Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. made note of the Jesuit institution’s 200th anniversary during its June 6 graduation ceremony, which also marked the return to large, in-person gatherings and celebrated its first African-American graduate from 1954 with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.
In his first in-person commencement address since his May 2019 installation as the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Wilton Gregory challenged the 234 graduates to emulate the school’s namesake, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a 16th century saint who defied his aristocratic parents to join the Jesuits.
“By the age of nine, young Gonzaga turned his back on the worldly intrigues and backstabbing of his day, and, instead, vowed to not offend God by those sins,” Cardinal Gregory reminded the students, families, alumni and Gonzaga faculty gathered in St. Aloysius Church. “Will you do the same? In a world where it is easy to get caught up in the ‘intrigues’ of social media and popular culture, will you stand as witnesses of truth and goodness to foster honest and open dialogue?”
The future saint gave up his inheritance at age 16 to join the Society of Jesus, the cardinal said, asking the graduates: “Will you be willing to sacrifice those ‘riches’ of the world like popularity, prestige and material goods, if it is necessary in order to stand up for your beliefs and to serve others?”
The young St. Aloysius Gonzaga was studying in Rome when there was an outbreak of plague and he went to care for the dying people. “Lifting them from the streets, he washed them, fed them and prepared them to receive the sacraments. He helped these victims to die with dignity,” said Cardinal Gregory, noting that the school’s patron saint contracted plague himself and died. “He was not much older than yourselves – 23 years old when he died -- with the name of Jesus on his lips. Will you, too, die to yourself and your desires in order to put your life at the service of God - to be his witness to the world? Never think yourselves too young or insignificant. God has given you so many gifts to share for the building up of his kingdom – starting right now.”
Cardinal Gregory went on to explain that the school’s president, Jesuit Father Stephen Planning, described the graduating class as “inquisitive, respectful, driven and kind.”
“These attributes are strong character traits to continue to cultivate and build upon as you leave Gonzaga and move forward in your educational journey,” the cardinal said. “Stay curious about the world and let it bring you to a deeper knowledge of the fields you choose to study. Be respectful – recognizing that every person you encounter is made, like you, in the image and likeness of God. Remain driven – because it is that drive that will propel you through the next phase of life and beyond. Finally, stay kind – for kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and will help you to be a witness of God in the world each day.”
The pews and chairs set on the altar area of St. Aloysius Church were filled with faculty and alumni, with the guests masked but not sitting at a distance from each other. The graduates wore identical white suit coats with black pants, ties and face masks. Several traditional elements of graduation ceremonies that had been curtailed for pandemic precautions were back: singing, playing musical instruments and congratulatory handshakes.
The school also honored John Gabriel Smith, Gonzaga’s first African-American graduate from the class of 1954. Smith was bestowed an honorary doctor of humane letters degree, a distinction that Gonzaga is allowed to grant by virtue of its 163-year-old legal status as a college chartered by Congress. As a press release announcing Smith’s honor explained: “Gonzaga was founded as the Washington Seminary in 1821 as a part of Georgetown University, then known as Georgetown College. When Gonzaga separated from Georgetown College in 1858, the Washington Seminary was reincorporated by an act of Congress …. Gonzaga stopped awarding college degrees around 1900, choosing to focus solely on its high school program.”
As Father Planning read the proclamation, he explained that Smith’s presence on the Eagles’ football team in 1952 led the segregated schools usually on Gonzaga’s schedule to refuse to play a team with a Black player. Instead, the Eagles played a series of Pennsylvania teams that year. Smith went on to Howard University, where he became a pharmacist and has remained a supporter of Gonzaga for the 67 years since his graduation, said Father Planning.
“An inspiration to all Gonzaga students, he has been a particular source of motivation and pride for legions of African American Gonzaga students,” Father Planning said, “for it is upon his shoulders many hundreds have stood while following a path he so courageously paved for them.”
Also in attendance at the ceremony were members of the class of 1971, marking 50 years since their graduation.
Cardinal Gregory’s address made note of the 200th anniversary of the school’s founding. “A bicentennial year is quite a special occurrence for any organization…. Founded only 45 years after the founding of the United States of America, it would not be an exaggeration to say the men of Gonzaga were integral to the formation of our country.”
He noted that Gonzaga has produced physicians, mathematicians, scientists, an astronaut and others who stood out in the arts and as Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists. Since the early days of the nation, state, local and national laws and policies “have been crafted and adjudicated by men from Gonzaga,” he added. Other alumni served in the military or became priests and teachers. “However, there is one calling that unites you all – a lesson you have learned well here at Gonzaga College High School – the importance of being ‘men for others.’”
Cardinal Gregory noted the many types of service the Gonzaga graduates have provided, practicing what Pope Francis calls “a theology of encounter,” connecting with other people and with God, preparing them for a time when society is undergoing extraordinary changes, both positive and destructive.
“I pray that these turbulent times have made our graduates more concerned about and committed to the works of charity, justice and reconciliation among all people,” the cardinal said.
