James Fitton was an American Catholic missionary, active in New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

.

Life

His father, Abraham Fitton, went to Boston from Preston, England; his mother was of Welsh origin and a Catholic convert. His primary education was received in the schools of his native city, and his classical course was made at Claremont, New Hampshire

Claremont, New Hampshire

There were 5,685 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had...

, at an academy conducted by Virgil Horace Barber

Virgil Horace Barber

Virgil Horace Barber was an American Jesuit.-Life:His father was Daniel Barber; like his father, Virgil was a Catholic convert. He himself said that the first step leading to his conversion was the reading of "A Novena to St...

, a Catholic convert. He learned theology from Bishop Fenwick

Benedict Joseph Fenwick

Benedict Joseph Fenwick, S.J. was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. A Jesuit, he served as Bishop of Boston from 1825 until his death in 1846.-Early life and education:...

, by whom he was ordained priest, 23 December 1827.

He travelled, often on foot, from Eastport

Eastport

Eastport may refer to:* Eastport, California, United States* Eastport, Maine, United States* Eastport, New York, United States* Eastport, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada...

 and the New Brunswick

New Brunswick

New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...

 line on the northeast, to Burlington

Burlington, Vermont

Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....

 and Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...

 on the northwest; from Boston in the east, to Great Barrington

Great Barrington

Great Barrington is the name of more than one place:*Great Barrington, Gloucestershire in England*Great Barrington, Massachusetts in the United States...

 and the Berkshire Hills in the west; from Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

 and Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

 in the southeast, to Bridgeport

Bridgeport

Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut.Bridgeport may also refer to:-Places:In Canada:* Bridgeport, Nova ScotiaIn the United States:* Bridgeport, Alabama* Bridgeport, California, in Mono County...

 and the New York State line in the southwest. During his missionary career he was pastor of the first Catholic church at Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...

, and at Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....

. He erected the church of Our Lady of the Isle at Newport.

In 1840, while pastor of the church at Worcester

St. John's Catholic Church (Worcester, Massachusetts)

St. John's Catholic Church, established in 1834, is an historic Roman Catholic parish church in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is the oldest established Catholic religious institution in the city, and the oldest Catholic parish in New England outside of Boston...

, he purchased the site of the College of the Holy Cross

College of the Holy Cross

The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...

, and erected a building for the advanced education of Catholic young men. In 1842 he deeded the grounds and building to Bishop Fenwick

Benedict Joseph Fenwick

Benedict Joseph Fenwick, S.J. was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. A Jesuit, he served as Bishop of Boston from 1825 until his death in 1846.-Early life and education:...

, who placed it under the care of the Jesuits. In 1855 he was appointed by Bishop Fenwick pastor of the church of the Most Holy Redeemer in East Boston. Here he worked for the remaining twenty-six years of his life, and built four more churches.