LaToya Strong (left to right), Debra Johnson and Devan Gaines, students at St. James School, clap hands in praise during the Mass. Photos by Catholic New World / Dorothy Perry

Drawing upon the wisdom of their ancestors, those black as well as black Catholic, more than 1,000 students from high schools and elementary schools throughout the Chicago Archdiocese, gathered at Holy Name Cathedral Feb. 1 to praise God for helping them to keep the faith.

February, recognized as Black History Month, began with a call for students to enter into “collective work and responsibility” to improve their lives and the life of the archdiocese.

Jeff Johnson and Femi Pedro, students at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, raised the banner for their school and student group, United Black Seminarians.

Johnson, a senior at the high school seminary, was attending his sixth Mass in celebration of Black History at the cathedral.

“The Mass means a lot to me because it shows that as a people we can all come together in unity and celebrate the Seven Principles [Nguza Saba of Kwanzaa],” said Johnson.

This year, ujima was the theme of the annual gathering. Ujima, one of the seven principles, is Swahili for “collective work and responsibility.”

As a member of UBS, Johnson said “collective work” is paramount in expressing a group perspective to achieve goals, since there are a little over a dozen black teens at the school.

For Pedro, a sophomore at Quigley, the Mass serves as a reminder that “black—African-American people—have a place in the Catholic Church that is, in this country, predominantly white.”

Janet Sisler, interim co-superintendent of the Office of Catholic Schools, spoke about the work needed between students and the schools’ office.

“Because we have models of ujima, we can work together to build up the Kingdom of God together,” said Sisler.

Sisler, along with Denise Spells, principal of St. Ethelreda and general chairperson of the school’s Black History Month committee, acknowledged the work of the late Deacon Bishop King, who sponsored the first archdiocesan Black History Week over 20 years ago.

“When someone has a vision and works to make it a reality the way Bishop King did, there is no way in the world we should let it fall by the wayside,” said Spells.

“We must instill in our children and teens a sense of pride, dignity and positive self-esteem so they move forward carrying the torch for us all.”

Said Spells, over 70 predominantly black Catholic schools participated in the first Mass and week of events in 1978.

King, who pioneered the formation of the program that spoke to black archdiocesan students, died Jan. 8.

While ancestors were acknowledged, the direction of the Mass was ever-forward, imploring students to strive toward excellence, within and outside the classroom.

Bishop Joseph N. Perry closed the Mass with the observation that “Black History Month is not so much a celebration of the past but has a unique connection to today, and to the future.

“We must think what can we give back to God and our nation. To me, that ensures that someone coming after us can celebrate a Black History Mass.”