Two Catholic Schools in West Hartford Receive Large Donations

An anonymous donor has awarded a $2 million donation that will be evenly distributed among ten Catholic Parish Schools across the Archdiocese of Hartford, said Archbishop Henry J. Mansell.

After the donor designated the recipient schools, the archbishop informed the following ten schools that they will receive $200,000.00 each: St. Mary – St. Michael, Derby; St. Vincent de Paul, East Haven; St. Aedan and St. Brendan, New Haven; St. Francis and St. Rose of Lima, New Haven; St. Mary, Newington; St. Peter-St. Francis of Assisi, Torrington; SS. Peter and Paul, Waterbury; St. John the Evangelist, Watertown; , West Hartford; and , West Hartford.

Each school will use their donation for three specific purposes: to increase enrollment, enhance academic programs, and to provide tuition assistance to families in need.

“If we take care of these fundamental areas, Catholic schools will be able to sustain themselves and continue to provide the excellent academic education, and faith-filled curriculum that cultivate our young people into moral citizens who will thrive in their communities,” said Archbishop Mansell.

In national standardized testing, students in the Archdiocese of Hartford consistently score two grades higher than their public school counterparts in the areas of reading, science, and math. In addition, since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education has recognized eight Catholic schools in the Archdiocese as Blue Ribbon Schools. This past November, Saint Gabriel School in South Windsor was the only private school in New England to be named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.

“Whether it is our outstanding academic record, our moral convictions, our community of faith, or our witness to Gospel values, benefactors are certainly taking notice of the excellent investment a Catholic school education represents to society,” said Hoyt.

This is the third major donation ($1 million and above) presented to Catholic schools in recent months. In early March 2012, another anonymous donor made a million dollar donation to SS. Cyril and Methodius in Hartford. The same donor gifted St. Augustine School in Hartford with two million dollars in 2011.

“A Catholic education is truly priceless, and it is a blessing to have people recognize this with these extremely generous donations,” said Hoyt. “It is with their support that we can continue to advance the educational and catechetical mission of the Catholic Church.”

Release submitted by the Archdiocese of Hartford