More than 175 years ago, a group of courageous Catholics began the marvelous work of building a church, a sign to the entire community of a living faith. Mostly immigrants possessing few earthy goods, they still were strong in their hope, generous in their spirit of sacrifice, and far sighted in their vision. Other generations have followed, each with the same enduring qualities. We are their heirs. In gratitude and pride, we cannot be less committed.
The first Catholic families settled in the Stonington-Westerly area in the 1830s. Many were the families of the Irishmen who had come to work on the construction of the railroad. There were enough families late in the decade to seek the services of Catholic clergy to perform the sacraments for them.
In July of 1830, Father James Fitton was assigned to work with Catholics in Hartford, Connecticut, and to minister to the faithful throughout southern New England. It was at that point, in 1830, that he became “pastor” to the community that thirty years later would become the parish of St. Michael the Archangel.
Learn more about St. Michael Parish here.