Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy continues

IC photo by Marie Mischel

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Father Chuck Andrus sang ?We Shall Overcome? following his sermon at Sts. Peter and Paul Church.

WEST VALLEY CITY - Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy of social justice was emphasized to Catholic students as well as adults in the Diocese of Salt Lake City during the annual Black Catholics of Utah event. Josephite Father Chuck Andrus, associate pastor of Blessed Sacrament-Saint Joan of Arc Parish in New Orleans, spoke to Judge Memorial Catholic High School students and celebrated Mass at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in West Valley City.

"It's good for us to keep in mind why that day is important for us, not just for African Americans but for America itself," Father Andrus said. Dr. Martin Luther King was a man called by God, but it's important also "to believe that we, too, can do the same thing. You must live up to what you say you are about. You must be willing give all the people equal rights. You must be willing to give all the people justice. St. Thomas Aquinas once said, ‘If you want peace, give me justice.' We must continue to rise and to speak up for justice and for peace."

Fr. Andrus was a college student in Baton Rouge, Louisiana when King was assassinated, and during his homily he recalled going to the student union to pray with others the day King died. There he heard King's quote "A man who won't die for something is not fit to live," and decided he should heed the call to priesthood. "Because of his inspiration, I was willing to say ‘yes,' I was going to serve Almighty God as a priest," Fr. Andrus said. "So I joined the priesthood and I've been ordained 34 years because of his inspiration. We have to stand up for God and make a decision to follow Him."

Fr. Andrus' sermon was invigorating, said Susan Northway, the Diocese of Salt Lake City's liaison to the Black Catholics of Utah. "It was a wonderful way to bring together such diverse people that were represented at Saints Peter and Paul."

Prejudice still exists in this nation and in Utah, said Rosa Key, president of Black Catholics of Utah, and she hopes to continue the annual Martin Luther King Day event in Utah to inspire others to continue the work for social justice.