ATLANTA—With the blessings and participation of Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, the Office for Black Catholic Ministry’s 30th anniversary remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will begin with Mass on Saturday, Jan. 19, at 1 p.m.

The Mass is part of the annual weekend celebration sponsored by the archdiocesan Office for Black Catholic Ministry. This year’s theme is “We’ve Come This Far by Faith.” There will also be a special recognition of priests, deacons and sisters who have served the church for 30 years or more, as they will be lifted up in prayerful tribute and commemoration during the Mass. Archbishop Gregory will be the principal celebrant of the Mass.

The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in conjunction with the Office for Black Catholic Ministry, is planning the service and invites all to attend. The Shrine is located at 48 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SW, Atlanta.

In addition there will be a Youth Celebration held on Sunday, Jan. 20, at 3 p.m. at St. Peter Claver Regional Catholic School, 2560 Tilson Road, Decatur.

The Office for Black Catholic Ministry, together with the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Georgia, is also holding the “St. Vincent de Paul Ten-Ton Food Drive” and “Pennies Can Fight Poverty Drive” to support programming that feeds tens of thousands of Georgia families and individuals.

Both efforts begin with the 2013 Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend Celebration and will continue throughout January, February and March. They will conclude on Easter Sunday, March 31. People coming to the Mass Jan. 19 and to the Youth Celebration Jan. 20 are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to each event.

The Office for Black Catholic Ministry will seek additional support for the food drive from the business and philanthropic communities. The groups invite all Catholics to join the combined efforts by either contributing to a local SVdP conference or directly to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Georgia, 2050-C Chamblee Tucker Road, Atlanta.