During a break in singing, dancing and speech-making in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. yesterday, the Rev. Thomas E. Johnson Jr. told congregants gathered in the St. Paul Cathedral social hall: "There is something broken in our culture."

"There is something wrong when we hoot and sing and preach in church, but the neighborhoods around our churches look like war zones," Mr. Johnson, a founder and director of The Neighborhood Academy, told parishioners from St. Benedict the Moor, St. Charles Lwanga and St. Paul Cathedral.

"We are at a painful moment in the African-American community. If Dr. King were standing here, I think in many ways he would shake his head and he would be in despair."

With the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination approaching, he highlighted disproportionately high incarceration rates and disproportionately low college graduation rates among black men. He said that in Allegheny County, teen pregnancy is more common among black teens than whites, and it is imperative that adults act like adults so children can be children.

"All our problems are inherently spiritual and economic in nature and not necessarily in that order," he said, as some congregants called out in approval and broke into applause.

The three congregations, based in the Hill, Homewood and Oakland, joined together before the afternoon "Building the Dream" session for a commemorative Mass, celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Paul J. Bradley of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and co-celebrated by the Rev. Carmen D'Amico of St. Benedict the Moor, the Rev. David Taylor of St. Charles Lwanga and the Rev. Donald P. Breier, rector of St. Paul Cathedral.

In his homily, Bishop Bradley drew parallels between the day's readings on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and Dr. King's work for justice.

"Our baptism in Christ compels all of us individuals to root any racist tendencies out of our hearts, because it is a sin against God and God's will. Our baptism in Christ demands that all of us collectively continue to fight against, legislate against, choose against racism in any of its forms in any part of the church or society," he told the packed cathedral.

The combined choirs from the three churches offered hymns and spirituals in honor of the occasion, including "Wade in the Water," "Lift Every Voice" and "We Shall Overcome."

Several longtime congregants said it felt like a milestone for the cathedral to honor Dr. King in unison with congregations from different parts of the city.

"Just to see this cathedral like this is an awesome thing for us and for the city of Pittsburgh," Father Brier said.

The program grew out of the work of the cathedral's Race and Reconciliation Dialogue Group in collaboration with the Office of Black Catholic Ministries of the diocese.

Following the Mass, about 250 participants stayed on for the lunch program. Prize-winning students recited speeches they'd written honoring Dr. King's legacy, and a dance troupe performed.

Willia Moore, 85, of Penn Hills, and her daughter, Margaret Wood, 59, of Wilkinsburg, said they were pleased with the entire event. The mother and daughter attend St. Charles Lwanga and recalled when the pools at Kennywood and other public venues were off-limits to African Americans.

Ms. Moore said she'll never forget the day Dr. King came to Mercy Hospital, where she worked as a cook. She couldn't get off work to watch, but she listened over the loudspeakers in the kitchen and snuck out at one point, just to see him for minute.

Dr. King shed light on injustices, Ms. Moore said, "but Pittsburgh is still prejudiced."