Join the Black Catholic Commission of the Diocese of St. Augustine for the 2020 Interfaith Prayer Service in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Sunday, Feb. 23, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 4731 Norwood Ave., Jacksonville. There will be a prelude concert by the Edward Waters College Alumni Choir at 2:30 p.m. with the main program beginning at 3 p.m., featuring performances from the Ritz Chamber Players.

This service will not only pay tribute to Dr. King as part of Black History Month but also foster relationships between churches of the community. Guest speakers from various faiths will reflect on ways of promoting social justice and world peace. Bishop Felipe Estévez will attend and provide the opening remarks. People of all faiths are invited to attend.

One of the guest speakers is Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar from the Jewish community, who presides over Congregation Ahavath Chesed, and another will be Terrance L. Patterson from the Ritz Chamber Music Society.

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, recently released a statement in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Jan. 20.

“Let us honor the memory of Rev. King by returning to what he called ‘the best in the American dream and the most sacred values in our Judeo-Christian heritage.’ Let us commit ourselves once more to building his ‘beloved community,’ an America where all men and women are treated as children of God, made in his image and endowed with dignity, equality, and rights that can never be denied, no matter the color of their skin, the language they speak, or the place they were born.”

For more information on the Interfaith Prayer Service, email Ernie Favors at favorse@aol.com.