Mount Saint John was founded as St. John's Industrial School in 1904 in Hartford. The Hartford property soon became too small to meet the needs of the growing residential school for boys in need of care. In 1907 the foundation stone for a new building was blessed and laid on the present site in Deep River by the Bishop of Hartford, and staff and residents moved in during the following year. A prominent local familythe Duggans of Deep River - had donated the property on which the residential school was built. A son of that family— a priest, Monsignor Thomas Duggan was a longtime friend and benefactor of this institution, as the plaque in the entrance foyer attests.
Article from
Sept. 19, 1907
A
worldwide teaching congregation, the Xaverian Brothers, staffed the school
from its opening until 1919. While much good work was done, the future of
the institution as an Industrial School was very uncertain. At the same time,
an orphanage for boys in Hartford, conducted by the Sisters of St. Joseph
of Chambery, was in dire need of more accommodations. It was agreed that the
orphanage would move to the Deep River site. The Sisters of St. Joseph administered
the home and school until 1958.
In 1953, the Diocese of Hartford (which at that time comprised the entire State of Connecticut) was divided into three dioceses, and Mount Saint John had come under the jurisdiction of the newly created Diocese of Norwich, as did all Catholic facilities in Middlesex, New London, Tolland, and Windham counties. The first Bishop of this new Diocese, Bishop Bernard J. Flanagan, undertook the substantial building and renovations at the institution. In 1958, following the opening of a large addition to the original building to house new dormitories, classrooms, and a gymnasium/auditorium, Bishop Flanagan appointed Father Kenneth Macdonald as Executive Director. It would prove to be a most significant decision, one that impacted positively, the whole future development of the institution.
Mount Saint
John began as an Industrial School under the Xaverian Brothers, which became
under the Sisters of St. Joseph an orphanage that later evolved into a Home
and School for Boys. This was in response to the changing needs of its resident
population for specialized help. Father Macdonald sent staff to graduate school
for their Masters degrees in Social Work. Many became licensed social workers.
Ultimately, therapeutic treatment was provided through a network of services
that were established to deal with the behavioral and educational problems
of the boys. Treatment plans were developed for each boy, enabling staff to
deal with each boy's problems on an individual basis. A Director of
Treatment Services was appointed to guide an interdisciplinary treatment team
in implementing the treatment plan for each boy. The range of specialized
services employed was recognized, approved, and is now used by the agencies
of the State of Connecticut, which purchase services for the boys they place
at Mount Saint John.
In December of 1990 Reverend Kenneth Macdonald retired from the position of Executive Director of Mount Saint John, a position he had held for 35 years. He had set in motion the building of Macdonald Hall and the renovations of Duggan Hall. Father Macdonald's replacement, as Executive Director, was Brother K. Paul McGlade, C.F.C., from Melbourne, Australia. Brother Paul had the initial task of overseeing the completion of the new building and renovations. At the same time, as Mount Saint John moved towards accreditation, and as the presenting problems of boys at intake became increasingly more complex, Brother Paul, with members of the senior staff and the Board of Directors, undertook a review of the whole program at Mount Saint John. This review is now an ongoing activity, and is part of the strategic planning process. As a living institution, Mount Saint John continues to develop its program to meet the evolving and changing needs of the times and of the boys who come into its care.
