WEST ENGLEWOOD — Eleven-year-old Janala Allison wishes she could keep her windows open without fear of getting hit by a bullet.
The Englewood resident joined 200-plus classmates at Academy of St. Benedict the African, 6020 S. Laflin St., Thursday afternoon to pray for peace. The students gathered in front of the school and formed a peace circle to pray, sing songs and share their definition of peace.
“It’s like when everybody can live together without harming one another,” Janala said. “It’s one thing if you had a reason to kill somebody, like you were doing it out of self defense, but if you just kill somebody for no reason, it doesn’t make sense at all.”
The West Englewood school held a special event when school officials learned that Jim Riggs, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Chicago, was going to visit the academy. Riggs participated in songs and prayers with the students and was also presented a copy of a book that was a compilation of students’ poems, prayers and dreams.
Janala, a fifth-grader, said her neighborhood isn’t the most peaceful.
“There have been times we couldn’t go outside at all,” she said.
And after her family was robbed she said they really felt like they couldn’t trust anyone.
She said she hoped that the event resonated with those from the school who attended and those from the neighborhood who watched.
“I hoped that it touched everybody’s heart because it’s frustrating turning on the news and hearing how a lot of kids are being killed because pretty soon if you kill all the kids, there’s just going to be old people in the future,” Janala said.
Riggs said that 79,000 students in Catholic schools throughout Cook and Lake counties took time Thursday afternoon to pray for peace in the coming months.
“We at Catholic schools know that there is power in prayer,” he said. “I know that our prayers are being heard by God, by Christ and will resound throughout our region. I am hopeful we will have a peaceful summer in and around the city of Chicago.”
He encouraged the students to spread peace this summer.
That's what Dasia Payton, 13, plans to do. The 7th grader already participates in peace marches with her church New Birth Church of God in Christ.
Another student said she admires the work of the late Martin Luther King Jr. She wants others to follow in his footsteps.
"Peace means to be together and come as one and fight against violence, but use words like Martin Luther King said, don't use fists, use words," she said.
Principal Patricia A. Murphy said the event was held at the right time, especially since there was a shooting right outside the school the day before.
“I haven’t seen enough change, that’s the problem,” she said of the community.
“This is a wonderful community with amazing people and the police are wonderful, but we need more resources,” she said.
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