Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala Celebrates Mass at Gonzaga

Gonzaga was honored to welcome Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala to Eye Street on Friday, September 22 as celebrant of an all-school bilingual Mass to mark the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. 

 

Bishop Menjivar, who came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant in 1990 from El Salvador, was named auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington last year. "Gonzaga and the great Church of St. Aloysius has been witness to many momentous events, today was another of those moments," said Mr. Jonathan Ruano, Associate Dean of Students and Latino Student Success Coordinator. "It was an honor to walk with Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala. His immigrant story serves as a reminder and a motivation that with hard work and God on our side, anything is possible."
  

During the bishop's homily he highlighted the contributions of the Latin American community at Gonzaga, in Washington DC, and across our country. "We are privileged to be part of a rich multicultural city and community," he said. "The Archdiocese of Washington is a great mosaic of people and cultures that reflect the diversity of our country."

 

Bishop Menjivar also encouraged Gonzaga students to be servant-leaders in their communities: "That is what we need in politics, in business, in our church."

We are grateful to Bishop Menjivar for coming to Gonzaga, and we hope you enjoy these photos from the occasion.