For Br. Francis, Saint Joseph Academy has never been simply a place of ministry. It is the school that helped form him, the community to which he returned as a Marist Brother and a place that has remained at the center of his life for generations.

A graduate of SJA, Br. Francis went on to dedicate his vocation to the education and accompaniment of young people. Over the years, he served the Academy in a wide range of roles, including principal, teacher and coach. More recently, he supported the school’s Advancement and Alumni efforts, helping former students remain connected to the community that shaped them.

Whatever his official title, Br. Francis’s ministry has always extended beyond a particular classroom, office or athletic program. His steady presence, sense of humor and genuine care for others made him an important part of daily life at Saint Joseph Academy. Students, families, faculty and staff came to know him as someone deeply committed to the school and the people within it.

His impact can be seen throughout the campus, including the Brother Francis Garza Student Center that bears his name. The greater legacy of his ministry, however, lives within the generations of Bloodhounds he taught, guided and encouraged.

Br. Francis’s long relationship with SJA reflects the family spirit at the heart of Marist education. As a former student who returned to serve his school, he experienced the community from many perspectives. He understood the traditions alumni carried with them, the responsibility educators accepted when accompanying young people and the importance of preserving the Marist identity that makes Saint Joseph Academy a home for so many.

In 2019, Br. Francis celebrated 60 years as a Marist Brother. Throughout those decades, his life and ministry offered a faithful example of the Marist Pillars: presence, simplicity, family spirit, love of work and following in the way of Mary. He lived those values not only through the responsibilities entrusted to him, but through the relationships he formed and the care he showed in the ordinary moments of school life.

During the retirement celebration, the SJA community expressed its gratitude for the many ways Br. Francis has supported and strengthened the school. The occasion offered an opportunity to recognize a lifetime of service while celebrating the lasting place he holds within the Saint Joseph Academy family.

Retirement may mark the conclusion of Br. Francis’s formal ministry at SJA, but it does not end the relationships built over more than five decades. His influence remains part of the school’s story and will continue through the people and traditions shaped by his service.

The Marist Brothers USA Province joins the Saint Joseph Academy community in thanking Br. Francis for his extraordinary dedication and faithful witness. We wish him joy and peace in retirement and offer our prayers as he begins this new chapter of his Marist journey.