Monsignor Francis Willenburg was a well known and deeply revered man in the Utica community, and he continues to be remembered even years after his death.

On Friday, leaders at Notre Dame Schools paid tribute to him as they opened the doors to their new facility, the Msgr. Francis J. Willenburg Center. 

"Father Willenburg was such a community person here in the Utica area, especially through Catholic Charities and through his work with the young and the old," said Rev. Robert Cunningham, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse.

The center provides additional space for athletics and the arts. It includes a new gymnasium and a stage, as well as other amenities.

"This multi-purpose facility will serve a number of functions," said Utica Notre Dame board president Jim Joseph. "They'll have plays here, there'll be concerts here, there will be gatherings just like we're having today. And of course, there'll be spill-over for the athletic teams, so they're not practicing at ridiculous hours of the morning and night."

The construction of the building was fully funded through a campaign the school initiated four years ago called the 'Make Our Kids World Ready' campaign. A $4 million scholarship endowment was also established from the donations. The fund was named after Dorothy Darby, a long-time supporter of the school. A plaque in her honor is displayed inside the new facility.