Day 1211

The two benches pictured above are part of a memorial garden at St. Francis Preparatory School. The garden is dedicated "in loving memory of the deceased alumni and friends of the St. Francis community", according to the plaque, dated November 4, 2001, mounted beneath the statue of St. Francis of Assisi that stands at the center of the garden.

St. Francis, said to be the largest Catholic high school in the US, is the alma mater of Vince Lombardi, Joe Torre, and Frank Serpico, among others. It was in the news in 2013 following a lawsuit by Marla (formerly Mark) Krolikowski, a long-serving, popular teacher who was fired after acknowledging to school officials that she was transgender.

UPDATE: A few months after my visit to St. Francis, Ms. Krolikowski passed away at the age of 62.