Middletown to Soon House Regional Catholic Elementary School

The Bishop of Norwich announced that the pastors of St. John School and St. Mary School in Middletown, with the support of their boards of education, are preparing to recommend a new regional Catholic elementary school to open September to serve all families in the greater Middletown area who wish to have their children receive a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade Catholic education. 

The newly named Blessed John Paul II School will be formed by joining St. John School and St. Mary School into one location, with the vision to expand the student body beyond the combined enrollment of the two schools.

The new school will be housed in the current St. Mary School building, centrally located on South Main Street in Middletown. 

Under the leadership of the Superintendent of Schools, the regionalization model could, over time, be considered for adoption in other regions of the Diocese of Norwich. By consolidating current school venues that may be in close proximity to each other — stronger, more efficient and better resourced regional schools will become a natural solution to preserving Catholic education in the Diocese. 

The transitional plan in Middletown would provide the opportunity for current St. Mary and St. John School teachers, principals and support staff to apply for a position at the new regional school. Reverend Richard Sliwinski, Pastor of St. Mary of Czestochowa Parish, will be the spiritual leader of the new school.  To ensure financial viability, the forward plan will require that each of the ten parishes in the Middletown Deanery begin in 2014, on a scaled basis, to contribute to the new regional school.