Torrington.INFO
  • Home
  • Community
    • Business >
      • Featured Businesses >
        • Act Natural
        • JoAnn Fabrics
        • Liberty Art & Framing
        • Litchfield Woods Health Care Center
        • Tots Treasures Kids Consignment
      • Business News
      • Business Support >
        • Kickstarters
        • Northwest Connecticut's Chamber of Commerce
        • Small Business Saturday
    • Creative >
      • Artists >
        • Dawn Hill
        • J. Timothy Quirk
        • Kath Bloom Artist
        • Marc Stolfi
        • Sue Berg
      • Musicians A-J >
        • Bipolar Jukebox
        • Carrie Johnson
        • Chrissy Gardner
        • Connecticut Yankee Chorale
        • Daphne Lee Martin
        • Eran Troy Danner
        • Frantic Blue
        • Gracie Day
        • ISH
        • Jacque Williams
        • Jay Roberts
        • Jamal Ford-Bey
        • John Macbeth
      • Musicians K-Z >
        • Kate Callahan
        • Kath Bloom
        • Krizta Moon
        • Lys Guillorn
        • Mission Zero
        • Robert C Fullerton >
          • Let It Rain
        • Robert Messore
        • Rocked N Loaded VII
        • Sarah Barrios
        • Sawtelles
        • St. Peter's Drum Corps
        • Susan Strand
        • Timothy Alexandre Wallace
        • Torrington Symphony Orchestra
        • Tracy Walton
        • Ultra Violets
        • Wildcat Hill
      • Performers >
        • DJ Tango
        • Nutmeg Chatter Show
        • Pocket Vinyl
      • Photographers >
        • Katina Hungerford
      • Talent Networks >
        • Performance Hub
        • Singer Songwriter Network
        • The Great American Songbook
      • Venues
    • Education >
      • Our City
      • Schools >
        • Helpful Tips
        • List of Torrington Schools >
          • Torrington High School
        • School Closings
        • School Honors
      • Libraries >
        • Electronic Libraries
        • Family Library Media Center
        • Julia Brooker Thompson Library
        • Library Associations
        • Torrington Library
      • Continuing Education >
        • Adult Education
        • Free Online Courses
        • Free Languages Courses
        • Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
    • Groups & Organizations >
      • Clubs & Fraternal Organizations >
        • Eagles Club
        • Elks Lodge
        • Knights of Columbus >
          • KC Craft Fair
        • Lions Club
        • Sons of Italy
      • Nonprofit Organizations
      • Religious Organizations >
        • Advent Christian Church
        • Calvary Baptist Church
        • Torrington Cluster of Catholic Churches
      • Scouting
    • Help Services >
      • Cold Weather
      • Children & Family >
        • FISH NWCT
      • Emergency Services
      • Diet, Weight Loss and Obesity
      • Food and Pantry >
        • Connecticut Food Bank
        • Friendly Hands Food Bank
        • Salvation Army
        • Trinity Soup Kitchen >
          • Donate to Trinity Soup Kitchen
      • Health Care >
        • Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH)
        • Health Care Coverage
      • Home Heating
      • Homeless Shelters
      • Mental & Emotional Health
      • Seniors
      • Substance Abuse
      • Veterans
      • Other Help Services
    • Parental >
      • Child Education
      • Child Safety >
        • Internet Safety >
          • 5 Basic Safety Tips
          • Internet Safety Resources
          • Online Safety Pledge
          • Understanding of the Dangers
      • Tips for Parenting
      • Missing Children
    • Seniors >
      • Fun for Seniors
      • Senior Benefits
      • Senior Discounts
      • Sullivan Senior Center
      • Tips for Seniors
      • Transportation
    • Pet Owners >
      • Lost, Found and Adoptable Pets >
        • Adopted
        • Returned Home
      • Pet Appreciation
      • Pet Events
      • Pet Fundraisers and Donations
      • Pet Helpful Information
      • The Pet Directory
    • Social >
      • Chat Rooms >
        • Chat Room Rules
        • Town Square Chat Room
      • Class Reunions
      • Meetups >
        • Torrington Trails Network
      • Online Connection >
        • Facebook >
          • Ways to Get Sued on Facebook
        • Forums
        • Blogs
    • Support >
      • Causes and Issues >
        • Homelessness >
          • Public Awareness
          • Resources & Solutions >
            • Ways to Help the Homeless
          • Tent City >
            • Overview
            • A Visit to a 'Tent City'
            • Tent City - Lakewood, NJ
        • Environment >
          • Humane Backyard
        • Hunger
      • Donations and Fundraisers >
        • Community Donations
        • Family Donations >
          • Hollis Lynee
          • Robert Blass
          • Thompson Family
        • Fundraisers >
          • Skip's Coat Drive
      • Make a Difference >
        • Create
        • Petition
        • Volunteer
      • Neighborhood Watch >
        • Missing Persons
    • Vote 2018
  • Calendar
    • February 2019
    • March 2019
    • April 2019
