Students pledge nonviolence as part of annual King commemoration

Published: 2006-01-20

INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) -- As part of their annual tribute to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., students at Holy Angels School in Indianapolis pledged Jan. 13 to do their best to "become nonviolent and peaceful people." "We pledge to respect self and others, to communicate better, to listen, to forgive, to respect nature, to play creatively and to be courageous," they recited. "This is our pledge. These are our goals. We will help each other become more peaceful people." Rain forced Holy Cross Sister Gerry O'Laughlin, Holy Angels principal, to cancel the school's annual memorial march along a nearby street named for the slain civil rights leader Jan. 13, but the students and their guests from Holy Cross Central School in Indianapolis participated in a program and Mass at Holy Angels Church commemorating Rev. King's Jan. 15 birthday. Orlonza Scott, who read Rev. King's "I Have a Dream" speech during the service, said he thinks it's important for everyone to try to carry on the civil rights leader's legacy.

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