The Archdiocese of Detroit hosted a Mass in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Jan. 17 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.

“In gratitude for the life, work and example of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, please join us for the Mass for Justice and Peace,” the archdiocese wrote on Facebook. “Please join us to pray for peace and justice in our country and our world, and continued progress on race relations and the work begun by King.”

King is famously known for his work toward civil rights for the black community. The archdiocese says King's ideals align with how they practice their faith.

“As a champion of civil rights, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dreams were much aligned with many of our Catholic teachings: care for the poor and vulnerable; solidarity in our one human family, regardless of race, ethnicity, religious or economic differences; the life and dignity of all people; fair wages and treatment in civic matters; peace, equality and social justice among all; and discipleship of Christ,” the archdiocese wrote on its website.

At age 35, King received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in the Civil Rights Movement, making him the youngest man to have received the award. He donated the prize money — over $50,000 — to further advance civil rights.

King survived an assassination attempt in the fall of 1958 but continued to preach and practice nonviolence. In April of 1968, King traveled to Memphis to support sanitation workers that were on strike. He was standing on the balcony of his hotel when he was assassinated on the evening of April 4. He was 39.

King was a talented orator. One of his most famous speeches is the “I Have a Dream" speech, which he delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963. In this speech, he famously said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”