Happy Birthday, Gonzaga!

Wednesday, September 8 marked the official 200th birthday of Gonzaga, and to celebrate this milestone anniversary, the current students and staff on Eye Street held a full day of festivities.

Before the day began, Social Studies Teacher Nick Pugliese '08 led a group of students and faculty members on a Heritage Walk from 917 F Street, NW--the original site of Gonzaga--to 19 Eye Street. "We wanted to celebrate Gonzaga, bridge the gap between the old and the new, and honor the beginning of the experiment that became our beloved institution," said Mr. Pugliese. Press the play button below to watch a short video of Mr. Pugliese describing the significance of the walk.

 
 
 
 
 
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On campus, the morning began with Fr. Lingan celebrating a Mass of Thanksgiving for the entire student body in St. Al's. During his homily he spoke about Gonzaga's founding and history, and the importance of remembering, sharing, and continuing to write the stories of this school and community. "In 1821, it was believed that this school was needed to help serve and educate the young men of Washington, and in turn serve this city," Fr Lingan said. "Today, in 2021, I humbly and firmly acknowledge that Gonzaga is needed more today than ever. And a Gonzaga Man for Others is needed more than ever as well." He urged the students to continue to appreciate and honor those who built and served this institution, and in doing so carry the mantle of Gonzaga forward into its next 200 years. At the end of Mass, Fr Lingan also shared with the students a papal blessing that Pope Francis bestowed upon Gonzaga in recognition and celebration of our 200th anniversary; you can read more about that special blessing here.



Several fun on-campus activities followed Mass, including the Classes of 2022 and 2023 forming a "200" on Buchanan Field, a student activities fair in the Carmody Center, and a cake-cutting on the field. We hope you enjoy a fun video recap and some great photos from the day. 

Happy 200th Birthday Gonzaga! (2021)


On Wednesday evening at 18:21 military time (6:21 PM), we officially kicked off the public phase of the Forever Gonzaga Bicentennial campaign. To watch the video presentation that aired, please click here. And to browse through our new Bicentennial website, which includes information about the campaign’s five fundraising initiatives, renderings of planned spaces, updates on campaign progress, and information on upcoming events, please click here.

Happy Birthday, Gonzaga!
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Celebrating 200 Years of Jesuit Education in the Nation's Capital