Crowds poured into the Church of St. Aloysius in northwest Washington Wednesday for a public tribute to a beloved priest and school leader.
Father Allen Novotny of Gonzaga College High School died suddenly last week. He was 58.
The public funeral was held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. All activities at the all-boys Catholic school were cancelled.
Those attending the service ranged from political leaders -- including Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley -- to school alumni, Catholic clergy from around the area and hundreds in the community whose lives were touched by Novotny.
Novotny served as president of Gonzaga for 16 years. During his leadership, he was credited with expanding the school’s downtown campus.
