“Fides, Scientia et Virtus” (Faith, Knowledge and Virtue)
WELCOME
We’d like to extend to you our warmest welcome to Saint Francis Catholic Academy in Gainesville, Florida! Founded in 2004 and serving high school students from ten different counties, Saint Francis has a rich heritage built on faith, service, and the highest standards of academic excellence. We are always delighted to share what we have to offer with prospective students and families, and we invite you to browse our website, contact us by phone at (352) 376-6545, email admissions@sfcawolves.org, for a personal tour.
Our History
In May of 1983, members of the Gainesville community came together to begin the journey to establish a Gainesville Catholic High School. Twenty-one years later, on August 16, 2004, the doors to Gainesville’s first and only Catholic high school opened, through the foresight of Bishop John J. Snyder, the eighth Bishop of St. Augustine, and the generosity of the Opportunity of a Lifetime Campaign.
The school was built near the site of the first Catholic Church in what is now Gainesville, the mission of San Francisco de Potano, founded in 1606 by Fr. Martin Prieto, a Franciscan Friar. The mission was the first geographical location in the United States to bear the name of St. Francis of Assisi. Dr. Michael Gannon, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Florida, a former priest and the author of The Cross in The Sand: The Early History of the Catholic Church in Florida, petitioned Bishop John J. Snyder to name the new school “Saint Francis”, in honor of St. Francis and the mission church which was destroyed by English and Indian raiders in 1706. The 61 students of the “First Class” of St. Francis Catholic High School, who would graduate in 2008, began their high school career in the old Upper Hall at Holy Faith Parish as the new school building was not yet complete. On August 6, 2004, 111 members of the Classes of 2008 and 2009, along with 21 faculty and staff, began school in the beautiful new building at the top of the hill, which Bishop Snyder dedicated on April 24, 2005.
The first expansion to the school, a new academic wing, was added in 2007, as a result of a major fund-raising campaign spearheaded by Christine Donovan, wife of then-UF head basketball coach, Billy Donovan. In 2016, the name was changed to Saint Francis Catholic Academy. In 2018, Saint Francis became an AP Capstone School and conferred the first AP Capstone diplomas to members of the Class of 2020. 2019 saw the arrival of a relic of St. Francis of Assisi from the Vatican in Rome which is now housed in a place of honor in the school chapel. The 2021-2022 school year saw the beginnings of the SFCA Health Sciences Institute, a program offering a sequence of courses providing coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in the Health Science career cluster. The Class of 2023 included the first 13 members of the HSI, eight of whom are certified EKG Technicians and five of whom are certified Pharmacy Techs. Also in 2023, SFCA was blessed to receive a first-class relic of both St. Clare of Assisi, and of Blessed Carlo Acutis, which have been added to the reliquary cabinet in our chapel. The SFCA Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation opened in the Fall of 2023 with our signature partner, Campus USA Credit Union, and a student-run credit union branch on campus. This signature program is focused on teaching students to develop the skills necessary to drive innovation and solve complex problems, foster collaboration and creativity and develop students’ confidence in their ability to drive innovation in their own careers.
Saint Francis Catholic Academy remains a four-year, coeducational, college-preparatory and AP Capstone high school committed to providing a high-quality, Catholic education where students have the opportunity to participate in multiple sports, clubs, honor societies and/or elite activities while preparing for their College Career.
Saint Francis is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) Cognia, as well as the Florida Catholic Conference, and is a member of the National Catholic Education Association and the College Board.
Our Mission
The mission of Saint Francis Catholic Academy is to inspire all students to Serve others, to preach the gospel through our Catholic Faith, to live a life of Charity as God’s instruments, and to seek understanding through Academic excellence in the tradition of St. Francis.
Our Vision
Saint Francis Catholic Academy, in accordance with the Catholic Faith and the Diocese of St. Augustine, strives to create an environment where students can succeed and grow spiritually, intellectually and athletically so that they can better serve the world as adults.