Years after Catholic education disappeared from a central Connecticut city, a parish and a group of families are working with the archdiocese to open a new school in the fall of 2026.
Chesterton Academy of St. Francis of Assisi, a high school on the St. Francis property at 30 Pendleton Road, New Britain, will open next fall offering grades nine and 10, with plans to expand to 11 and 12 in the subsequent years, Rev. Michael T. Casey, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi and chaplain to Central Connecticut State University, said.
“People are very excited about it. This initiative was begun by a bunch of families in our parish. I had a generic idea that I wanted to start a school,” Casey said.
But he soon discovered a group of families in the parish had already begun the work of establishing a school. “It was their initiative meeting my openness and desire to do this.”
The families group, led by Peter Schwartz, had contacted the Chesterton Schools Network, a national organization that provides a framework, policies and curriculum that can be tailored to individual local Catholic schools. Chesterton Academy of St. Francis of Assisi will be part of the Chesterton network of schools.
“We deliver a turn-key academic and operational model that speeds the launch of affordable, classical, joyfully Catholic high schools and helps ensure sustainability and success,” the Chesterton Schools Network site says. “Through a partnership between the laity and the clergy, we aim to launch hundreds of schools worldwide, educating tens of thousands of students and ushering in a new era of growth and vitality in Catholic high school education.”
The parents group had intended to open a private school and rent the space from the Archdiocese of Hartford but Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne welcomed it as a parish school under the archdiocese, Casey said.
News of the new parish school comes just weeks after the archdiocese announced that the Catholic Academy of Hartford will open in 2026. It is the first Archdiocese Catholic school in the city since 2016, when St. Augustine school closed.
Coyne has advocated to bring Catholic education back to the city. The Hartford school, to be located at 765 Asylum Ave. will begin as a pre-kindergarten through second-grade institution, adding a grade level each year and ultimately offering pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, according to the Archdiocese. The Archdiocese purchased the building for $1.5 million, Coyne has said.
The Chesterton model to be used in New Britain, named for the 20th century British writer and Catholic convert G.K. Chesterton, offers a classical education rooted in Catholicism, Latin and high standards, Casey said.
Incoming classes of 25 freshmen and 25 sophomores are planned with a maximum eventual capacity of 150. Because the model of education is heavy on reading and discussion, classes will be limited to 25 students.
“The Catholic Church has a certain intellectual tradition and we want to be able to offer it to any families that would like to have their students educated in that tradition,” he said.
Tuition will be between $9,000 to $10,000 annually to make Chesterton accessible to more families – about half of what other area Catholic schools cost, Casey said. Financial aid will also be available.
As a result, some elements of standard 21st century schools will not be offered, including organized sports.
The school will be open to students of all faiths and backgrounds, though Catholicism will be integrated into all subjects and all students will participate in Mass at the beginning of each school day. The students will walk to the church for Mass, Casey said, making for a longer school day.
“It will be a vibrantly Catholic school and anyone who is open to learning and participating in that way is welcome,” Casey said.
The new initiative comes out of a period of growth for the New Britain church, Casey said. In 2022, four parishes were merged into St. Francis of Assisi Parish, initially formed in 1941, as the number of parishioners and priests declined. Schools and church buildings were shuttered.
“We have gone through a lot of changes in the city of New Britain in terms of the shape of the Catholic Church.” Of the restructuring, Casey said, “All consolidation is always with a view to new growth and a new future so we needed to take the steps to bring our community together.”
Since then, Casey said, attendance has grown.
“Our parish community is growing with regard to young families. We’re doing exponentially more baptisms than we were doing four years ago. Young people are definitely finding they’re very welcome here and there is an energy and a joy,” he said.
The school is working to hire a headmaster who will lead hiring and admissions, Casey said. They hope to have that person in place by Jan. 1.
“Our target audience is the greater New Britain and Greater Hartford Area,” Casey said. “We want it to be an option for people in the city of New Britain, particularly for Catholics, or if people are interested in Catholic education in the Greater Hartford Area.”
