Alfred Boeddeker facts for kids
Alfred Boeddeker (born August 7, 1903 – died January 1, 1994) was an American Franciscan friar. A friar is like a brother in a religious order. He is famous for starting helpful programs for people in need in the San Francisco Bay Area.
These programs were named after Saint Anthony of Padua. They include the St. Anthony Dining Room, which opened in 1950. He also started the St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic in 1956. Another project was the St. Anthony Farm, a large piece of land near Petaluma, California. The dining room and clinic are part of the St. Anthony Foundation, which continues his work today.
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The Life of Alfred Boeddeker
Anthony Boeddeker was born in San Francisco, California. In 1921, he joined the Franciscans and became known as Brother Alfred. He became a priest in 1927. He studied theology at the Santa Barbara Seminary. He also worked at the St. Rafael Church in Goleta, California.
From 1930 to 1933, he studied in Rome, Italy. After returning, he taught for fifteen years. He taught at the Franciscan School of Theology. This school was located at the Mission Santa Barbara.
His Work in San Francisco
Father Boeddeker was chosen to start a Catholic university. This university was planned for Hankow, China. To get ready, he studied many languages. He learned Mandarin, Japanese, and Russian. He also studied Chinese history and politics. He did this at the University of California, Berkeley.
However, the plans for China were canceled. This happened after the Chinese Civil War in 1949. Father Boeddeker was then given a new role. He became the pastor of St. Boniface Church. This church is in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. He stayed there for the rest of his life.
Two of Father Boeddeker's famous sayings are displayed. You can see them on the walls of the St. Anthony Dining Room.
- “The great activity of our life is to love.”
- “I see God as one act—just loving, like the sun always shining.”
His Lasting Impact
A park and a recreation center are named after Father Boeddeker. They are located in the Tenderloin neighborhood. Inside the recreation center, there is a special sculpture. It is called Redding School, Self-Portrait.
The Redding School Sculpture
The artist Ruth Asawa created this sculpture. Children from Redding Elementary School helped her. The artwork is a bas relief mural. A bas relief is a type of sculpture that sticks out slightly from a flat surface.
The mural shows a portrait of Father Boeddeker. He is surrounded by children. It also shows scenes from San Francisco. You can see animals, street cars, cars, houses, airplanes, and birds. The mural is made from a strong material. It is called glass fiber reinforced concrete. Children from the school made images with pastry dough. These dough images were then added into the mural.
