Our History
Saint Catherine Academy was founded in 1999 by Cardinal Edward Egan, the third Bishop of Bridgeport. Through the generosity of a private donation, planning began in January of 1999 for a school run by the Diocese of Bridgeport dedicated to students with special needs. In August of 1999, St. Catherine Academy opened of the campus of the Catholic Center in Bridgeport and enrolled four students.
Within three years the number of students grew to ten. In June of 2003, St. Catherine Academy was granted approval by the State of Connecticut Department of Education as a private, special education facility which enables the school to accept placements from public school districts. Growth continued and by 2005 the school had outgrown the facility at the Catholic Center. A major capital campaign began and hundreds of generous donors responded and on June 11, 2006, the Bishop William Lori broke ground for a new state-of-the-art facility at 760 Tahmore Drive in Fairfield.
In June 2007, Saint Catherine Academy celebrated the first graduation. Bishop Lori presented a diploma to our first graduate. On September 30, 2007, Bishop William Lori dedicated the new facility for St. Catherine Academy on the grounds of Holy Cross Church in Fairfield. The State Department of Education extended approval in June 2008.
