San Miguel Community Celebrates Annual Hispanic Heritage Fiesta

The San Miguel School community gathered Thursday, Oct. 7 to celebrate its annual Hispanic Heritage Fiesta at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Silver Spring. 

The yearly event held during Hispanic Heritage Month — canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions — once again brought together San Miguel students, families, faculty and staff for a cultural celebration of San Miguel’s Latin American community. San Miguel students represent more than a dozen different countries — including dozens of students whose families immigrated from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Bolivia.

Fr. José Rodríguez celebrated Mass with San Miguel’s students, faculty, staff and families in attendance. He shared with the group the importance of their cultural roots and celebrated those things that make the community of San Miguel School special.

After Mass, the audience filed into St. Michael’s assembly room for a feast prepared by San Miguel School families. Before the event, families streamed into St. Michael’s with platters, dishes, pots and containers full of food to share with the group.

The annual feast is legendary in the San Miguel community for the large quantities of food prepared (and consumed) each year. Those in attendance tasted traditional Latin American delicacies such as pupusas and tamales and also enjoyed desserts and dishes from various countries represented at the event.