Skip Navigation

Campus COVID-19 vaccination & requirements update: gonzaga.edu/ZagOn

Close Alert
  • University Navigation University Navigation
  • Search Button
Search Button
s
Close Menu

Gonzaga Home

  • About
  • Academics
  • Admission
  • Student Life
  • Athletics
  • myGU

College & Schools

  • Online Graduate Programs
  • College of Arts & Sciences
  • Center for Lifelong Learning
  • School of Business Administration
  • School of Education
  • School of Engineering & Applied Science
  • School of Law
  • School of Leadership Studies
  • School of Nursing & Human Physiology

Info For

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Military & Veterans
  • Parents & Families
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Our Community
  • Basketball Fans
Visit
Apply
Give
Close Menu
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
  • Search Button
  • Toggle Menu
News, Events & Stories Menu
  • News
  • Events
  • Stories
  • Publications
  • Galleries
News

News

Close Menu
Events

Events

Close Menu
Stories

Stories

Close Menu
Publications

Publications

Close Menu
Galleries

Galleries

Close Menu
  • Home
  • News, Events & Stories
  • Stories
  • Jesuit Spirit Mission Come Alive Gonzaga March Madness

Mission Alive in L.A.


March 29, 2018

Alumni Chaplain Stephen Hess, S.J., joined alumni and friends in Los Angeles during March Madness as Zags turned out to support the Bulldogs’ run in the tournament. Following is a reflection from Father Hess on his time in L.A. and “Spirituality Uncorked,” which is part of efforts to support the continued spiritual health of alums. 

Keeping the Mission Alive

How do we keep alive the Jesuit/Catholic mission of Gonzaga in our current culture and with fewer Jesuits on campus? This is a question many friends of the University ask. Parents, alumni, employees alike share a desire to keep the mission alive and ensure that current students have the Gonzaga experience of mission.  

Three faculty members from Loyola Marymount University (LMU) attended our “Spirituality Uncorked” conversation, sharing similar experiences and thoughts . Their presence highlighted the broader picture of Jesuit higher education. There are 28 Jesuit universities in the United States sharing a common mission and purpose. We are not just Gonzaga University or LMU, but a family of Jesuit institutions that could actually work together.

The real passion of our discussion came to life when one recent graduate took to the streets with our leftover food. 

Francis, a young alumnus who is from eastern Washington and now works in the financial arena in Los Angeles, performs various acts of community service in the area. We had – as is custom at gatherings – an enormous amount of food and not quite enough hungry bellies to fill. It was something Francis couldn’t overlook, not when he knew that many homeless people lived near the event venue and likely were hungry. It was unanimous: we would box up the food and Francis would deliver it to those in need. 

>> See an Instagram post from Francis about feeding the homeless

 Homeless neighborhood in Los Angeles.

Photo courtesy of @francisjcgo on Instagram

Francis reminds us what it means to live the mission of Gonzaga in a very real way, and reminds us what is truly important in life. A sense of community evolved as participants pitched in to box up food and load the car. It was a very powerful and meaningful example of coming together as a GU and Jesuit higher education community.     

Something Deeper

This sense of community also reverberated at pregame socials where it was basketball that brought us together. Along with our shared pride in our Zags and another successful basketball season, alumni, benefactors and friends also celebrated our community, which is rooted in the mission and experience of Gonzaga University. That is the real power of our Gonzaga community and our mission.

When we consider how to live the mission in our world, it is important to remember that we do not do so in isolation but as a community of committed and good people who share Jesuit ideals and passion. This type of experience can motivate us to live the mission in the world – to help make the world a better place.  

On the day that Gonzaga would end up losing in the Sweet Sixteen, Loyola-Chicago moved closer to the Final Four. At the pregame social, Zag fans watched the end of Loyola’s game on big-screen TVs and were cheering on and celebrating its win. This dynamic highlights that we are part of the larger Jesuit higher education family and we are all in this mission together.

God came alive during the Sweet Sixteen in Los Angeles! The presence of God came alive at the pregame social, as Zags cheered on their sister school of Loyola-Chicago, and at “Spirituality Uncorked” where the mission was activated by the goodness of our alumni who are committed to setting the world on fire. Remember these moments so we can stay motivated in living our mission every day.  

Blessings,

Fr. Hess

Learn more about Fr. Hess and Alumni Spirituality, Faith and Mission programs  
 

 

 

Share Story
Related Stories
  • Mission Alive in L.A.
  • Turning the Tables
  • A Celebration of St. Ignatius of Loyola
  • What Motivates a Political Strategist?

Categories

  • Alumni
  • Faith & Mission

Subscribe

Subscribe to Messages from Gonzaga University


First Name
Last Name
Email Address *

Get the latest news sent to you as soon as it is published. While the frequency of these emails varies, you’ll typically receive between two and five emails per week, depending on the time of year.

A monthly newsletter sent from August through June that highlights some of our best news, stories and events.


Back to Top
Visit
Apply
Give
Quick Links
  • Maps & Directions
  • Employment at GU
  • Emergency Information
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • Title IX
  • Consumer Information
  • ZagMail
  • Contact Us
  • Harassment & Discrimination Policy
  • Virtual Tour
  • myGU Intranet
Gonzaga University
502 East Boone Avenue
Spokane, WA 99258-0102
(800) 986.9585
A Jesuit, Catholic, Humanistic University
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube