Full-day, full-year Catholic formation for the youngest children and their families; Melissa Ilski named Executive Director
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. August 26, 2026 — As the Catholic Church in Fairfield County continues to experience robust renewal and growth, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano today announced a new initiative that marks another step forward in that rebirth: the St. Carlo Acutis Early Learning Centers, a network that will bring Catholic education and formation to the youngest children in the Diocese and to their families.
The first center will open at St. Lawrence Parish in Shelton with additional centers planned in the future.
Melissa Ilski was recently named as the Executive Director for the St. Carlo Acutis Early Learning Centers.
Catholic renewal and education are flourishing across the Diocese, and the Early Learning Centers will extend that work to the years before a child ever enters a classroom. The centers will be established where Catholic early learning does not exist or once did and no longer does, complementing the PK3 and PK4 programs already thriving in our schools by reaching families whose circumstances require a full-day, year-round model.
The model is Montessori-inspired and rooted in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Each center will be fully licensed and operate in compliance with all applicable state and federal requirements governing early childhood programs. The St. Carlo Acutis Early Learning Centers will also pursue recognized quality standards and accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), widely recognized as a leading national benchmark for high-quality early childhood education. NAEYC standards will help guide program development and continuous improvement across the St. Carlo network.
“As the Catholic Church in Fairfield County continues to be renewed and to grow, I am delighted to announce an initiative that is another step forward in the robust growth we are experiencing in our local Church,” said Bishop Caggiano. “We are reaching out to the littlest among us, and to their parents, at the most formative time of their lives. This work is essential to the continued renewal of this Diocese. By the time a child arrives for First
Communion preparation, the habits of a household are largely formed. We intend to be present long before that, accompanying parents in their vocation as the first teachers of their children.”
The centers are conceived as a bridge between young families and their home parishes. Each will sit within a parish community, and pastors will be partners in the work. The Diocese expects the centers to become new pathways into Catholic education, introducing families to Catholic formation early and preparing them to continue in Catholic schools. A distinguishing feature of the model is its focus on the whole family. Formation is offered to parents alongside their children, on the conviction that the family is the first school of faith.
“From the moment I learned about the vision for St. Carlo Acutis Early Learning Centers, I knew there was something extraordinary being built here,” said Melissa Ilski. “Excellence in early childhood education begins with truly knowing the child and creating an environment filled with joy, beauty, wonder, and authentic encounter. To parents, our commitment is to walk alongside you during these incredibly formative years, to love and form your children well, and to build a community where your entire family can belong, grow, and flourish.”
The network takes its name from St. Carlo Acutis, canonized on September 7, 2025, the first saint of the millennial generation. An Italian teenager known for his devotion to the Eucharist and for using his skill with computers to catalogue Eucharistic miracles, he died at fifteen. His feast is celebrated on October 12.
Planning is advancing over the next sixty days. Renovation, program standards, and enrollment details are being finalized, and the Diocese expects to open registration in the months ahead. Further announcements will follow as
the work takes shape.
ABOUT MELISSA ILSKI
Melissa Ilski brings more than two decades of experience in Catholic education and early childhood leadership to the role. She comes to Connecticut from the Diocese of St. Augustine, where she served as principal of Guardian Catholic School. She previously served as center director for Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning in
Hershey, Pennsylvania, and spent approximately ten years as principal of St. Theresa Catholic School in Houston.
She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Lamar University and a bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University.
ABOUT THE ST. CARLO ACUTI S EARLY LEARNING CENTERS
The St. Carlo Acutis Early Learning Centers are an evolving network of Catholic early learning centers serving young children and their families in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The network is operated by St. Carlo Acutis Center, Inc., an independent 501(c)(3) organization.
