History Of St. Francis De Sales

In 1893, St. Francis de Sales parish school, staffed by the School Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Joliet, began, and in the late 1890s, the school started to offer high school courses. In the fall of 1937, due to the increased demands of higher education, St. Francis de Sales became a four-year high school with an enrollment of 180 students. The school presented diplomas to the 21 seniors who were members of the first graduating class on June 11, 1939. In the 1950s, enrollment saw a significant increase, and if the school were to meet the challenges before it, expansion of the facilities was required.

The East Side community accepted the challenge. On February 19, 1956, the school broke ground for a new building. On April 20, 1958, Monsignor Alphonse Memmesheimer—whose efforts with Samuel Cardinal Stritch and Albert Cardinal Meyer helped facilitate the extension of the school—presided at the dedication of the new St. Francis de Sales High School. Since 1962, the school has been sponsored by the Archdiocese of Chicago. 

St. Francis de Sales has been supported by Big Shoulders Fund (BSF) for many years, but starting in 2013-2014, BSF became the major partner and funder of our school and remains so today. BSF provides financial support, academic support, marketing, and planning support and much more. Big Shoulders Fund partners with us to make sure that we deliver the best education to our students and has helped us work to develop a sustainable financial model to ensure we are here for many years to come.

In 2020 the school welcomed alumna, educator and community activist, Roni Facen as Principal and CEO. Ms. Facen believes that her St. Francis de Sales education opened doors for her. Teachers and staff believed in her and her potential. She wants those opportunities for today’s pioneers. She knows how important St. Francis de Sales is the South East Side of Chicago and to new generation of pioneers!

Salesian Values and Spirituality

Each Catholic high school has a mission statement that reflects the charism of its patron saint, or the religious order that founded the institution. The charism pervades all aspects of daily school life and can be found in its classroom and on its athletic fields. Our school history reminds us that St. Francis de Sales was first and foremost a gentle person committed to life-long learning. His devout life reflects several virtues that we at St. Francis de Sales aspire to model in our daily lives, our Salesian virtues:

Gentleness: All people are called to civility and respect in their daily behavior. 

Holiness: All people are called to holiness in their everyday lives. 

Humility: All people are called to self-truthfulness about who they are and who God is toward them. 
 

Optimism: All people are called to recognize that sin, death, and the things that deny life will not triumph. 

Patience: All people are called to be patient with everyone, but especially with themselves. 

Presence: All people are called to live in the moment when salvation may be at hand. 

Relationality: All people are called to live out relationships in love.