The opponents of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. thought that his message would die with him, said Father Alonzo Cox, during the annual prayer service Jan. 19 dedicated to the slain civil rights leader.

“Today we give honor and glory to God with the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King,” said the coordinator of Black Catholic Concerns, the apostolate that coordinates the annual prayer service held this year at Our Lady of Victory Church, Bedford-Stuyvesant, a worship site of St. Martin de Porres parish.

His voice is still heard throughout the nation and the world, Father Cox said.

During the prayer service, lectors read excerpts from Dr. King’s letter from the Birmingham Jail, written in 1963. The choir sang songs of praise to God after each excerpt.

Father Cox said he wanted to share the letter with the congregation because it was genuine. Even though Dr. King was physically in jail, his sprit was free and his words spoke of his dedication to God.

“In my opinion Martin Luther King was a giant of a man,” said Auxiliary Bishop Guy Sansaricq, who participated at the prayer service. “He denounced injustice.”

Bishop Sansaricq said Dr. King was an important historical figure because he stood up to violent groups such as the Black Panther Party. He was an example of the best way to overcome evil.

“There is no other way to overcome societal problems than by love and devotion to Gospel values,” he said.

During the prayer service, the congregation prayed for peace throughout the world and for wisdom for civil leaders.

“We are here to pray for peace, for unity,” Father Cox said.

“There is so much happening in the world,” said participant Helen Frazier. “We need prayer.”

“Martin Luther King’s legacy is not about Martin Luther King,” participant Michael Stephenson said. “It’s about what he believed in: God.”

“Peace is not a thing. It is a person. It is Jesus Christ,” Stephenson said. “Today we hope that peace will reign in the hearts of men and women in the whole world.”

Choir member Patricia Brown said it is important to celebrate Dr. King’s birthday with a prayer service because it keeps priorities straight.

“We always have to put Jesus in the center,” she said. It is Christ that taught the world peace. “He teaches us what it means to truly love.”

She said Dr. King worked toward the peace and love that Jesus meant for the world.