Making a high school Franciscan doesn’t just happen. It needs to be an intentional process. Case in point: Padua Franciscan High School, straddling the line between the suburb of Parma and the city of Cleveland. The school began in 1961 as a Franciscan school, an all-boys academy.
Changes have come over the years. In 1983, the school went coeducational. The number of friars directly involved in the school has declined. Its leadership now relies on lay people. But still its Franciscan heritage permeates the school.
Padua students participate in many of the usual extra-curricular activities, including sports and theatre. True to its Franciscan heritage, the students are also immersed in service.
You can feel it as you walk the halls, said Bob DiRocco, Paudua Franciscan’s principal. He’s been told by visitors how friendly and accommodating students are.
But Franciscan heritage goes deeper. The four pillars of a Padua Franciscan education are prayer, creation, service and bringing peace. Students participate in service projects regularly, including annual sophomore and freshmen retreats dedicated to service projects. There is a nursing home across the street, and it is visited by students who volunteer to do the nails of residents. Students take classes in Franciscan history and spirituality, and each year a faculty member is sent to Assisi to experience Franciscan spirituality up close.
Padua Franciscan students have established relationships at St. Rocco’s and St. Leo the Great, Catholic elementary schools in urban Cleveland, where they tutor students with the hope that one day some can become Padua Franciscan students. “We find that students from poor areas struggle with the necessary academic skills to be successful here,” said DiRocco, noting that the extra tutoring helps them catch up.
Padua Franciscan students also participate in a Christmas season fundraising effort that raises funds for gifts for struggling families around Cleveland. This year’s campaign raised about $41,000 through innovative fundraising efforts.
They included the Italian Club’s Spaghetti Dinner, the Spanish Club’s sale of nachos and the German Club making root beer floats, a student vs. faculty volleyball game that raised funds as well as fun, and the creation of custom pet portraits and a talent show. Through it all, Padua Franciscan students worked diligently to make the campaign a success.
Additionally, there was a Pickleball Tournament hosted by business students, a Mario Kart Tournament (presented by the Robotics Club), trivia contests, card and infant blanket making, a hot chocolate sale, first-period collections and a Coin Wars competition, which raised $7,414.
The fundraising campaign, called Christmas for Others, has run for 53 years and in that time has raised more than a million dollars.
“I’m so very proud of our Padua Franciscan community for its continued dedication to giving back to those in need,” said Padua President Dave Stec.
“Through the fun and competitions, our students learn that their sacrifice and donations make a real difference for those less fortunate. Christmas for Others transforms Padua students to be lifelong givers, knowing their generosity, even in small ways, changes our world.”
Besides service, the ideals of Padua Franciscan encourage students from low-income families to attend the school. Padua Franciscan students are eligible for state-funded vouchers which help defray the $14,700 tuition costs. Ninety-seven percent of Padua students receive some kind of financial assistance to attend the school. Besides the state subsidy, the school offers a St. Francis Scholarship and St. Bonaventure Scholarship.
Franciscans who are part of the school include Fr. Stephen DeWitt, OFM, director of community outreach, and Fr. Johnpaul Cafiero, OFM, chaplain. The board consists of local business, church and education leaders, as well as Franciscans.
It’s not unusual for Catholic schools to struggle, particularly those in Rust Belt areas such as the Cleveland region. But DiRocco is confident in the school’s future and its Franciscan educational heritage.
“We are feeling very good about the future,” he said.
Padua Franciscan students engage in living the values expressed in the four foundational Franciscan pillars: We Pray, We Care, We Serve, We Bring Peace.
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