ANTHONY W. CIRONE, JR.
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
AWARD RECIPIENT

Tony Cirone has been an Immaculate High School board member in numerous capacities since 2010.  He is currently serving as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors as well as a member of the Board Finance Committee which he chaired for over six years. Tony has assisted with the financial stewardship of the school as well as being an advocate for the school to the local business community.

A Brookfield native, Tony graduated from Western Connecticut State University in 1988 with a BS in Accounting and later became a licensed CPA. After spending several years working in a large Connecticut based firm, he returned to Danbury to begin his own CPA practice in 1992.  

Tony is now the Managing Partner of CironeFriedberg, LLP a leading regional CPA firm serving middle-market, privately held and family-owned businesses and individuals with a full range of tax, audit, accounting, and business advisory services with office locations in Bethel, Shelton and Darien, CT.

While attending WCSU, Tony met his wife, Jen. They are the proud parents of Immaculate alumni Mike ‘15, Lauren ‘17, Kristen ‘19 and their youngest, Julia ’23. Each of their children graduated from Saint Rose School in Newtown. Tony and Jen’s commitment to Catholic education has been a priority; the faith-based education their children received enabled each of them to pursue acceptance to the college of their choice and ultimately to pursue a career path they enjoy.

Tony is an active leader in community and professional organizations. He is a member of the Boards of Directors of the Western Connecticut State University Foundation, Ancell School of Business at Western CT State University, the Associate Board of Directors, Nuvance Health, and The Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce where he also serves as Treasurer. He is a Corporator of Union Savings Bank as well as an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and The Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants.

MONSIGNOR THOMAS POWERS '83
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
AWARD RECIPIENT

Monsignor Thomas W. Powers, son of Thomas, Sr., and Margaret Mary, was raised in Newtown, CT, with his three sisters, Kathleen, Susan and Meghan, and his younger brother, Christopher. Members of Saint Rose Catholic Church, the four older Powers children attended Saint Rose of Lima School and all went on to Immaculate High School, where, during the academic year 1980-1981, there was one Powers child in each of the four classes at the school. While at Immaculate, Monsignor Powers played football and tennis, was engaged in several clubs and activities and served as Student Council President his senior year. After graduating from Immaculate in 1983, he attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, where he graduated in 1987 earning a B.A. in Economics and minoring in Finance. Upon graduation, Monsignor Powers worked as a financial consultant with Andersen Consulting in New York City and then, in 1991, spent one year performing volunteer work in Puerto Rico through the Center for Social Concerns of the University of Notre Dame.  In 1992, he entered Saint John Fisher Seminary in Trumbull, and, in 1993, was sent to the Pontifical North American College where he earned a Bachelor in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University and a Licentiate from the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. Monsignor Powers was ordained a priest on May 24, 1997.

After serving as Parochial Vicar at Saint Theresa Parish in Trumbull from 1998-2001 and as the Spiritual Director of Saint John Fisher Seminary and Chaplain of Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford from 2001-2005, Monsignor Powers was assigned as an Official in the Congregation for Bishops in Vatican City from 2005-2015. During that time, he lived at and served as a spiritual director at the Pontifical North American College. While in Rome, he was also tapped to be the “English-language voice of the Vatican” during Christmas Midnight Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica. In 2010, Monsignor Powers was named a “Chaplain to His Holiness” by Pope Benedict XVI. 

In 2015, Monsignor Powers returned to the Diocese of Bridgeport to serve as Vicar General. Since October 2020, while continuing in the role of Vicar General, he has been Pastor of Saint John Parish in Darien.