History
Founder of St. Francis High School
The school was founded under the leadership of the Very Rev. Justin Figas, OFM Conv., who had long desired to establish a secondary school for young men in the Niagara Frontier area. In December 1924, he met with a group of Polish-American professionals and businessmen from Buffalo to consider the possibility of erecting a school in Athol Springs, NY on a thirty-two-acre site that had been purchased for the Conventual Franciscans of St. Anthony of Padua Province in 1916 by the Very Rev. Hyacinth Fudzinski, OFM Conv. The site, which is located on the shores of Lake Erie about eight miles south of Buffalo, had been the estate of Dr. Pierce, a nationally famous maker of patent medicines at the turn of the century.
Fr. Justin Figas OFM, Conventual
The Justin Drivers
A committee, which came to be known as the “Father Justin Drivers” was formed to raise the funds necessary for the construction of the high school. It met with such great success that on July 12, 1925 ground breaking ceremonies were held and sixteen months later construction was completed. St. Francis High School was formally dedicated on November 25, 1926 as a college-ready Catholic high school for young men. The following year the first class of students was officially enrolled.
Our Franciscan Tradition
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Since Franciscan education takes a holistic approach toward the development of the individual, the student is encouraged to become a more active Christian within society. Therefore, religion, academics, fine arts, athletics, and numerous social activities are all important facets of a St. Francis education.
The school’s philosophy of education rests in the rich tradition of the Conventual Franciscans, developed since the 13th century, which understands education in terms of an individual’s relationship with God, with other persons, and with the world community. Each young man at St. Francis High School is therefore encouraged to seek knowledge of his God, his own personal identity, and his place in the world.
Self-discipline is the foundation of an individual’s total development, and enables the student to achieve his goals by fostering authentic humility and promoting greater respect for others. The St. Francis student is taught to live within the bounds of society and take responsibility for his actions.