The Atlanta Archdiocesan Office for Black Catholic Ministry is planning a weekend celebration from Friday, Jan. 15, through Sunday, Jan. 17, to honor and celebrate the life of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. whose national holiday is officially recognized on Jan. 18 this year. The theme of this year’s celebration is “In Charity and Truth We Have Unity.”

Designed to appeal to Catholics of all ages, the weekend celebration will have events focused on adults, young adults and youth.

The first event scheduled is a young adult celebration at the Lyke House, the Catholic Center for the Atlanta University Center, which ministers to students from Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, the Interdenominational Theological Center (I.T.C.) and Morehouse School of Medicine. The program will begin at 7 p.m. and will feature Father Ricardo Bailey, chaplain at Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell, as the guest speaker. The Lyke House is located at 809 Beckwith St. SW, Atlanta.

On Saturday, Jan. 16, the commemoration continues with Mass at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Atlanta, at 1 p.m. Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory will serve as the main celebrant while Father Edward Branch, chaplain of the Atlanta University Center, is the homilist. The Shrine is located at 48 MLK Jr. Drive, SW, Atlanta.

The weekend wraps up with a youth and young adult celebration at St. Peter Claver Regional School in Decatur. The program begins at 3 p.m. St. Peter Claver School is located at 2560 Tilson Road, Decatur.

Events are free and open to the public.