The dream of St. Joseph School began with the first pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Fr. William
Fitzsimmons. In the 1920’s Fr. Fitzsimmons started a building fund to which parishioners
donated twenty-five cents per week. Although this was during the time of the Depression,
enough money was raised to purchase the property on which the school is built. Fr.
Fitzsimmons’ dream was not realized during his lifetime, as he died in 1933. He was succeeded
by Father James Vincent Hussion, who died in 1936, also prior to the building of the school.
Under the pastorate of Fr. Denis O’Brien, a renowned scholar and educator at Mount St. Charles
in Maryland, who also studied in France and Germany, announced the building of St. Joseph
School in January 1937. The corner stone was set in place on May 30, 1937, before 800
parishioners.
St. Joseph School opened in September 1937 with an enrollment of 120 students in grades
kindergarten through 3. The school was staffed by the Sisters of Mercy with Fr. O’Brien as the
principal.
An additional grade was added each September until 1943, when St. Joseph graduated its first
class of twenty-three students. At this time the school was staffed by eight Sisters of Mercy and
one lay teacher, Mary McCarthy Leiper. Fr. O’Brien remained active as the school’s principal,
and the school continued to provide an excellent religious and academic education for the
children of St. Joseph Parish.
Upon the death of Fr. O’Brien in 1943, Fr. John D. Carey became the pastor and the principal of
St. Joseph School. He served until his retirement in 1961. Under his leadership, the parish and
the school enrollment continued to grow. Enrollment peaked at 300 students.
In January 1962, Msgr. Paul St. Onge was named pastor of St. Joseph Parish. At that time the
need for Catholic Education in the intermediate and middle grades forced the elimination of
Kindergarten through Grade 3, and the expansion of Grades 4 through 8 to two classes each. This allowed the school to serve this need.
A fundraising drive, headed by Msgr. St. Onge, to make improvements in the school and church,
was held during the 1960’s. As a result, a new wing was added to the school, which provided a
kitchen area, a small meeting room, an office, and an additional classroom.
In September of 1968, Sister Susan Carlin, RSM, arrived at St. Joseph School to serve as its first
teaching principal. In the spring of 1969, Sr. Susan became the full-time principal. In 1974,
under her guidance, Grades 1 through 3 were reopened and in 1976, the kindergarten was
re-established.
Lay teachers gradually replaced the teaching sisters and by 1979, Sister Susan was the only
remaining sister at St. Joseph. Under her guidance, a library was added within the school
building and the St. Joseph Home and School Association was established. During Sister Susan’s tenure as principal, St. Joseph School received its first accreditation from the Diocese of
Norwich and approval by the State of Connecticut. Sister Susan resigned in May of 1984,
leaving a completely lay staff at St. Joseph School.
In September of 1984, Mr. Frank A. Farina, formerly a teacher at St. Joseph School, returned to
the school as principal. Under Mr. Farina’s direction the curriculum was expanded to include
computer science, French, art, music, and band. New curriculum innovations were also put in
place within the traditional curriculum.
In the fall of 1988, Msgr. St. Onge retired as pastor of St. Joseph Parish, having given many
years of his priestly life in service to the people of St. Joseph Parish and the children of St.
Joseph School. His successor, Fr. Joseph Castaldi, continued to follow Msgr. St. Onge’s tradition
of moral and financial support for Catholic Education.
In 1988, Marianne Cote, arrived at St. Joseph School as its first teaching assistant principal and
in January 1998 was appointed principal. At this time Miss Cote became the second lay
principal of St. Joseph School and remains as the current principal in 2024-2025.
Teachers have been provided with many opportunities for professional development in all areas
of the curriculum and teaching methods, in particular faith formation through the Archdiocese of
Hartford.
The Home-School Association continues to support the school, not only through financial means,
but also through community building and service.
Upon the retirement of Father Joseph Castaldi in January of 2012, Father Mark O’Donnell was
appointed the pastor of St. Joseph Parish. Rev. Mark O’Donnell is currently the Pastor of the St.
Brendan the Navigator Catholic Community, made up of the parishes of St. Joseph and St. Mary
Star of the Sea in New London, St. Paul in Waterford, and Our Lady of Grace on Fisher’s Island,
New York. St. Joseph School is supported by the four Churches of this parish.
The pandemic brought with it the challenges of health and safety, additional technology, and
most importantly, new students to our Catholic School.
In 2025-26, St. Joseph School will celebrate its’ 88th year of providing Catholic Education to this
parish, surrounding parishes, and students of this local area. Remembering the contributions of
the Sisters of Mercy, St. Joseph School continues its excellent faith formation and academic
education, as well as it’s hospitable and welcoming culture. The St. Joseph School community is
a welcoming one in which all members have the opportunity to “discover each other in God’s
love.”