    • May 2019
    • June 2019
    • July 2019
    • August 2019
    • September 2019
    • October 2019
    • November 2019
    • December 2019
    • Submit Event
  • Leisure
    • Special Events >
      • City Wide Tag Sale Extravaganza
    • Arts & Entertainment >
      • Bachi's Restaurant
      • Five Points Gallery
      • Gina's Cafe
      • Nutmeg
      • O'Connor's
      • Remember When
      • Studio 59 Live Arts
      • Warner Theatre
    • Car and Motorcycle >
      • Car and Motorcycle Events
      • Virtual Drive
    • Department of Parks and Recreation
    • Downtown >
      • Art of the City
      • Downtown Experience
    • Health and Fitness >
      • Dance and Gymnastics
      • Meditation
      • Running
    • Holidays >
      • Birthday
      • Christmas >
        • Christmas Artwork
        • Christmas Events 2018
        • Christmas Music
        • Christmas Fire Safety Tips
        • Christmas Fun Facts
      • Earth Day
      • Easter
      • Election Day
      • Halloween >
        • Halloween Artwork & Clipart
        • Halloween Costume Ideas
        • Halloween Events
        • Facts and Myths
        • Recipe Treats
      • Hanukkah
      • Independence Day
      • ​Labor Day
      • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
      • Memorial Day
      • Mother's Day
      • New Years Eve
      • St. Patrick's Day
      • Thanksgiving >
        • Thanksgiving Artwork
        • Thanksgiving Events
        • Thanksgiving Kid Games
        • Thanksgiving Fun Facts
        • Thanksgiving Recipes
      • Veterans Day
      • Holiday Hope
    • Museums >
      • Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum
      • KidsPlay Children's Museum
    • Outdoor Recreation >
      • Parks and Facilities >
        • Coe Memorial Park
      • Walking, Hiking and Bicycling Trails
      • Campgrounds
      • Playgrounds
      • Skiing, Skating and Sledding
      • Sportsmen >
        • Steady Hands Shooting
      • Swimming
    • Kids Activities
    • Sports >
      • Athletics >
        • Forbes Flyers
        • Torrington Warriors Cheerleaders
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • BMX
      • Football >
        • THS Raiders
        • Torrington Warriors
      • Golfing
      • Tennis
      • Volleyball
    • Treasure Hunting >
      • Flea Markets, Swap Meets and Auctions
      • Tag Sales, Yard Sales, Garage Sales, Estate Sales
    • Getaways
  • Find It
    • Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Forms & Documents
    • Local Events
    • Search
    • Torrington Map
    • Wi-Fi Hotspots
  • News
    • Community Alerts
    • Weather Report >
      • Flooding
      • Snow
      • Lightening
    • Live Reports >
      • Crime Report
      • Police Report
      • Traffic Report
      • Webcams
    • News Feeds
    • Newspapers
    • Radio and TV >
      • WAPJ Torrington Community Radio
      • WZBG 97.3 FM
      • WTNH-TV News 8
      • United FM Radio
    • World News
  • Memories
    • Torrington History
    • Historic Landmarks
    • Events Past >
      • Fuse Fest 2016
      • Fundraisers Past >
        • Day of Caring Past
        • Holiday Craft and Gift Fair Past
        • Holiday Craft Show & Tag Sale Past
        • Miles 4 Moe Past
      • MSMP Past
      • Open Your Eyes Past
      • Peace Officers Memorial Day
      • Politics Past >
        • Voting Locations Past
        • Candidates 2013 >
          • Board of Education Elections 2013
          • Board of Public Safety 2013
          • Board of Selectmen 2013
          • City Council Elections 2013
          • Constables 2013
          • Mayoral Candidates 2013
          • Other Candidates 2013
          • Torrington Ballot 2013
      • Parades Past >
        • Memorial Day 2013
        • Memorial Day 2014
        • Memorial Day 2017
      • Touch A Truck Past
      • Tour of the Litchfield Hills Past >
        • 10th Anniversary Tour of the Litchfield Hills Past
      • Torrington Holiday Decorating Contest Past
      • Trunk or Treat Past
    • News past >
      • Best in Music Education
      • Gun Law Changes
      • MSMP 4Sale
      • Obsessed With Columbine
      • One Man Makes A Stand
      • School Lockdown
      • Taxpayers Right to Know
      • Tire Warehouse Fire
      • TMS Parents Outraged
    • Picture Gallery >
      • Post Cards
      • Slideshow
      • Tour Our City
    • The Way It Was >
      • Blizzard of 1888
      • Flood of 1955
      • Torrington Railroad
      • Torrington Trolley
    • Video Gallery >
      • City Tours Videos
      • Commerce Videos
      • Education Videos
      • Hazardous Weather Videos
      • Holiday Videos
      • Main Street Videos
      • News Report Videos
      • Performances Videos >
        • Studio 59 Videos
        • Warner Theatre Videos
      • Sports Videos
      • Strange and Bazaar Videos
      • Torrington Fire Fighters Videos
      • Torrington Parade Videos
      • Miscellaneous Videos
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Editor's Notes
    • Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • Disclaimer

