Gonzaga Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Over the past several weeks, Gonzaga has been celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month—commemorated nationally from September 15 through October 15—with a series of events honoring the faith, culture, and contributions of the Hispanic and Latin American communities.

The celebrations began on September 15 with a school-wide bilingual Mass presided over by Fr. Mario Majano of St. Mary’s in Landover Hills, MD. Highlighting the month’s focus on faith and community support, the liturgy’s collection benefited Communidad, a local community development nonprofit based in Falls Church, VA.

On October 1, Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (P ’27) visited Eye Street to speak in Sheehy Theater about her career in public service. Cultural appreciation also came alive through music, food, and athletics: on Thursday, the Noche Latina festival brought food and music to Eye Street while Varsity Soccer faced off against St. John’s, and a live mariachi band recently performed in the Lower Commons during all lunch periods. In addition, the campus SAGE dining team regularly featured authentic Hispanic and Latino dishes on the lunch menu. The month’s programming wraps up with an opportunity for hands-on service. On October 15, students are invited to volunteer with Communidad by tutoring local elementary students in English.

“Our community strives to do a great job recognizing and learning about Hispanic heritage and culture,” said Associate Dean of Students, Mr. Jonathan Ruano. “I’m proud of the work that LASO members have done to make this month of recognition a success.”

Many thanks to LASO leaders Alesso Rozo ’27, Santi Finol ’27, Xavier Castillo ’27, and Christian Pardo ’28 for their leadership and hard work in organizing these meaningful events!