Xavier University of Louisiana will kick off its centennial celebrations this week in New Orleans, beginning with a launch event on campus Friday.
The gathering will begin with a Mass at 10:30am CT in St. Katharine Drexel Chapel, followed by a presentation at the University Center. It will be the first of more than a dozen centennial events throughout the year, centering the school’s legacy as a Catholic HBCU created at the behest of a unique foundress in St. Katharine Drexel.
“In just 100 years, we have educated thousands upon thousands of scholars who have gone on to help solve the world's problems through rigorous thought, innovation, and dedication to others, an essence of Xavier,” wrote President Retnold Verret in a letter to the XULA community.
“When Mother Katharine Drexel founded this university, she and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament shared their charism of service with a vision for equity, justice, and greater humanity.”
Celebrations will continue with a Mass on Monday, Feb. 17, to celebrate the founding of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, established by Drexel in 1891 to serve African Americans and the Indigenous. They overcame segregationist barriers to start a Black Catholic high school in New Orleans in 1915, the foundation for what would become XULA ten years later.
Over its history, the university has educated many of the nation’s most prominent African-American educators, artists, scientists, doctors, politicians, attorneys, activists, Catholic clergy, and other public figures.
A who’s who of the school’s living legends are expected to be in attendance ahead of commencement weekend for the XULA centennial gala, which will bring more than a thousand guests to the Hyatt Regency on May 8 for a night of fine dining, entertainment, and awards. The event aims to raise $1 million for scholarships, and tickets are available now.
September will mark the 25th anniversary of St. Katharine’s canonization, featuring a weeklong slate of events with a founder’s Mass on Oct. 1 at St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter. XULA itself will host a Founder’s Week from Oct. 5-11, including a special convocation on Oct. 7.
Two centennial pilgrimages have also been scheduled, the first taking place to Spain in the summer, followed by a Jubilee Year “Food and Faith” trip to Rome with Frs Ajani Gibson and Daniel Green in November. The latter will coincide with Black Catholic History Month and registration is available online.
From now to Dec. 1, XULA will also take nominations for Most Notable Alumni awards, celebrating “diverse and impactful ways that graduates of Xavier University of Louisiana have contributed to society, spanning fields from healthcare and politics to literature and business and beyond.”
“Our goal is to highlight the great work that Xavierites participate in daily while addressing societal challenges in our communities and the world.”
The school’s centennial fundraising campaign is ongoing, with more than $100 million raised toward a half-billion dollar goal as of early last year. Contributions can be made online, and donors will be honored at an appreciation luncheon on March 8.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
