SFS Traditions
- Alma Mater
- Cornerstone Senior Lounge
- Knights of Honor
- the knight way
- Junior Class Rings
- Senior Steps
- V+J
Alma Mater
Cornerstone Senior Lounge
The Cornerstone of the school building was laid in May 1955 by the Very Reverend William Buckley, OSFS. The first shovel of dirt was turned by Reverend William Stahl at the groundbreaking on October 3, 1954. The need was clear for this yet-to-be-named school for boys in Toledo. The overcrowding problem at Central Catholic High School needed to be addressed. With Bishop George Rehring's sanction, the Oblates began to meet with friends about the possibility of a boy's school in early 1954. While other names for the school were considered including Boys Catholic High School, Father Louis Brisson High School, and Bishop George J. Rehring High School and other locations explored, including Parkside and Nebraska, Ilger Road on the St. Pius X campus, and Secor and Central (Westgate), officials agreed upon the name of St. Francis de Sales High School on the corner of Bancroft and Parkside.
Decades and generations later, St. Francis de Sales School remains true to its original mission to educate young men in the spirit of our patron, St. Francis de Sales. Our school has indeed benefited greatly from those who came before us. This room is dedicated to the men and women who are the original founders and laid the cornerstone of something very special, providing opportunities for thousands of young men who are here to learn today and lead tomorrow.
The spirit of St. Francis de Sales is love. We pledge to give the future generations of Toledo men from this school who will be outstanding citizens, Catholics, and Americans...the Oblates will produce generations of loyal sons worthy of St. Francis de Sales."
-VERY REVEREND WILLIAM BUCKLEY, OSFS
Groundbreaking Ceremony - October 3, 1954
Knights of Honor
Since 2001, the Knights of Honor represent a small percentage of the senior class who have excelled in the four pillars of St. Francis de Sales School: academic, spiritual, social, and physical development. These seniors are nominated by their fellow classmates and faculty members who believe they exhibit the virtues of loyalty, perseverance, humility, kindness, self-discipline, integrity, and leadership. Each Knight of Honor receives an engraved sword to recognize their accomplishment throughout their experience at SFS.
The Knight of Honor is a great tradition for a school like St. Francis. It symbolizes so much of who we are: Christian gentlemen, honorable, loyal, gentle, strong, a true band of brothers." Fr. Ronald Olszewski, OSFS '62
the knight way
Junior Class Rings
Senior Steps
This stairway is open to all except St. Francis de Sales underclassmen, who earn use of these steps upon matriculation to senior year. A sacrosanct tradition for generations, these steps represent the discipline achieved by a St. Francis senior. While legends detail the fates handed to students who dared violate this norm, true obedience to this tradition necessitates neither force nor fear – rather, all underclassmen should earnestly respect the role assumed by their senior brothers for their own benefit and that of the school. For nearly 50 years, the steps were the school’s main exterior entrance until they were removed and rebuilt using the exact same footprint during extensive renovations in 2004. Adorned with the original metal ornamentation, the current steps were rededicated on January 31, 2005 in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the School. This historical narrative is a gift of the Class of 2023 to all who share in this tradition.
