Most Reverend José H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops | twitter.com/ArchbishopGomez

The Catholic Diocese of Saginaw observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 17 by recalling the legacy of the famous civil rights leader. The Diocese posted an image King and included a message about his life and legacy.

"As we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we all should consider what we ourselves can do to address and combat the evil of racism in our communities," the Diocese said in a Facebook post.

The post also linked to a page on the Diocese's website, where the faithful are urged to recite Prayer to Heal Racial Division and "engaging in the work of social justice" as only "a few small ways we may remember and honor the tireless witness of Dr. King."

The website also linked to the Statement for Observance of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day issued by the Most Reverend José H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Born in Atlanta in 1929, King was the son of a Baptist preacher who received a doctorate degree in theology before 1955, when he organized the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott. King's policy of nonviolent resistance was influenced by Mohandas Gandhi, who used the same strategy a generation before in an ultimately successful campaign to win India's independence from British rule.

King many times used his skills as a talented orator, including his most famous "I Have a Dream" speech, which he delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963. In that speech, King famously announced, "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."

In 1964, at the age of 35, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in the Civil Rights Movement. He remains the youngest man to have ever received the award, and was the youngest person until girls rights and education advocate Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel peace laurel at 17.

King donated his Nobel prize money, more than $50,000, to further the civil rights movement.

In April of 1968, King was in Memphis, Tenn., to support striking sanitation workers when he was assassinated while standing on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel. He was 39.