SFS Traditions

I think the 'Knights' would be a good nickname for our school because a knight was known to have been a man of great honor and integrity. A knight was a brave, fearless man who would give up his life for god or his country if necessary. I think the boys of St. Francis de Sales will feel the same way. A knight was a gentleman as well as a fighter. He was always well dressed as the boys of St. Francis are. The knight gave us many examples of courage, dignity and loyalty to his superiors and his country. The boys should take theses examples to heart and because true 'Knights of St. Francis de Sales'.

Paul Adamski '59

The knight is a fitting image as I write about boys becoming Christian Gentlemen. Brad Miner notes in his book The Compleat Gentleman,  that the core concept of the modern day gentleman is rooted in the code of chivalry of the Medieval Knight. Richard Hawley in his book titled Boys Will be Men, wrote that every boy, "Longs to be a Knight, a questing, adventuring, fully realized man." The patron of our high school and my religious congregation is St. Francis de Sales, known in the Roman Catholic Church as the Gentleman Saint.

And so, I believe the journey from being a boy to becoming a true man, a gentleman, a Christian Gentleman, is the journey to becoming a true Knight. The Knight is a warrior, a man of strength and gentleness, a man of honor and virtue.

The alumni and colleges represented on the signs throughout the school are the most recent graduates from St. Francis who went on to attend one of the top 50 colleges, according to US News and World Report.

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.