Holy Rosary-St. John Church Celebrates the Life of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
with the Most Reverend Earl K. Fernandes, Bishop of Columbus
The Community of Holy Rosary & St. John the Evangelist is hosting its annual Martin Luther King Day celebration on Monday, January 16, 2023 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Holy Rosary-St. John Church, 660 South Ohio Avenue (between Main and Livingston), Columbus, Ohio. The Most Reverend Earl K. Fernandes, Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus, will be celebrating Mass and offering the message. Everyone is welcome!
Bishop Earl K. Fernandes was born and grew up in Toledo, Ohio. While attending medical school in the mid-1990s, he felt more and more of a call to the priesthood, and decided to begin studies in 1997 at the Athenaeum of Ohio/Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary of the West. He was ordained as a deacon in 2001, and ordained as a priest in 2002 in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. In 2006, he earned a doctorate in moral theology from the Alphonsian Academy in Rome.
Bishop Fernandes served in a variety of pastoral and academic roles prior to being appointed bishop by Pope Francis. He was serving as pastor at St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Cincinnati just before his installation as Bishop of the Columbus Diocese in May 2022. Bishop Fernandes is a member of a number of boards in Columbus, including at the Pontifical College Josephinum, Cristo Rey Columbus High School, and The Catholic Foundation.
Bishop Fernandes looks forward to leading Mass at Holy Rosary-St. John on Martin Luther King Day. He will also offer the homily, and shared the following: "As we celebrate the Mass and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with Holy Rosary & St. John Church, let us remember the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel of St. John when He said, 'Love one another. (13:34)' God doesn't ask us to undertake monumental tasks, but rather, simply to love. In ‘A Knock at Midnight,’ Dr. King echoed the words of Our Lord by saying, ‘More than anything else, we've got to learn to love.’” Fr. Ramon Owera will be concelebrant that day.
Holy Rosary-St. John has been celebrating Martin Luther King Day every year since the holiday was established in 1986. Vernon Hairston will be directing the gospel choir during the celebration. For additional information, email hrsjevents@gmail.com or call (614) 252-5926, ext. 7.
For a PDF of the press release, a PDF of the flyer, a photo of Bishop Fernandes for print publications, and other materials, please go to our
MLK Day Google Drive Folder.
Thank you to the Catholic Times for their article
about our Martin Luther King Day Celebration:
catholictimescolumbus.org/news/the-catholic-times/bishop-to-celebrate-mlk-day-at-holy-rosary-st-john
Tickets are not required, but you are welcome to let us know you plan to attend by getting a free ticket through Eventbrite:
hrsjchurch.eventbrite.com