With the passing of Father Colombo Bandiera (notably referred as “Fr. B”), our school lost a beloved and irreplaceable figure. Fr. B was a distinguished alumnus, devoted school pastor, thoughtful mentor, and lifelong supporter of SFdSCCS. He graduated from St. Francis High School in 1943 and his mission to aid and support the students of our school continued for the rest of his life. His spirit touched the lives of countless people, both directly and indirectly. With his passing, we will strive to emulate the passion and love that Fr. B had for SFdSCCS.
Of the many families that admired Fr. B, one decided to come forward with a very generous donation in his name right after his passing. This generous benefactor pledged $50,000 in memory of Fr. B, with the hope that other supportive members of the St. Francis school community would match this donation. While we have matched this donation and the money was used to remodel the Holy Family Library, we would like to further the imprint of Father B on this school community. These monies will allow our school to further strengthen our financial stability for future years.
The fingerprints of Fr. B permeate our school campus. Fr. B has equally influenced the interior and exterior of our building. When you walk our campus you will discover that there isn’t a room, department, hallway, playground, and garden area that has not been impacted by Fr. B. Please help us to most appropriately honor the memory of a man who was the true embodiment of the St. Francis mission statement of “we are here to serve, not be served.”
You can either Donate Online to the The Father Bandiera Memorial Fund or you can contact Development Director Rachel Jones at rjones@sfccs.org or 304-291-5070 if you would like to donate in a different way.