MEDIA ADVISORY: Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Diocese of Arlington, to Celebrate Mass in Recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day  

The Mass takes place this Sunday, January 10, at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, Va.  

ARLINGTON, Va. - On Sunday, January 10, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Catholic Diocese of Arlington, will celebrate a Mass in Recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. The annual Mass honors the life and legacy of the late civil rights leader who was slain almost 53 years ago. 

“Through Dr. King's witness and the power of his echoing words, he championed the inherent God-given dignity of all persons, particularly those subjected to bigotry and prejudice. In his courageous fight against racism and bigotry, Dr. King relied upon faith and prayer. Hope and transformative love were central to his message, as he reminded us, 'hate is too great a burden to bear,'” said Bishop Burbidge. “We thank God for Dr. King's leadership on civil rights and pray for an end to the prejudice and bigotry that, sadly, still exist today.”

See here for Bishop Burbidge's full statement on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

WHAT:         
Mass in Recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

WHO:            
General Public

WHEN:         
Sunday, January 10, 2021
9:30 a.m.
(There will not be a reception following the Mass, due to COVID-related precautions.)    

WHERE:      
Cathedral of St. Thomas More
3901 Cathedral Lane
Arlington, VA 22203             

RSVP:           
RSVP is required by Friday, January 8, at MCM@ArlingtonDiocese.org.
(Parishioners 5 years old and older are expected to wear face coverings, unless a health issue precludes them for doing so.)

Due to social distancing guidelines associated with mitigating the spread of COVID-19, this year's Mass will have limited attendance. The Mass will also be livestreamed at YouTube.com/ArlingtonDiocese and Facebook.com/ArlingtonDiocese.

For additional information, contact Amber Roseboom, Director of Media Relations, Catholic Diocese of Arlington, at 571-215-8731 or Amber.Roseboom@arlingtondiocese.org.

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The Catholic Diocese of Arlington was established on August 13, 1974, and is home to 71 parishes and more than 460,000 Catholics. There are currently 276 priests serving in the Diocese and 45 seminarians discerning a priestly vocation. The Diocese has 37 parish (K-8) schools, four diocesan high schools, four independent Catholic schools and five free-standing (not connected with a parish school) pre-schools, serving more than 17,000 students. 

The Diocese includes the seven cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Winchester and the 21 counties of Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, King George, Lancaster, Loudoun, Madison, Northumberland, Orange, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren and Westmoreland.