He noted the current "suffering" in the U.S., citing "needless violence in our cities," "numerous deaths of African-Americans at the hands of police," "hate crimes and discrimination against immigrants and people of various religious traditions," and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
"We place these concerns into Our Father's hands," he said in his opening prayer for peace and justice.
He also emphasized the religious nature of the 1963 march, recounting how, on the day of the march, then-Archbishop O'Boyle of Washington, D.C. invited participants to pray at the cathedral beforehand.
"Washington is a city accustomed to parades, marches, and demonstrations," he said. "What took place in Washington, D.C. 57 years ago does not fit conveniently in any of those prior categories. It was a moral and religious event that confronted our nation in ways that defied simple categorizations."
"The vast majority of the oratory of the day highlighted social and civic concerns, but always with an undeniable touch of religious faith, he said.
At the end of Mass, Gregory accepted a decree from diocesan representatives, where he announced a new initiative of the archdiocese "Made in God's Image: Pray and Work to End the Sin of Racism."
He said it would include prayer, listening sessions, faith formation, and social justice work.
Gregory has been outspoken about racial tensions in recent months. On June 5, he took part in an online panel discussion on racism hosted by Georgetown University, amid widespread protests and riots following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
He also issued a sharply-worded statement just before President Trump's June 2 visit to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine. On the previous evening, Trump had held up a bible in front of St. John's Episcopal church in D.C. in an apparent photo-op, during protests against racism; participants in the protests were cleared away from the church by the National Guard shortly before Trump's arrival.
Gregory said the next morning of Trump's visit to the shrine that it was "baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles."
Matt Hadro was the political editor at Catholic News Agency through October 2021. He previously worked as CNA senior D.C. correspondent and as a press secretary for U.S. Congressman Chris Smith.