While the post Second World War years were booming, Bishop Edmund Fitzmaurice, of the Diocese of

Wilmington, purchased a nine acre farm on Milltown Road to establish a Catholic parish in the growing

suburbs between Wilmington and Newark Delaware.  Some 500 families began congregating at the armory

on Kirkwood Highway for Sunday Mass.  

 

In 1955, Rev. John J. Sheehy, was appointed the founding pastor of the parish that was placed under the

patronage of Saint John the Beloved.  By 1957, the hall, school and convent were constructed simultaneously

and dedicated.  The former building served as the church until 1976.

 

Seven Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia moved into their new residence in August 1957 and began

preparations for students to enter their new school.  On September 4, 1957, Sister M. Eutropia, OSF, the grade

school principal, along with four sisters and four lay teachers, opened the doors to approximately 500 students.  

The school at this time was a nine classroom structure.

 

With time, St. John the Beloved School expanded and was heralded with increasing enrollment from 500 in

1957 to 940 in 1963, requiring the scheduling of split academic sessions, under the principalship of Sister Edward

Augustine, OSF.  To meet the demands of this growth a new junior school was built In 1964.

 

The third principal of our school was Sister M. Synesia, OSF.  In 1971, Sister M. Rita Thomas, OSF, assumed

the principalship and introduced updated teaching methods while the school’s population continued to increase

and once again in 1983, the need was recognized to enlarge the school.  With the help of our fifth pastor, Rev.

Daniel Gerres, and our fifth principal, Sister Patricia Hutchison, OSF, plans to renovate and extend the existing

 junior and senior school were developed.  

 

The vacant areas between the two schools would join the educational buildings and house a new library/media

center, two small reading centers, a religious education center, the principal’s office and multi-purpose office

and allow a required computer center.  Construction began in the winter of 1983 and was completed by the fall

of 1984 when Sister Ursula Tisdall, OSF, assumed principalship.

 

In 1985, the school’s Long Range Planning Committee was established with the goal to provide for the future

needs of the school in such areas as:  budgeting, maintenance, funding, public relations and development.  In

1986, the Christian Formation committee was established with the task to promote and review educational

policies and programs that support total Catholic education.  Another milestone was reached in 1987-88 with

the completion of the Middle States process for school certification.  

 

In 1987, the Rev. John Kavanaugh became our parish’s sixth pastor.  In September 1988, Sister Elizabeth

Doyle, OSF assumed principalship.  In January 1989, the school was granted full accreditation.   A Development

Committee was also formed in 1989 to meet the long-range educational needs of St. John the Beloved Parish

to provide quality spiritual and educational enrichment that would not be cost prohibitive for its parishioners.  

 

Mrs. Joanne Capodanno became the principal in 1994.  The 1998-99 school year brought more changes to the school.

 The Eagles Club, an after-school extended day program, opened its doors in September 1998.  The

process for the Middle States Certification was undertaken and reaccreditation was given in the spring of 1999.  

The computer lab was upgraded and a technology committee was formed.  The building was also wired to

provide access to the Internet.

 

Msgr. Charles Brown was installed as the seventh pastor of St. John the Beloved Parish in the fall of 2005.  

Mr. Richard Hart assumed principalship in 2008.  St. John the Beloved School received its reaccreditation

from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools during the 2008-09 school year.

 

With the enrollment of 600 students in 2010, the expansion of our school with the addition of a separate

building to house our new Early Childhood and Kindergarten Programs was accomplished.  This also provided

space for our new Art, Faculty, and Multi-purpose meeting rooms along with renovation of established areas,

like the Nurse’s Office.  The Computer Lab was updated to meet the technological advancement of the time.

 

In June 2012, Reverend William Cocco was installed as eighth pastor of St. John the Beloved.  The Parish

offices were moved from the rectory to the former convent.  A percentage of the funds collected through the

Diocesan Capital Campaign, of that time, helped to establish a trust for future school needs.  Reverend Joseph Piekarski

was appointed our Pastor in 2015 in time for the celebration of our parish’s 60th anniversary.

 

St. John the Beloved School was awarded the 2016 National Blue Ribbon being in the top 15% of outstanding

schools in the nation.  Mr. Hart was awarded the NCEA Lead, Learn, Proclaim Award and completed the

Emmaus Service for Catholic School Leaders in 2018.  In that year, remodeling of the first floor took place

with a new security system including cameras and door locks were installed in the school and parish campus.

 

The roof of the parish hall was completely renewed and it’s interior continually remodeled.  A security system

was added to the building that houses our luncheon program, after care and athletic activities.  The technological

updating in all areas of our campus are ongoing from year to year.

 

The recent COVID pandemic was heroically undertaken by the parish and school staff with state and diocesan

protocols strictly followed.  The dedication of our teachers allowed our students to continue and complete their

learning, via virtual and in-class, for the end of the 2019-20 and entire 2020- 2021 academic years.  With 513

students this 2021-2022 year, St. John the Beloved School continues to lead in Catholic education with Gospel

values and Franciscan spirit into its sixty-fifth year.