VASJ students participate in CSPJ’s Respect Life Day

Thirty-seven VASJ students participated in CSPJ’s Respect Life Day on Thursday, Oct. 21. They joined with students from other Catholic schools in the Diocese of Cleveland in prayer and solidarity for issues of injustice. 

The day began with a Respect Life Mass at St. Malachi in Cleveland. Junior Nathan Udics served as a lector for the opening Mass. VASJ students Laben Bradford, Dylan Rhoad, Tiana Belcher, Brea Warner and Je'Nasia Cantie joined with students from other local schools to sing during Mass.  

"Even though we were all from different schools, we came together to praise God," said VASJ junior Laben Bradford. 

Following the Mass, students participated in a neighborhood cleanup effort and a closing prayer service. 

"If we continue to drop trash everywhere, we will be hurting ourselves and others. We need to get together with friends and go on walks to pick up trash. By doing a little service, we can do a lot to help the community," said VASJ sophomore Tiana Belcher.

 
Reflecting on the day, VASJ freshman Justine Anderson commented, "It gave me a wider perspective of problems that we face all over the world and even in our local communities."

Catholic Schools for Peace and Justice (CSPJ), which originated in 2002, is a network of students and educators from Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Cleveland. The network helps to establish a culture in the high schools that actively seeks to engage all students to work toward peace and justice.