholic Church.
In addition to the prayer service and breakfast, St. John the Evangelist, Port Arthur, hosted a meet and welcome reception for Blackmon Jan. 7. Blackmon and his family also attended Mass at Blessed Sacrament, Beaumont, and another reception at Our Mother of Mercy, Beaumont, Saturday evening.
