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Alvernia September Media Advisory

9/11 Service Day, Hispanic Heritage Month, Blessing of the Animals & More

by Sarah Matarella

Reading, PA (09/03/2026) — Alvernia University aims to serve as a resource for media. Below is a list of Alvernia's sights and sounds, faculty expert perspectives and other timely happenings throughout September/early October.

Upcoming Sights & Sounds

  • 9/11 Remembrances
    • Interfaith Memorial
      • Noon | Judge Hall on Campus | 400 Saint Bernardine St, Reading, Pa.
      • To mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, Alvernia will unite community members and religious leaders to foster interfaith understanding and cultural awareness. The event will take place on Alvernia's Hill Campus in front of Judge Hall, which is named after Fr. Mychal Judge, a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest who served as chaplain to the New York Fire Department. In these duties, Fr. Judge was killed and became the first official fatality in the attacks.
    • 9/11 Service Day- Franciscan Friday at the Firefighters Museum
      • 1 to 3 p.m. | Reading Area Firefighters Museum, 501 South 5th St., Reading, Pa.
      • This semester's series of Franciscan Fridays, during which Alvernia students engage in community service, begins at the Firefighters Museum on 9/11 to remember the courage, sacrifice, and selfless service of first responders, while helping preserve local firefighting history and supporting the museum's mission to educate the community.
  • Hispanic Heritage Month
    • Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff
      • September 15 | 12-2 p.m. | John R. Post Center, 401 Penn St., Reading, Pa.
      • The kickoff event will include Latin food, music, and a game of dominoes.
    • Hispanic Heritage Month Chef Spotlight
      • September 15, September 28, October 5 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Student Center Dining Hall
      • Dishes from Hispanic chefs will be featured in the university's dining hall.
    • Latinos Unidos
      • September 25 | 5-8:30 p.m. | Francis Hall on Campus
      • This year's celebration of culture, community, entrepreneurship, and leadership will feature cultural cuisine, entertainment, networking opportunities and keynote speaker WFMZ's Jose Martinez, an accomplished bilingual journalist, TV personality, and Strategic Communications Specialist who has received multiple Emmy Awards for his outstanding work.
  • Blessing of the Animals/Francis Fest
    • October 1 | Noon | The Quad on Campus
    • Saint Francis of Assisi, Alvernia's patron saint, is also the patron saint of animals. Each year, the university honors him with this event ahead of 800th Anniversary of Saint Francis of Assisi's Feast Day on October 4. The public is invited to bring their four-legged family members to receive a blessing.
  • Homecoming & Family Weekend
    • Alvernia's Homecoming & Family Weekend will take place from October 9 to 11, with the university celebrating the 100th anniversary of Francis Hall, the building where Alvernia began. Planned events include: https://www.alvernia.edu/Homecoming
      • Francis Hall at 100: A Community Canvas
        • October 11 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Quad
        • Alumni, students, families and friends are invited to add painted and collage elements to a collaborative 5-by-10-foot artwork featuring the iconic facade and historic images of Francis Hall.
      • Francis Hall (lego) Brick Building Competition
        • October 11 | 5-6:30 p.m. | Campus Commons Living Room
        • Attendees will compete to build a miniature replica of Francis Hall. The quickest to do so will win a $200 Amazon gift card.
      • Sunset Tours of Francis Hall
        • October 11 | 7 p.m. | Francis Hall Atrium
        • The Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, Alvernia's foundresses, will host a conversation and presentation about the history of the building that was once an orphanage, followed by a guided walking tour led by Alvernia volunteers.
      • Pack Dash 5K
        • October 12 | 10 a.m. | Quad
        • All proceeds go to students in need through Alvernia's Hope Fund.

Expert Perspective

  • Arielle Phillips-Law, Ed.D.
    • Phillips-Law, director of the Office of Justice, Equity, and Inclusion, Instructor of Psychology and Education, and a 2018 graduate of the university, curates Alvernia's heritage month celebrations in partnership with campus departments and student organizations to help promote a sense of belonging and mattering on campus.
  • Chemistry student and professor join forces to research differences between plastic building blocks
    • Junior chemistry major & Reading, Pa. native Alyssa Grim worked with Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Brad Bauer over 10 weeks this summer conducting research for the Student Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) Program among eight other student/professor pairings.
    • Project Title: "Distinguishing Plastic Building Block Brands Using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy."
    • Project Description: Grim and Bauer examined LEGO bricks and compatible off-brand building blocks to determine whether they could distinguish between seemingly similar plastic products based on their chemical composition. Using Alvernia's chemistry lab equipment, the duo analyzed blocks based on manufacturers, colors and piece types. The analysis revealed subtle differences between manufacturers and even among some products from the same manufacturer. Those differences could have implications extending far beyond the toy aisle, including recycling practices, waste sorting, quality assurance, product authentication, and consumer safety.
    • Read more: Building a Future in Research, One Brick at a Time

Spotlight on Success

  • Jaden Roman '26, a recent graduate of the cybersecurity track of Alvernia's computer science major, readily admitted that being a first-generation college student came with a unique type of pressure. Determined to show his younger family members what was possible when enrolling in college, Roman seized many opportunities while pursuing his degree, including acting as lead student researcher on Frankie, Alvernia's robot dog.
  • Read more: First-generation student helps to unleash Alvernia's robot dog.

For More information / RSVP

Sarah Matarella, Desk: 610-796-8344 Cell: 610-750-0080, Email: Sarah.Matarella@alvernia.edu

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