Knights of Columbus brighten the halls of St. Catherine Academy

Knights of Columbus Councils from St. Catherine of Siena and St. Theresa churches in Trumbull and St. Lawrence in Shelton recently volunteered to paint more than 4,000 square feet of St. Catherine Academy in Fairfield.

Knights and volunteers from the three churches painted the school’s main hallway, receptionist office, physical therapy room and vocational room over the course of four days. The school’s hadn’t been painted in roughly 4 years and needed a fresh coat of paint as well as spackling in several places.

“This is a wonderful act of faith in action. We are so appreciative of the time and effort that was put in to make our building shine! I hope that members of these councils will be regular visitors to Saint Catherine’s. They are always welcomed!”  Helen Burland, Executive Director of Saint Catherine Center for Special Needs exclaimed.

St. Catherine Academy is a special education school serving students of all faiths who are impacted with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities. The facility is intentionally designed to help students transition from former environments to one that encourages greater independence. Students develop positive self-esteem and self-confidence while acquiring the necessary skills to reach their potential for independent living or a return to a mainstream environment.

“As Knights of Columbus, it is our duty to act upon Jesus’ teaching of loving thy neighbor as thyself,” said Christian Meagher, grand knight of Knights of Columbus Council 5806 at St. Catherine of Siena. “When Helen told us that the school needed a new coat of paint, brothers from these three councils enthusiastically answered the call. We were all proud to help this wonderful school and support its mission to make sure everyone get a quality education and assistance in becoming independent.”

Meagher thanked Benjamin Moore for donating the paint for the project, Jersey Mike’s Subs for donating lunch for the volunteers, and members of all three parishes who donated funds and supply for the project.

For more information about the Knights of Columbus, visit kofc.org. To see before and after photos, https://goo.gl/photos/r1MjsNhTjPspv79D7.