DeSales Honors Martin Luther King, Junior Day with Reflection, Service Project

Students and staff paid tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior by reading and reflecting on a letter from the slain civil rights leader about injustice and equality.  

The Center for Service and Social Justice hosted an MLK, Jr. Day luncheon featuring a prayer service and reflection on Dr. King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Participants read sections of the letter aloud and then discussed in groups which parts resonated the most. 

“I’m really glad that I came because otherwise I probably would have never read any of this and it is very interesting to hear what he had to say while he was writing in jail,” says Brianna Holodinski ’23. “He made such a big impact.”  

Later in the day, students took part in a service project making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to donate to the homeless at the Allentown YMCA warming station. 

“I think for a lot of people, Martin Luther King is the epitome of service,” says Raymond Horchos ’21. “His impact and the ripples through time that he’s created should be remembered and enacted upon for as long as we can remember.”

The day of service culminated with a viewing of the documentary I Am MLK Jr. at the Emmaus Theatre. Later in the week, students will participate in a plarning service project—upcycling plastic bags to make mats for the homeless. The events are all part of the University’s weeklong celebration of the Feast of St. Francis de Sales.