Shamelessly stolen from the Franciscans: This photo of students from St. Francis Seraph School in Over-the-Rhine (Cincinnati) waving as the hearse carrying the body of billionaire philanthropist Carl Lindner passed by.
Lindner, who died last month at the age of 92, gave so much money to so many charities that it was difficult for news outlets to begin to list them all. One was this little school run by the Franciscan Friars of the Province of St. John the Baptist.
Carl Lindner wasn’t Catholic. Neither are most of the children who attend this school. Christian charity is ecumenical, and Carl Lindner -- like the Franciscans -- gave to everyone. The owner of United Dairy Farmers, American Financial Group and other companies, and a former owner of the Cincinnati Reds, Lindner grew up in Norwood (home of Sacred Heart Radio's studios), where he took over his family’s ice cream business while still in high school. In the tradition of American philanthropy, over the years the family foundation he established has given money to schools, museums, historic landmarks, hospitals, sports groups, arts groups, and many other area organizations of all types, secular and religious.
The 180 St. Francis Seraph children joined students at other schools, including the Norwood Marching Indians band, the Otto Armleder (Christian) School, members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and many other Cincinnatians who lined the route of his funeral procession. It began at Great American Ball Park and passed many of the companies he had owned and organizations he had supported, as well as many of his favorite places in the city he loved.
St. Francis Seraph wasn’t big enough to make most media lists of those places. But Lindner knew that even the smallest of the places he supportered is vastly important to the people who use and love it. And that’s great lesson for students of all ages.
