St. Francis Foundation History

The St. Francis Foundation was formed in 1986 through the gentle prodding of our pastor, the late Msgr. Lahey. Msgr. Lahey felt that ever-rising costs over time would price a Catholic education out of the reach of many families. He was looking for a long- term funding vehicle to provide tuition assistance and financial subsidies to the school on a regular basis. With the character clearly established by Msgr. Lahey the Foundation embarked on a quest to “fund” Mon- signor’s vision of a sustainable endowment for St. Francis School. 

From the beginning, the Foundation had two major goals: (1) to raise the community’s awareness of St. Francis School; and, (2) to reach a sustainable amount in endowment gifts. To reach these goals, the Foundation sponsored a number of different fundraisers: the Back-to-School Barbecue, Profiles of Excellence, A Night in Italy, and the Msgr. Lahey Golf Tournament. 

Since 1986, the Foundation has overseen the integration of digital technology throughout the St. Francis Parish School campus. Our fundraising success has allowed us to support their progress toward 21st Century learning through the purchase of 1:1 chrome books 5th-8th grades, 2:1 chrome books 3rd-4th grades, 2:1 iPads K-2nd grades. The Foundation con- tributes annually to the school’s scholarship fund, and continues to maintain and upgrade Smart technology in the classrooms. Last year the Foundation contribute- ed $500,000 to the Cynthia M. Meek Enrichment Center.