Father Patrick Fogarty was a Holy Cross Father, whose contributions to Catholic education in Niagara were many. He came to Welland from New Brunswick in 1947 to serve as a teacher and athletic coach at Notre Dame College School when it was founded that year. He became the second principal of the school in 1952 and served in that role until 1958.
He was responsible for the financial aspects of Notre Dame, which was a private school at the time. The early years were difficult, not only financially, but also in attracting students, since there were no elementary feeder schools from which to draw students.
When Fr. Fogarty left Notre Dame, it was to take on the task of opening the second Catholic high school in Niagara, Denis Catholic Morris High School in St. Catharines. He served as principal there until 1970.
Fr. Fogarty also made significant contributions to Catholic education at the provincial and national levels. Seeing the financial difficulties facing Catholic high schools, Cardinal Carter asked Fr. Fogarty to work on seeking full funding for Catholic schools.
Fr. Fogarty also served as the spokesperson on educational matters for the Catholic Bishops of Canada.
Fr. Patrick Fogarty was recognized as a pioneer, builder and nurturer of Catholic education in the Niagara region. He passed away in 1985.