Description
Roncalli, which has used the “rebel” mascot and nickname since its creation in 1969, was named for Pope John XXIII, whose family name was Roncalli.
According to the school’s website, the nickname was in homage to John XXIII, who was “referred to by some in the church as a rebel.”
A 1984 school yearbook has a cartoon of a Confederate general embossed on its cover.
Another from 1987 has the same cartoon general holding two Confederate battle flags on the cover.
The Confederate general character and flag were both banned sometime in the 1990s, according to the school’s website.
“For the past 20 years, there has been a lot of controversy over the nickname ‘Rebels’ because it is often associated with the confederacy and a sort of justification of slavery,”... “Of course, Roncalli students and alumni don’t think of the term ‘rebel’ in this sense, but outside of our southside Catholic community, many others do.” - Father Bob Robeson, priest at Holy Name and interim President of Roncalli
“What is exciting is that we have the opportunity to begin a new era and select a nickname that better reflects our Catholic faith and mission; and the life and ministry of our patron Angelo Roncalli,” Robeson said.
“The reality of my experiences as a Roncalli Rebel is that none of them happened because of a nickname,”... “They happened because of the people who have walked through our halls, sat in our desks, played on our courts, sang in our choirs, and served our neighbors in need, and they will continue to happen for Roncalli students for generations to come.”...“we may not be yelling out the same mascot name at pep rallies and games, [but] the same Roncalli spirit, unchanged and unmatched, will engulf all who are present. You see, it is this spirit that makes our school so incredibly special, and that will not change when our nickname does.” - Chair of the social studies department Erin Bohn