About St. Frances de Chantal School

St. Frances de Chantal Parish School opened its doors for the first time in September of 1930, welcoming 150 students in Grades 1 through 4. Academic instruction took place under the guidance of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion. The original school building also housed the parish church, and the Parish Center has always served as the auditorium and cafeteria.

In the mid-1950’s St. Frances de Chantal parish experienced a time of rapid growth and expansion. Plans to build an addition to the school began and the parish started to buy up land on which to build a new and larger church.  An additional wing to the school containing 16 classrooms was built in 1957, completing the school’s campus.  A convent was built during this period, flanking the school and the rectory.  In 1971 the newly constructed church was opened across the street from the convent and rectory and the original church was converted into a Gymnasium for the school.  Many of the masons who built the church were parishioners who were Italian immigrants.

The Throggs Neck neighborhood of the Bronx and St. Frances de Chantal Parish and School were originally populated predominantly by Italian and Irish families until the late 1970’s when the new populations moved into the area.  Hispanics, Asians and African Americans made Throggs Neck their home, and St. Frances de Chantal the school of choice for their children.  Until this day, the neighborhood and parish remain heavily Italian and Irish, and families with two and three generations of St. Frances de Chantal School graduates are still active members of the parish.

Eddie Connors, who was in the first graduating class at St. Frances de Chantal School in 1936 went on to become Msgr. Edward Connors, Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of New York.  Mrs. Roseann Pignatelli-Carotenuto, who began her teaching career at St. Frances de Chantal School in the mid-1970’s is now the Bronx Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese.  Fr. Michael Sullivan, current pastor of St. Frances de Chantal Parish served as a teacher at SFdC for four years before finishing his studies at St. Joseph’s Seminary and becoming a priest.  Ms. Denise O'Connell has been named principal of St. Frances de Chantal School in July of 2010. 

St. Frances de Chantal School has proudly counted many of its graduates amongst our faculty and staff throughout its history.