More than a thousand members of the Siena community, along with area dignitaries, gathered in the ARC on September 17 for a memorial Mass honoring Siena's late president.
Br. Ed Coughlin, who died July 30 following complications from heart surgery, was remembered as a kind and humble man whose daily life was a witness to his religious faith and the Franciscan tradition on which Siena was founded.
Toward the end of the Mass, the new The Br. F. Edward Coughlin O.F.M., Endowment to Advance Franciscan Values was announced by John Murray '79, chairman of the College's Board of Trustees. For more information on how to contribute to the fund, click here.
The endowment will support the Siena mission and its intrinsic connection to the values of St. Francis of Assisi. It was founded by the Coughlin family and their in-laws, the Pingelski family.
"We want to make sure Br. Ed's love for Siena's Franciscan tradition continues," said Murray. "Let us continue to live the Franciscan values that Br. Ed taught us."
Siena's Board and the friars of the Holy Name Province have already raised $1 million in support of the endowment, and the College hopes to raise another $1 million.
Earlier on Tuesday a group of invited students joined Br. Ed's family for a luncheon at Massry Dining Hall to share their personal memories about Siena's 11th president. The mass featured a tribute video highlighting Br. Ed's transformative impact on the Siena community. Click on the play button in the lower corner of the image below to view.
