Foreign language honor societies welcome new members

Viviana Orozco, Staff Reporter
May 19, 2023

Loretto Academy offers many opportunities for students who want to learn a foreign language, offering classes like French and Spanish for students of all grades and knowledge levels. 

Students in both Spanish and French classes also have the opportunity to join each language’s respective honor society, which explores more about the languages and the culture they come from.

On April 25th, the French Honor Society inducted new members with an elaborate ceremony and mass. 

The mass, spoken entirely in French, consisted of a normal mass progression, followed by a candle-lighting segment and the pledge of the honor society. 

Current members of the honor society prepared for days in order to make the mass a perfect induction ceremony for new members, organizing everything for it to run smoothly. 

The Loretto chapel received visits from parents of new and current members, who watched the ceremony and congratulated their daughters. 

Cathedral students who are also a part of the French Honor Society were invited as well.

All of these additions to the ceremony made it elaborate and elegant, prompting sponsor French teacher, Madame May-Lise Le Thanh, to thank all participants for their contributions during the following day’s morning announcements.  

This photo captures the French Honor Society induction. that took place after the mass All new members are receiving their candles for the traditional candle-lighting ceremony. Photo courtesy of Maura Aguilera.
This photo captures the new Spanish Honor Society Inductees receiving their certificate. The induction took place in the chapel and parents were invited. Photo courtesy of Jayne Nowak

The Spanish Honor Society inducted their new members a day after the French Honor Society, on April 26th. 

Current members of the honor society were excused from their last-period class in order to attend the ceremony. 

The ceremony took place in the Loretto chapel, where old members watched as new inductees joined the honor society. 

New inductees were called up in alphabetical order and were given a diploma and a candle to take on the traditional candle-lighting ceremony. 

New inductees lit their candles and became official members of the Spanish Honor Society. 

Loretto Academy values all of the other cultures around the world, giving students an outlet to further explore them and get acquainted with an environment that they didn’t grow up in. 

New inductees to the foreign language honor societies will open doors to even more priceless opportunities, and a new perspective on the world.