Catholicity

We maintain a Catholic school environment based on Gospel teaching for our predominately non-Catholic, Christian student body.

Our students learn the Catholic faith in an atmosphere that nurtures and respects the faith life of each child.  Every student’s church affiliation is respected and we encourage our students to become active in their home churches. In addition, service projects give the students an opportunity to put social teachings into practice.

Each school day begins with prayer.  Daily religious instruction brings the Gospel into the hearts and lives of our students. The Catholic Social Teachings are infused into our curriculum and activities.

Mass is celebrated once per month led by Bishop Roger Gries, OSB. Gospel songs bring life to these uplifting services where the children give praise to God.

St. Francis students learn about and celebrate the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter. The celebration of these liturgical seasons draw them a relationship with Jesus, our redeemer and savior. Students will also learn about the saints and to respect Mary as our Mother and model of Christian living.

Our Chapel

We are privileged to have a Eucharistic chapel in our school.  The chapel is used for school worship services, class prayer services and individual prayer.

Our chapel is open to students, parents, teachers and staff each day, during school hours.   It is an oasis of peace, welcoming all who wish to spend time in reflection and prayer.  Our chapel is also a place where the students gather for liturgy once a month.

Church in the City 

St. Francis students participate in a Church in the City initiative with our partner school, St. Helen’s in Newbury.

Students form a genuine bond with a student from a Catholic school in the countryside.  This is done through pen-pal letters, field trips, and both schools combining for Mass.

  • My name is Rhonda Fellows and I graduated from St. Francis in 1994. After St. Francis, I attended Beaumont high school and then Wittenberg University where I was a Religion major and an Urban Studies minor. One of the major things I learned at St. Francis was a love for people. I developed very meaningful relationships with the students and staff. These relationships and love for people grew in to a desire to serve others which led to me to tutor teens in college. I went on to work in a Christian non-profit and have been serving in non-profit organizations for the past 13 years. I currently live in Minneapolis, MN where I am a recruiter for YouthWorks, a summer teen and family missions organization.

    Rhonda Fellows - St. Francis Class of 1994

  • Hello my name is Detective T.J. Powell, I'm currently assigned to the Cleveland Police Gang Impact Unit. I'm a 1998 graduate of St. Francis school. During my years at St. Francis I was taught discipline, morals and values, along with the value of education and hard work. I used what I learned at St. Francis to successfully attend the well-known, all-boys college preparatory high school, Benedictine high school, in which I graduated in 2002 .While at St. Francis I was an honor student and worked hard to help maintain the good reputation that this school still has today. Now at the age of 31 yrs. old, I'm married and have two children that also attend this fabulous establishment.

    T.J. Powell - St. Francis Class of 1998

  • St. Francis was the center of our family's faith and formative life for many years. There is no question that the foundation provided by St. Francis School and the wonderful Sisters of Notre Dame continues to play a role in my own life and career, which has now spanned more than 40 years as a journalist and as an active participant in the life of our community. Every moment at St. Francis School is looked back on with fondness and deep appreciation.

    Dick Russ - Vice President, North Coast Community Homes; Former News Anchor & Reporter, WJW TV (Fox 8), WKYC TV (Channel 3), WAKR TV (TV 23 Akron); Co-Founder, Cleveland Catholic Radio AM 1260 The Rock; Co-Founder, Eastern Christian Media an EWTN TV Production Partner.