Central Catholic High School, Norwalk, CT

 

             Central Catholic High School was founded by the Most Reverend Lawrence H. Shehan, Bishop of Bridgeport with the support of the priests of Norwalk and the many contributors from the area served by the school.  The school was built to accommodate one thousand students.  Central Catholic opened its doors to 165 freshman students on September 9, 1959, with the Reverend James Desmond as principal. The following year, the Reverend Edward J. Scull was appointed principal by Bishop Walter Curtis.  The first class graduated in 1963.  

             In June of 1968, Rev. Scull was assigned to a parish.  Sr. Dorothea Penta, S.N.D. was named principal.   With the opening of Immaculate High School in Danbury,   fewer students came from the Ridgefield area.  At this time, many students chose to attend the new public high school further reducing the student population.  On March 31, 1972, Bishop Walter Curtis announced that the school would close in June of that year.  The shocked city of Norwalk rallied to save the school. Within seventy-two hours, $146,000 was pledged and the school remained opened.   At the end of the 1975 school year, Sister Dorothea resigned as principal.

            Mr. John Turchek was made principal for the next three years until June of 1978. The next principal to oversee the school was Mr. Richard Canfield , who remained in this position for eight years. In June of 1986, Mr. Canfield left to assume another position.

             The Reverend Thomas P. Thorne was appointed principal.  He served in that capacity until June of 1989, when he was assigned by the bishop to another mission in the diocese.

              The Reverend Robert Post became Central Catholic’s last principal until June 1990, when the school was closed by Bishop Edward Egan as a result of declining enrollment.  Tenured faculty members were placed in the other schools throughout the diocese.  Two of these faculty members are presently serving Trinity Catholic High School:  Mrs. Helen Kenderesi and Mrs. Judy Bassett.