Once again, numerous annual events mark the start of the calendar year in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. More information on many of these events listed will be included as the times draw near.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast and Mass: Jan. 19
Dr. Robert A. Hurteau, director of the Loyola Marymount University Center for Religion and Spirituality, will speak at the 15th annual archdiocesan Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast Jan. 19. A former missionary, Dr. Hurteau holds a doctorate in Pastoral Counseling/Practical Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He will highlight the LMU center's new Certificate Program in African American Ministry, a two-semester program recognizing the importance of African American cultural relevance in the church.

The annual breakfast, sponsored by the African American Catholic Center for Evangelization (AACCFE), begins at 8 a.m. at Verbum Dei High School, 11100 S. Central Ave., South Los Angeles. For ticket information, contact the AACCFE at (323) 777-2106, FAX (323) 777-2151 or email: ashaw4aaccfe@sbcglobal.net. For information on AACCFE, visit: www.aaccfe.com.

Also Jan. 19, a 3:30 p.m. Memorial Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles. Cardinal Roger Mahony will preside.

The celebration is sponsored by the Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver. With this memorial Mass, the Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver, founded in 1909, will also celebrate their 100th Anniversary. All are invited to participate.

Requiem Mass for abortion victims: Jan. 24
The archdiocesan Annual Respect Life Mass commemorating lives lost to abortion will take place Jan. 24, 6 p.m., at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles. Cardinal Roger Mahony will preside at the concelebrated liturgy with auxiliary bishops and archdiocesan priests.

"Before the close of the Requiem Mass," Cardinal Mahony wrote in a Dec. 1 letter to parishes, "we experience a moving ceremony during which members of the assembly bring forward candles --- one candle for each life lost to abortion that day in the County of Los Angeles. Honoring these brief lives is a particularly poignant and inspiring moment in this liturgy, the memory of which will remain with you long after all have returned home."

Prayer for Christian Unity: Jan. 25
An ecumenical service celebrating the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be held Jan. 25, 4 p.m., at Pasadena Christian Church, 789 N. Altadena Dr., Pasadena. Father Alexei Smith, director of the archdiocesan Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, is coordinating the event which is sponsored by the Southern California Ecumenical Council.

The Very Rev. John Bakas, dean of St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles, will be the keynote speaker. During the program, Rev. Rod Parrot, formerly on the faculty of the Disciples of Christ Seminary, will be presented with the Gene Boutilier award for distinguished ecumenical service. For more information, contact Father Smith at (310) 322-1892.

Celebration of Religious Jubilarians: Jan. 25
The annual archdiocesan Celebration of Religious Jubilarians will be held Jan. 25, 3:30 p.m., at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. This year 130 religious order priests, sisters and brothers are celebrating jubilees --- 25 to 75 years of religious profession or ordination. Cardinal Mahony, main celebrant, will be joined by several auxiliary bishops.

The event, which is open to the public, will be followed by a reception in the Cathedral Conference Center. "It's a way the people of the local church can thank religious for their years of service," said Notre Dame Sister Anncarla Costello, vicar of the archdiocesan Office for Women Religious.

Cardinal's Awards Dinner: Feb. 7
The 20th Annual Cardinal's Awards Dinner will take place Feb. 7 at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland in Hollywood. The event annually raises funds benefiting archdiocesan schools, parishes, charities or relief efforts. Proceeds from the 2009 Dinner will benefit early childhood education at Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood.

This year's honorees, representing four of the five pastoral regions, include: Kathleen Hannon Aikenhead of Corpus Christi Church, Pacific Palisades; Christopher Alders of Holy Family Church, South Pasadena; Dr. Leo Lagasse of Our Lady of Malibu Church, Malibu; Virginia Schneider of St. Lawrence Martyr Church, Redondo Beach; and Vin Scully of St. Jude Church in Westlake Village. For information and reservations on the 2009 Cardinal's Award Dinner, call (213) 637-7636.

Religious Education Congress: Feb. 26-March 1
The 2009 Religious Education Congress, sponsored by the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education, will open with its annual Youth Day celebration Feb. 26 at the Anaheim Convention Center. More than 40,000 people are expected during the four-day weekend event, where 182 speakers will present workshops in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Korean.

Centered on the theme, "Love Unfolding…Igniting Our Yes!," this year's Congress offers more than 280 workshops on a range of topics from spirituality, music and personal development to biblical studies and catechesis.

Registration information is available at www.RECongress.org. Cost: $25 Youth Day; $70 for admission to all Feb. 27-March 1 events, workshops (tickets are required), exhibits, concerts and liturgies. For additional information, call the Religious Education Congress info line at (213) 637-7348.