150th Anniversary Gala on October 4th: Photos and Details

The event was preceded by a beautiful Mass at St. James Cathedral-Basilica which was televised live on The Prayer Channel and presided over by Most Rev. John C. Dunne, Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Rockville Centre and a graduate of St. Francis Prep's Class of 1955.

The Master of Ceremonies for the Gala was Bill Evans H‘03 from WABC-TV (who did a fabulous job), and the program was highlighted by performances from the NYPD Pipes and Drums and renowned tenors Ronan Tynan and Daniel Rodriguez. The Peter Duchin Orchestra played throughout the evening for everyone's listening and dancing pleasure, while a surprise appearance by a guest from the Class of 1933 (Vince Lombardi impersonator John Pinero) added a nice touch to the festivities.

A special presentation to the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn and an announcement from Brother Leonard Conway, O.S.F., Principal of the Prep, regarding the successful start for the school's capital campaign (over $5 million committed by the first several donors), were also important parts of the evening's program. A fourteen-minute film presentation entitled Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, narrated by CBS' Julie Chen, SFP Class of 1987, provided an outstanding overview of the Prep's long history and the plans to expand and modernize the school.

And the Super Raffle Drawing proved fruitful for three lucky graduates: Richard Witt '50 ($25,000), Ted Bajo '62 ($10,000), and Dennis Doner '62 ($5,000).

You can click (top of this page) to view dozens of pictures from the Gala. Thank you again to all who attended and supported this wonderful event!