St. Sabina Celebrates 100 Years Sunday, With African Drummers and More

Reprinted from DNAInfo Andrea V. Watson
Published: September 30, 2016

AUBURN GRESHAM — St. Sabina Church will celebrate its 100-year anniversary with a mariachi band, African drummers and more at a special Mass Sunday.

The Roman Catholic church at 1210 W. 78th Place will honor the many cultures and races that have been a part of its history with Irish bagpipes, a mariachi band and African drummers at 10 a.m.

"We celebrate the rich history and countless generations that have worshipped at St. Sabina, and we look to our youth to carry on our rich history for generations yet unborn," said the Rev. Michael Pfleger, senior pastor.

The parish began in a storefront on South Racine Avenue, celebrating its first Mass on July 9, 1916, according to a history of St. Sabina Church on its website. The current church opened in 1933.

While established for Irish immigrants, the church began serving African-Americans in the 1960s.

Its Masses and other services regularly attract throngs of worshippers and celebrities, and Pfleger, a civil rights activist who became pastor in 1981 at the age of 31, has a national following.

Keywords: 100 years, Auburn Grehsam, Father Michael Pfleger, St. Sabina Church