In the midst of the Mass of the Holy Spirit on Sept. 23, 2021, a moment was taken and a candle was blessed and lit by members of the McKenna family. It represents the light and love of all alumni who have passed through Gonzaga Prep since the very beginning.
Blessing the Alumni Candle
O Lord, you have loved Gonzaga Prep and its Catholic and Jesuit mission since its very beginnings.
And most of all, you have loved all those who have been part of this school – the very heart of Gonzaga Prep’s mission – from its first student – Constantine McHugh in 1887 and all the way up to the thousands of alumni who have walked the halls of Prep and are now praying for us in Heaven, including people like Ella McKeirnan and the generations of the McKennas who are representing all the alums today.
This candle too represents all those who labored here for God’s greater glory from the first teachers, coaches, staff and administrators all the way up to those who have just recently passed like Mr. Joe Feryn, Mr. Phil Kuder, and Senora Phyllis Bongers.
And this candle represents all those other people who have given so much of themselves through the generations to support this mission with their time, talent, and treasure including Father Steve Kuder who was an alum of the class of 1960, a close friend of Gonzaga Prep and No. 1 Bullpups fan who passed away just last month.
And finally, it represents all the Jesuit fathers, brothers, scholastics, and novices who have served here since Father Cataldo and Father Rebman and now join in the chorus of prayerful voices since the time of Father Ignatius, our founder, and whose jubilee year we honor this year.
Those who are today experiencing the beauty, the strength, and the Gonzaga Prep community stand on all these broad shoulders – all those who have gone before us.
So today we bless this alumni candle – donated by the Della Strada Jesuit Community, in honor of all those women and men who have made Gonzaga Prep what it is. We ask for their prayers for us as we continue striving to make this mission one that will make a difference in this world.
Every time this candle is carried in at Mass, and every time we see it burning brightly, may we be reminded of all the light and all the love that those who went before us poured into our school. May we be inspired to be like them, and may we feel the weight of responsibility to leave an even richer legacy for those who follow after us.
We pray this blessing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen