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25 years ago in May of 1987, The Catholic Daughters of St. Francis of Assisi knew the importance of Catholic Education and decided to seed the Saint Francis Parish School Foundation. With guidance from the Bishop of the Diocese of Baker, Most Reverend Thomas J. Connolly, a permanent trust fund was established to accept gifts and bequests of all kinds and to manage those gifts for the benefit of Saint Francis School. The foundation was to conduct fund-raising campaigns, assist and supervise fund-raising programs for the St. Francis Parish School, and grow the assets of the foundation.
Over the years, the Heart of Oregon School Auction was the main contributor to this foundation, as have several individuals who have made gifts personally and from their estate to sustain and improve upon the Catholic educational experience at St. Francis Parish School. Credit for that auction can be given to many parents and staff of the School and a special mention to Mike Belding and Paul Imwalle who remembers making and serving the food at those early Heart of Oregon Auction events at the downtown School, now McMennamins.
Today the St Francis School Endowment is the largest restricted account of the Legacy of Faith Catholic Community Foundation. We are proud of all the past achievements and hope that graduates, parents, grandparents and any donor who believes in Catholic Education will consider adding to this account. A special thanks to the Catholic Daughters, Bishop Connolly and all those who teach and support the School today and into the future. It is no secret, it takes the whole parish - past and present - to keep a private Catholic school operating and the foundation is just a small part of this successful school operation.
For more information on how you might help, please feel free to contact the current Development Director of St Francis School, Gale Rivera, or the Executive Director of the Legacy of Faith Catholic Community Foundation, John Schiemer, to learn more about how you can make a difference.
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