Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will celebrate the 39th annual Mass in thanksgiving for Saint Martin de Porres, the Saint of Universal Brotherhood. The homilist will be the Reverend Monsignor Wallace A. Harris, Regional Vicar for Central Harlem and Pastor of Saint Charles Borromeo Church, New York, New York. Monsignor Harris is also a Chaplain for the New York City Fire Department.

Thursday, November 8, 2001
7:30 p.m.
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
18th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA

On this occasion, the Courts and Councils of the Knights of Saint Peter Claver and Ladies' Auxiliaries will be recognized for 25 years of community service in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Saint Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru, in the 16th century, the son of a Spanish nobleman and a Black woman of Panama who was a freed slave. He became a Dominican brother and devoted his life to caring for the poor and the sick. Pope John XXIII canonized Martin de Porres in 1962, making him the first saint of color in the western hemisphere.

The Mass which celebrates Saint Martin de Porres is organized by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Office for Black Catholics. People of all faiths are invited to attend this Mass of Unity and Brotherhood.
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