History of CM
Catholic Memorial High School opened its doors on September 9, 1957, with 225 students and five Christian Brothers of Ireland in the former St. Theresa of Avila Parish School building. This building was donated to the Christian Brothers by the late Monsignor Charles A. Donahue, V.F., LL.D. who was the Pastor of St. Theresa’s at that time. The school was named "Catholic Memorial" at the suggestion of His Eminence, Richard Cardinal Cushing, to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Archdiocese of Boston as a memorial to all the Catholics who gave so much of themselves in the establishment of educational institutions in the Boston area.
Brother Joseph G. McKenna, C.F.C., was the first Headmaster of Catholic Memorial, and it was he who opened the new building which was dedicated by Cardinal Cushing on November 10, 1959. Three years later the classroom wing was opened and the school enrollment increased to 1,110 students.
The Middle School program was the vision of Brother E. John Sheehan, C.F.C. It opened its doors in September of 1993 with 185 students in Grades 7 and 8. In addition to Catholic Memorial, the Christian Brothers staff another school in New England--Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, Rhode Island. The worldwide Congregation has two provinces in the United States. In addition to Catholic Memorial and Bishop Hendricken, the Christian Brothers of the Eastern American Province operate educational institutions in New York (where they started in the U.S. in 1906), New Jersey, Florida, Texas, and South Carolina. They also support missionary efforts in Peru, South America. Altogether, the Congregation of Christian Brothers run thirty-seven schools in the United States and Canada with almost 300 Brothers. World-wide, the Congregation of Christian Brothers has 2,000 members. The religious order was founded in Ireland by Blessed Edmund Rice, a prominent businessman who started his schools for the poor and neglected boys of Waterford. Committed to the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the Brothers follow a tradition of excellence and Christian witness which is embodied in the students and alumni of Catholic Memorial.
Catholic Memorial is fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and by the State of Massachusetts. In addition, Catholic Memorial is affiliated with the following educational organizations:
- National Catholic Educational Association
- New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools
- Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
- Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators’ Association
- Association of Independent Schools of New England
- New England League of Middle Schools
Inspired by the vision of the Congregation’s Founder, Brother Edmund Ignatius Rice, Catholic Memorial seeks to create an atmosphere of Christian care and concern in which all of our students can grow to maturity. Students are provided an opportunity to understand and appreciate the mission of Jesus Christ with a view to modeling their lives upon Gospel values. The school offers a college preparatory curriculum and co-curricular activities aimed at the religious, moral, intellectual, emotional, physical and social development of our students. Our program is designed to help all of our students realize their fullest potential as educated gentlemen who practice Catholic ideals in service to God and society.