Franciscan Friars’ Legacy Spring Speaker Series

St. Mary’s Basilica welcomes the public to attend their free speaker series this coming March. The Franciscan Friars will lead conversations with featured guest speakers to share their history, personal stories, the impact of three Valley institutions and their relationship with St. Mary’s Basilica. The Franciscan Friars will depart the Basilica this summer after 127 years of service to the community and this series is part of their Legacy Celebration.

On Sunday, March 12, Patricia Hollerbach will be the featured speaker to discuss St. Mary’s High School. Hollerbach graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 2009, and has served as the alumni relations coordinator and head coach for the girls basketball team for the past four years. Her position provides her the unique opportunity to meet with alumni from all decades and hear stories about the old high school location on Polk Street, as well as when the Franciscan Friars oversaw the school. She currently belongs to La Casa (Our Lady of Angels), where she followed the late Fr. Alonso de Blas, OFM. She married a fellow graduate and has three children, all slated to be “future Knights.” She is accompanied by Nicolle Hernandez Cunningham (Class of 1994) who brings her own insight into the history and relationship between the high school and Franciscans.