San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk Honors Fr. Piperni

Beloved North Beach priest, educator, and mentor to be honored Friday, Sept. 5 @ 12 PM

San Francisco, CA – August 16, 2025 – The San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk (SFLIHW), in partnership with Sts. Peter & Paul Church and the Salesian Boys’ & Girls’ Club will pay tribute to Father Piperni with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque in North Beach. The ceremony will take place on Friday, September 5, from 12:00–1:00 PM PT across the street from the church at 666 Filbert Street, honoring Fr. Piperni’s enduring commitment to faith, education, and mentorship of generations of young people from San Francisco’s Italian-American community. The plaque will join a distinguished series of tributes recognizing Italian American leaders who have shaped the city, state, and country.

Event Details

Friday, September 5, 2025

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

666 Filbert Street - on the border of Washington Square Park and across the street from the Sts. Peter & Paul Church. In the heart of North Beach, San Francisco’s Italian neighborhood.

• 12:00 PM — Plaque unveiling

• 12:45 PM — Photo Opp/Press Interviews

“Fr. Piperni believed in the transformative power of learning — not only in the classroom, but through mentorship, compassion, and community. His work with children at the Salesian Boys’ & Girls’ Club shaped countless lives and reinforced the idea that every young person deserves guidance, opportunity, and hope. Honoring him in the San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk ensures that his devotion to education and youth will continue to inspire generations to come.”

-- Gina von Esmarch, President, SFLIHW

About Fr. Piperni

For decades, Fr. Piperni was a cornerstone of North Beach, serving at Sts. Peter & Paul Church and dedicating his life to the Salesian Boys’ & Girls’ Club. With tireless energy, an open heart, and faith in every child’s potential, he built programs that offered education, athletics, mentorship, and a safe haven for generations of San Francisco youth. His influence extended beyond the parish, uniting families, immigrants, and children into a community defined by resilience, faith, and opportunity. Alumni of the Salesian programs recall his guidance as life-changing, shaping their paths as students, citizens, and leaders.

About San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk: Founded in 2023, the San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk, Inc. (SFLIHW) celebrates, preserves, and enriches Italian-American heritage and culture in San Francisco's Little Italy, located in North Beach. Its mission is to honor the voices, struggles, and triumphs of those who shaped this vibrant community. The bronze plaques, situated on the sidewalks of North Beach, will form the San Francisco Little Italy Honor Walk, starting from the lively core of Washington Square, along Columbus Avenue and Broadway, and running along some adjacent streets.

All plaque unveilings will be open to the public, inviting community members to celebrate the remarkable legacies of these honorees.