Faithful
mark Dr. King’s legacy
By Lou Baldwin
Special to the CS&T
CHESTER — St. Katharine Drexel Church was a fitting site for the
Jan. 20 Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s 25th annual Interfaith Prayer
Service in remembrance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
No city in Pennsylvania has a greater connection to Dr. King than this
city. He lived in Chester for three years, beginning in 1948 while he
was a divinity student at the former Crozer Theological Seminary. And
during those years, he served as a Sunday School leader and occasional
preacher at Calvary Baptist Church.
“Dr. King was a Christian, and this city help form him into the
man of God he was,” Cardinal Justin Rigali said during his reflection
at the service.
The Cardinal noted the words of the Gospel of Matthew, which had been
previously read by Auxiliary Bishop Robert P. Maginnis: “The Son
of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as
ransom for many.”
“I believe that Dr. King heard these words many times, and preached
on them as well,” Cardinal Rigali told the overflowing interfaith
congregation. “More importantly, he lived these words. His life
was of service to God and to his neighborhoods. He committed his life
and indeed gave his life for the people of this nation at a time when
we needed to be reminded of these words of our Constitution: ‘We
hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.’”
As the service was held in a city connected with Dr. King, it was just
as fitting that it was in a church under the patronage of another champion
of equal rights for all, St. Katharine Drexel.
“In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, St. Katharine Drexel
Parish is made up of people of many different races and cultures working
together in a spirit of mutual respect, united in prayer, in love and
service to God,” said Father Joseph C. McLoone, pastor of the
parish, during his welcoming remarks.
Among others participating in the service were Auxiliary Bishops Joseph
P. McFadden and Daniel E. Thomas; Fathers Gregory Fairbanks, director
of the archdiocesan Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs,
and Stephen D. Thorne, director of the archdiocesan Office for Black
Catholics.
Interfaith representatives who offered sacred readings were Rabbi Eric
Rosin, Kesher Israel Congregation; Rev. Jeremiah Witherspoon, Temple
Baptist Church, and Imam Haneef Mahdi, Masjid Mustaqueem.
Reading from the Prophet Mohammed’s farewell address, Imam Mahdi
declared: “ No white man is superior to a black man; no black
man is superior to a white man. Surely the noblest amongst you is the
most God-fearing amongst you.”
Also participating in the service were students from Drexel Neumann
Academy, which is based in the former parish school.
Afterwards, eighth-grader Judeaa Wright, who had presented petitions,
summed it all up: “To me [Dr. King] represents the symbol of liberty.
I believe we are achieving it. The service was wonderful.”
Lou Baldwin is a member of St. Leo parish and a freelance writer.