St. Aloysius Church (Spokane, Washington)

Accompanied by a ceremony attended by a large number of people, an inscription was laid inside the stone that read: "The First Cornerstone of this Holy Temple, Dedicated to St. Aloysius Gonzaga, was laid and blessed, in the presence of a great concourse of clergy and people, and with due solemnity, by the Rt.

[3] In October 2013, a memorial service for Gonzaga graduate and House Speaker Tom Foley was held at St.

[5] St. Aloysius Church was designed in Romanesque style by the Spokane firm of Preusse & Zittel with rounded arches.

[6] Inside, the church features oak woodwork, altars and ambo of matching Italian marble, and a 1928 pipe organ by George Kilgen and Son in a side gallery of the sanctuary.

The stained-glass windows encircling the church, which feature images of Jesuit saints and St. Aloysius himself, were also designed by Mayers.

[1] A bronze statue of St. Aloysius outside the church, created by Anita Pauwels, depicts him carrying a victim of the plague.

[6] The parish serves a diverse community consisting of university faculty, staff, and students, as well as residents in the surrounding neighborhood.

Parishioners, Gonzaga Prep students, and members of the community volunteer to help feed about 500 people at the free St. Al's Thanksgiving Dinner.

After stumbling upon a book detailing the endeavors of Jesuits, dedicated scholars and ambassadors of the Roman Catholic faith serving in India, he found himself deeply inspired to become a part of their esteemed order as a member of the Society of Jesus.

Despite facing persistent opposition from his family, who attempted to dissuade him from his chosen path, he persevered through years of struggle.

Ultimately, he made the courageous decision to renounce his inheritance rights, relinquishing material wealth in order to fully dedicate himself to a life of religious commitment.

Despite the objections of his superiors, he persistently cared for the sick, and as a result, he contracted the plague, ultimately succumbing to the disease at the young age of 23 on June 21, 1591.