by Mrs. Gertrude Lewis
In the 20 years that followed the creation of the first Catholic parish in South Windsor, the Town grew rapidly and so, too, the Catholic population. In 1961, the Archbishop of Hartford, the Most Reverend Henry J. O’Brien, split the St. Francis parish and created a new one, St. Margaret Mary, on the north side of the Town. The modern church was built immediately and dedicated in the fall 1963.
It is interesting to note that the location of the church, near the corner of Hayes and Nevers roads, is close to the spot where the first Catholic mass was said in the Town of South Windsor. History records indicate that this first service was held at the Carney homestead on Nevers Road.
Please note that despite possible inaccuracies, we will include the description of each quilt square as published in the 1995 revised and corrected second edition booklet. This second edition was published in celebration of South Windsor’s “sesquicentennial” anniversary, 1845-1995, and was dedicated to the memory of Gail Woodard, who passed away in 1994. The revised edition was compiled by Charles E. Woodward in September, 1995, with the assitance of Doris Burgdorf who provided many historical corrections.