First Cinco de Mayo Mass
Photo Credit: Vince Fernandez
Spanish Club member, senior Brenten McCulloch helps celebrate Cinco De Mayo Mass.
Vince Fernandez
May 13, 2010
Filed under News, Top Stories
For the first time in Bishop Kelley history, a Spanish Mass was celebrated in the school’s chapel. The Spanish club officers planned to the mass to commemorate Cinco de Mayo.
“The Spanish club has always wanted to celebrate Cinco de Mayo here at school, and luckily this year, it falls on a school day,” senior Brenten McCulloch said.
Club sponsor Mrs. Maria Monhaut said, “Luckily Father O’Brien can speak Spanish.”
Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican pride, rather than independence.
“It started when a small group of Mexicans defeated the French at the Battle of Puebla,” Monhaut said. “In the 1950’s, people in Chicago wanted to commemorate the battle so they came up with Cinco de Mayo.”
For those who do not speak Spanish, but wanted to still participate, Mrs. Monhaut created a bilingual guide so anyone could come and follow along.
“We gave [the program] to Fr. O’Brien to look over, and he approved it,” said McCulloch.
Students participated in the Mass by reading the liturgies in Spanish.
“We had a meeting the Wednesday before to decide who got to read what readings,” Mrs. Monhaut said.
After the Mass, they went outside and hit pinatas.