Torrington Cluster Of Roman Catholic Parishes
Deanery: Litchfield | Vicariate: Waterbury


The Torrington Cluster of Roman Catholic Parishes is a group
of four Catholic churches
located in Torrington, CT.

The four churches include: St. Peter Church, St. Francis Church, Sacred Heart Church and St. Mary Church.

Picture
St. Peter Church - 107 East Main Street, Torrington, CT 06790  /  Established in 1907

During the period just after the Civil War, Torrington's Italians were served by Winsted's Father Leo Rizzo da Saracena, O.F.M. Soon the immigrants began attending St. Francis Church. On April 28, 1907, Father Joachim C. Martinez was named pastor of Italian immigrants by Bishop Michael A. Tierney and St. Peter parish was born. On May 11, this prelate presided at the groundbreaking for St. Peter's basement chapel on Center Street. The completed chapel was dedicated on November 15 by Msgr. John Synnott, administrator of the Diocese. Priests from St. Francis attended to St. Peter for a month. When Bishop John J. Nilan announced that St. Peter would be closed, a parish committee successfully appealed for the restoration of a permanent pastor. In response, on September 25, 1914, Father Salvatore Bonforti was appointed administrator. With the purchase of property on East Main Street in September 1926, the church expansion project progressed. Ground was broken for a new church on March 1, 1927. On May 13, 1928, Bishop Nilan dedicated St. Peter Church. In 1956.


Picture
St. Francis Church - 160 Main Street, Torrington, CT 06790  /  Established in 1877

In the 1830's as railroad construction attracted more Irish, Torrington, previously called Wolcottville, became the pastoral responsibility of Hartford. Father James Fitton celebrated the first area Mass in 1835. In November 1842 Torrington fell under Bridgeport's care. The area's six Catholic families then passed to Waterbury's charge from 1847 until 1851. Circuit pastors celebrated Mass in the Academy building on South Main Street where Father Fitton was alleged to have preached earlier. Winsted assumed jurisdiction in 1851. By July 1860, a frame church was erected by Father Michael Mangin. On October 4, 1874, St. Francis of Assisi mission was designated a parish by Bishop Francis P. McFarland, who then named Father Isaias da Scanno, O.F.M., first pastor. Father Patrick Duggan built a new brick Gothic church on a Main Street parcel. St. Francis was both dedicated and consecrated on November 13, 1887. It was allegedly the first parish in the nation claiming this dual ecclesiastical honor. A new school was built in the 1890s staffed by the recently arrived Sisters of Mercy. This original school building was replaced by a modern one in 1961.


Picture
Sacred Heart Church - 116 Grove Street, Torrington, CT 06790  /  Established in 1910

Slovak men of Torrington gathered themselves into the St. Joseph Society, a chapter of the First Catholic Slovak Union of America. At first, Torrington Slovaks found their spiritual home at St. Francis church, Torrington. Men of the St. Joseph Society purchased land for a church, aided by the wise counsel of Father Matthew Jankola of SS. Cyril and Methodius Church, Bridgeport. On June 15, 1910, Bishop John J. Nilan appointed Father Gaspar Panik as first pastor of the newly established Sacred Heart. Initially, the recently ordained priest used St. Francis Chapel and later St. Peter Church basement for his congregation. Slovak enthusiasm soon resulted in the dedication of Sacred Heart Church basement by Bishop Nilan on September 3, 1911. On May 30, 1923, Bishop Nilan dedicated the parochial school, which was staffed by the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius. The school closed in 1982.


Picture
St. Mary Church - 85 Pulaski Street, Torrington, CT 06790  /  Established in 1919

During the late 1800's, Polish immigrants were arriving in Torrington, previously known as Wolcottville. About 12 families comprising the Polish enclave at first attended St. Francis Church. In 1901 the immigrants organized a society, incorporated as the Roman Catholic Population of Waterbury. At last, on October 26, 1919, St. Mary parish was created when Father John P. Kowalski was named first pastor. Initially residing at Sacred Heart Church, he celebrated the first Masses for St. Mary in St. Francis chapel. A basement church was completed in 1921 and dedicated on October 5 by Bishop John J. Nilan. The completed church was dedicated on May 30, 1927. On June 12, 1960, ground was broken for a parochial school on the Bryant parcel on Forest Court and dedicated a year later. The school closed in 1984.


Picture
Contact:

  • Address: 160 Main Street, Torrington, CT 06790
  • Email: TorringtonCatholicParishes@yahoo.com
  • Phone: 860-482-4433  or  860-482-5571
  • Fax Number - 860-489-4070

*
office hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m.


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.