Father Frank Colacicco

Father Frank Colacicco was born September 22, 1930 to a large immigrant family in San Francisco. At an early age he became a brother with St. John the Cross which was a medical order. After several years he retired from the order and bought a rest home. After a few years he decided he wanted to go into the priesthood. He was able to receive his education for the priesthood in Rome. He was ordained May 29, 1979 at the age of 49 in the diocese of San Angelo, Texas. Father was pastor of two or three churches at the same time and had to travel many miles to say several masses on Sunday. After open heart surgery and being a severe diabetic he retired in 1995 returning to his home in the San Francisco area. Pastor Father Cardelli graciously accepted him in residence at St. Isidore's.

In 1996, a parishioner took Father Frank to an annual conference meeting of Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters). NPH, founded in 1954, is an organization that supports orphanages in Latin America. At the conference Father Frank sat next to Sister Phyllis Kelleher who persuaded him to go back to St. Isidore's and develop support for her children in Nicaragua. After a persuasive homily by Father Frank, Tori and Ann Ferrante were moved with compassion. They persuaded the Italian Catholic Federation to collect clothing and other goods and Tori who was in the shipping business arranged to ship it. This was the beginning of Father Frank's Kids.

Father Frank spent three to five months each year in Nicaragua with the children he loved and who loved him. Through his efforts, many containers were sent to the four orphanages in Central America; Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Father Frank always emphasized spirituality for the children. He raised funds to build a chapel at Casa Asis which was the home for the children under age five in Nicaragua. He also raised funds to build an amphitheater which was an extension of the chapel in Honduras seating 600. Father Frank's Kids provided money for the materials and the kids did the building.

Father died in Nicaragua on February 15, 2006 and was buried in front of the church on the premises of Casa Santiago Orphanage. He was to be honored at the dedication of the amphitheater the day after he died and no doubt he was watching from heaven on dedication day. Several years later, Father Frank’s remains were relocated from Casa Santiago to the chapel at Casa Padre Wasson in Jinotepe Nicaragua.