Bishop Robert Brennan Leads Diocese of Brooklyn in Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Diocese of Brooklyn held an special Mass remembering the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, January 20, 2025, at St. Thomas Aquinas in the Flatlands section of Brooklyn. 

Father Alonzo Q. Cox, Diocesan Coordinator for the Vicariate for Black Catholic Concerns and Secretary for the Diocesan Commission on Racism and Social Justice, served as the homilist.

In his homily, Father Alonzo Cox said, “We gather to thank Almighty God for the gift of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King proclaimed and preached the Gospel by the very example of his life, to the point of shedding blood for it. His unwavering belief in the potential for positive change, justice, and equality propelled the Civil Rights Movement and continues to inspire people around the world.”

“I was inspired by the words of Father Alonzo Cox’s homily, highlighting Dr. King’s fearless commitment to see the dignity of every human being, created in the image and likeness of God, be treated equally. Let us each do our part to bring about greater respect within society,” said Bishop Robert Brennan.

Father Cox is also the Pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish in Bedford Stuyvesant, a parish comprised of three churches, including St. Peter Claver, which was founded in 1921 as the first African American Roman Catholic Church in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The student choir from Midwood Catholic Academy performed at the Mass, which is organized by the Vicariate Office of Black Catholic Concerns for the Diocese of Brooklyn.