Photo By Michael Alexander

The annual weekend celebration to honor civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be held from Friday, Jan. 14, through Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011. The Atlanta Archdiocesan Office for Black Catholic Ministry sponsors this celebration each year to commemorate the life of Dr. King, whose national holiday is officially recognized on Monday, Jan. 17, this year.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “Your Kindness Should Be Known to All.”

Designed to appeal to Catholics of all ages, the weekend celebration includes events for young adults, adults and youth.

Beginning on Friday, Jan. 14, the first event 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. The Lyke House is located at 809 Beckwith St., SW, Atlanta.

On Saturday, Jan. 15, 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, and Deacon Alfred Mitchell 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.