Cardinal To Lead Service At St. Rita In Memory Of Dr. King

CHICAGO, IL - Cardinal Blase Cupich will lead a service to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's death at the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel. The ecumenical service will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4 at the chapel located at 7740 S. Western Ave. on the campus of St. Rita High School.

The service will include praise dancers, music from the St. Ailbe Parish choir, prayers offered by Christian faith leaders and readings of Dr. King’s speeches and sermons from students, according to a news release from the Archdiocese of Chicago.

City and civic leaders, as well as Archdiocesan clergy and staff are expected to be at the service. As will Interfaith partners from the Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, Metropolitan Chicago Synod, ELCA, United Methodist Church, Northern Illinois Conference; ACT3 Network, Presbytery of Chicago and Non-Violence Works.

An hour before the service, the Archdiocese is asking all its parishes, churches, worship sites and schools to ring their bells 39 times, once for each year of Dr. King’s life, at 6:01 p.m., the approximate time of his death.

Photo: Cardinal Blase J. Cupich | Archdiocese of Chicago