1949
September: The first classrooms of our parish school opened, using the basement of the rectory. Two Benedictines, Sister Dolores and Sister Marie Consolata taught 22 children in the first grade and 13 children in the second grade. The sisters commuted daily from the Sacred Heart Convent in Wilmington with Father McDonough as their chauffeur.
1952
October 29: A motel on the southwest corner of Dupont Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue was purchased and converted into a home for the nuns. A year later, they moved in, terminating their daily trip from Wilmington. The teaching staff now numbered four sisters; Sister Elizabeth, Sister Carmelita, Sister Kevin, and Sister Margaret Therese.
1955
February 21: As our school grew and required more sisters, a larger convent had to be provided. To make land available, the parish was granted ownership of the portion of Grant Avenue which divided the property. Father Dwyer engaged F. Leonard Slagle, a Washington architect, to design the building.
September: When the new school opened, the number of nuns doubled. Sister Rosalia, Sister Kevin, Sister Margaret Therese, Sister Marita, Sister Regina Marie, Sister Stephen and Sister Agnes taught grades one through seven with Sister Elizabeth as Superior and Principal. At this time the parish consisted of 900 families with an enrollment of 450 children in the school. Of these there were 92 pupils in the first grade and 87 in the second grade.
1957
June: The first class consisting of 26 pupils graduated from Our Lady of Fatima School. Most of these graduates were then enrolled in our High School using newly renovated classrooms in the old hall. However after two years the High School was discontinued and the children were transferred to established high schools. The hall was subsequently utilized by the Elementary School.
1958
July 3: The contract was signed by diocesan authorities, the pastor, lay trustees Mr. Daniel Matassino and Mr. Howard Weston and was awarded to Facciolo Construction Company of Wilmington at $116,000.
July 10: Father Dwyer blessed the ground and construction began.
September: Within two months, our school children put the Dialogue Mass into full effect at their weekly Masses.
1959
August: The parish membership increased every year and reached a point where more than 100 students were enrolled in the first grade.
1961
September: Having facilities to house our students, it was an easy decision to establish two first grades. However, Msgr. Desmond found it impossible to staff the school with nuns only and Miss Gwen Page (n.e Hession) joined the faculty.
1964
During the next several years fewer nuns were assigned to our school and the number of lay teachers increased. This was not the most pressing problem however. Double grades necessitated expanding our school facilities quickly. This was accomplished by renting “Little Red Schoolhouses.” These prefabricated classrooms were assembled in the parking lot and relieved the crowded conditions until the second floor of the school was added.
1966
October 14: The students and faculty of our school were thrilled when the President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson stopped to chat and shake hands. They lined the highway to observe the President’s motorcade heading to the airport from Wilmington. One of the students, Cindy Skibicki, was elated when the President shook her hand three times.
December: After Christmas vacation, all children were housed in one school building which included a larger library, spacious office for the principal and secretary, plus two unoccupied classrooms.
1971
September: Paying the salaries of the constantly increasing lay faculty became one of the greatest problems encountered by the people of our parish. Our financial status was at its lowest peak, and closing of the school was seriously considered. After a thorough evaluation of a carefully prepared budget and a favorable response from the parishioners, it was decided to continue the school.
1974
Sister Marcella Marie was appointed as the first Director of Religious Education and Music Coordinator. The original Folk Group was also organized at this time.
1976
After 25 years of teaching at Our Lady of Fatima, the remaining five Benedictine Sisters were withdrawn from the school by their Order. With their departure, the school opened with a staff comprised entirely of lay teachers – the first in the diocese to do so. The convent was then used as a semi-retirement home for the Sisters of St. Francis at Glen-Riddle, Pennsylvania.
Mike McMahon was hired as the first salaried Director of Liturgy and Music in the parish. The first musical reviews were organized and presented in the parish under the Direction of Father Paul Mast, whose successful presentation of “Fiddler on the Roof” was the group’s first offering.
1977
September: Two half-day sessions of Kindergarten were added to the school with a total of 50 children, which helped maintain the student enrollment of some 617 children.
1978
June: The “June Fair”, an outgrowth of the original “Strawberry Festival,” became a regularly scheduled June event and soon became the top fund raiser for the parish. Bingo likewise experienced a resurgence among the church members and had become a popular Tuesday night outing for many dedicated players.
1984
June 7: The first Pat Wham Humanitarian Award was presented. Following Pat’s untimely death, the award was established by Outreach volunteers. It was presented to an eighth-grade student who most displayed Pat’s Christian qualities of serve to church and school.
September: A full day session of kindergarten was added to the school for twenty-five new students.
1985
September: The initial “Latch Key” program was instituted at the school. Children, who would perhaps have to go home to an empty house, were now able to remain after school in a safe, supervised environment. The parish school also received complete accreditation by the Middle States Accreditation Bureau.
June: A Memorial Award in remembrance of Richard Frechette, a devoted sports enthusiast and coach within the parish was established. The award was presented annually to an eighth-grade boy and girl in recognition of their outstanding athletic ability.
1988
Our school had a total enrollment of 532 students, and 28 lay teachers and aides. The building had 18 total classrooms, a library, and a multi-purpose hall.
1997
October: World Youth Day – our parish youth group traveled to Paris, France. The Fatima pilgrims presented His Holiness Pope John Paul II with the first of our pewter medallions designed for the Golden Jubilee celebration.
1999
With the onset of new developments in the southern part of the county, we saw a surge of families heading south toward the Middletown, St. Georges and Townsend area. With this, a new school and church were built to accommodate those living in that area.
2008
One of our past students, Amanda M. Cook McLain developed our parish symbol of a diamond with Our Lady of Fatima as its center point.
2014
Catholic Education and our school began to see a decline in attendance and was closed due to lack of enrollment.
September: The school building was then rented out by the Delaware Academy of Public Safety and Security (DAPSS), a charter high school for the State of Delaware.
2018
September 25: Due to lack of enrollment and funding, DAPSS was closed.
2022
The first floor of the school building was rented by the Messiah’s Angels, an adult day program, while the second floor was used by the RCIC program.
2024
The RCIC program held its last year in our building. It was then moved to the recently closed St. Peter’s school building in Historic Old New Castle.
Excerpts and Images from “Church in the Round,” “25 Years of Growth – 1948-1973,” “Our Lady of Fatima – 40th Anniversary Celebration,”
