The church bells at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament at 1017 11th Street in downtown Sacramento will be rung 39 times this afternoon as the Diocese of Sacramento observes the 50th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The commemoration will begin at 4:05 p.m., 50 years to the minute since Dr. King was murdered while speaking to a crowd in Memphis, Tenn., at age 39.
“Dr. King’s message upholding the God-given dignity of all people, regardless of race or religion, is still urgent today as it was 50 years ago when he was the victim of brutal violence,” said Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento. “He believed in the persuasive power of non-violent, respectful action in response to the intimidating hostility against him and his followers. He never lost sight of the dream, nor should we.”
“May the words of Dr. King resonate in our heads and in our hearts as we consider the lessons the Sacramento community must learn from the tragic death of Stephon Clark. Let us be the good neighbors our city needs and let us ‘not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty spring.’”