About

A Christian Brothers School

About The Christian Brothers

Inspired by Brother Edmund Ignatius Rice, the founder of the Congregation of Christian Brothers, Catholic Memorial School seeks to lead all of its students in realizing their fullest potential as educated gentlemen who practice Catholic ideals in service to God and society.
The Founder of the Congregation of Christian Brothers was Blessed Edmund Rice. Brother Rice was born a Catholic in County Kilkenny, Ireland in 1762 and died in Waterford, Ireland in 1844. He was a wealthy businessman, a widower and parent. At a time when most Irish people were extremely poor and living under repressive laws, Brother Rice was fortunate to work in his uncle’s business and became a wealthy and influential citizen of the city of Waterford.
 
Edmund seemed to have everything — financial security, a prospering business, and a happy marriage. But in 1789, his wife died in a tragic accident. He struggled to find meaning in her death and heard the Word of God in the poor, uneducated, marginalized young boys of Ireland. At a time when Catholic schools were illegal, he began what seemed the impossible task of educating Ireland's poor.
 
Brother Rice founded the Congregation of Christian Brothers in 1802 in Waterford. The Brothers first came to the United States in 1906 and opened their first school in Harlem, New York in 1909. The Congregation of Christian Brothers founded Iona College in 1940.
 
His Holiness John Paul II beatified Edmund Ignatius Rice on October 6, 1996, in St. Peter's Square. The Pope called him “an outstanding model of a true lay apostle and a deeply committed Religious.“ “Today, his spiritual sons, the Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers, continue his mission. It is a mission which he described in this simple and clear intention: ‘trusting in God's help, I hope to be able to educate these boys to be good Catholics and good citizens.' "
 
Blessed Edmund Rice was beatified after the Church recognized a medical miracle that was the result of people praying to the founder for his intercession with God. The miracle was a patient’s recovery from a terminal medical condition that doctors could not explain. With beatification, Edmund Rice was declared a "blessed" member of the Church.
 
The Congregation of Christian Brothers believes that its greatest resources are the minds and hearts of our children. They believe the greatest investment we can make, as a society, is to provide our children with strong, value-centered educations, allowing them to grow into healthy citizens who will contribute positively to society. The Congregation of Christian Brothers has successfully provided this form of education for over 200 years in 250 schools and colleges throughout the world.
 
In addition to Catholic Memorial School the charism of Blessed Edmund Rice influences another school in New England, Bishop Hendricken high school in Warwick, Rhode Island.  Edmund Rice Christian Brothers also operate educational institutions in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, South Carolina, California, Illinois, Michigan, Hawaii, and British Columbia.  They also support missionary efforts in Lima, Peru and Cochabamba, Bolivia.

The Christian Brothers' Mission

List of 7 items.

  • I. Evangelize Youth within the Mission of the Church.

    • Proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed.
    • Permeate the entire curriculum, activities, and all aspects of the educational process with the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.
    • Encourage young people to have a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
    • Provide opportunities for liturgies, retreats, vocation awareness workshops, and daily prayer

  • II. Proclaim and Witness to Catholic Identity.

    • Give priority to religious instruction with opportunities for faith development and theological understanding.
    • Participate in the sacramental life of the Church and model a living faith through the use of rituals and symbols.
    • Foster devotion to Mary and the communion of saints.
    • Ensure that Catholic identity permeates all endeavors: all classes and activities, procedures and policies, services and programs.

  • III. Stand in Solidarity with those Marginalized by Poverty and Injustice.

    • Promote policies and structures that reflect a climate of compassion for the poor and disadvantaged.
    • Include education and advocacy for peace, justice, global awareness, and care for the Earth.
    • Prepare students to work toward the creation of a just society.
    • Encourage ministry experiences that work with and serve the poor and marginalized.
    • Support mission areas at home and abroad.
    • Establish tuition and scholarship policies that open educational opportunities to the poor and disadvantaged.

  • IV. Foster and Invigorate a Community of Faith.

    • Provide a disciplined, safe atmosphere in which students are free to grow and take responsibility for their own learning and for the life of the community.
    • Sustain compassionate, respectful relationships among all stakeholders.
    • Be in union with the Church through a commitment to service and formation of community.
    • Encourage faculty and staff to give daily witness to their integral role in communal faith formation.
    • Embrace the human condition and welcome God's healing.

  • V. Celebrate the Value and Dignity of each Person and Nurture the Development of the Whole Person.

    • Promote respect for each individual as created in the image and likeness of God.
    • Value the diversity of the human family and seek to reflect diversity among the students, faculty, and staff.
    • Promote strong programs for personal, professional, and pastoral care.
    • Offer co-curricular activities and programs that are important to a student's holistic education.
    • Strive to provide just remuneration for faculty and staff.

  • VI. Collaborate and Share Responsibility for the Mission.

    • Empower all members of the community to share in the mission.
    • Work with parents who are the primary educators.
    • Collaborate with Edmund Rice Christian Brother ministries on local, regional, and international levels.
    • Foster a deeper understanding of the vision of Blessed Edmund.
    • Promote active participation in governance by boards and diocesan officials.

  • VII. Pursue Excellence in all Endeavors.

    • Promote a strong academic curriculum and cultivate a desire for excellence.
    • Develop an educational culture that fosters the growth of the whole person, higher-order thinking, and life-long learning.

Become a Man of Action at Catholic Memorial

CM prepares students for the rigors of college and beyond. While here, boys embark on service-learning opportunities, leadership development, and character formation programs inspiring them to become confident, courageous young men motivated to do good in the world. 

List of 1 items.

  • Catholic Memorial

    Catholic Memorial

    235 Baker Street
    West Roxbury, MA 02132
    P. (617) 469-8000
    F. (617) 977-5689

About Us

Catholic Memorial, the Christian Brothers School of Boston, prepares boys for college, manhood and a world full of unknown challenges, ambiguity and complex problems and the importance of relationships.

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