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Catholic Memorial
Address
235 Baker Street West Roxbury, (Suffolk County), MA 02132 United States
Coordinates	42°16′39″N 71°9′58″W / 42.27750°N 71.16611°W / 42.27750; -71.16611
Information
Type	Private, all-boys
Motto	Vince in Bono Malum (Conquer evil by doing good)
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic, Congregation of Christian Brothers
Established	September 9, 1957; 67 years ago (1957-09-09)
Founder	Joseph G. McKenna
President	Dr. Peter F. Folan
Principal	Andrew O'Brien
Grades	7-12
Enrollment	597 (2023–2024)
Student to teacher ratio	12:1
Campus size	12 acres (49,000 m)
Color(s)	Red & silver
Athletics	MIAA - Division 1
Athletics conference	Catholic Conference - District B
Nickname	CM
Team name	Knights
Rival	Boston College High, Malden Catholic, Xaverian, St. Johns Prep
Accreditation	New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Publication	CM Magazine
Newspaper	Knight Insight
Yearbook	Talisman
Tuition	$26,725 (2023–2024)
Alumni	10,000+
Website	www.catholicmemorial.org

Catholic Memorial (CM) is an all-boys college preparatory school (grades 7–12) located in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and is administered by the Congregation of Christian Brothers.

History

Catholic Memorial High School, as it was called at the time, 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. The building, now known as Donahue Hall, was donated to the Christian Brothers by Monsignor Charles A. Donahue, V.F., LL.D. who was the pastor of St. Theresa's.

The school was named "Catholic Memorial" at the suggestion of Richard Cardinal Cushing, to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Archdiocese of Boston and as a memorial to Catholic donors.

Brother Joseph G. McKenna, C.F.C., was the first headmaster of Catholic Memorial; he opened a new school building which was dedicated by Cardinal Cushing on November 10, 1959. Three years later the classroom wing was opened and the enrollment increased to 1110 students.

In 1971 there were 22 Christian Brothers, but in 2016, only three.

The middle school opened in September 1993 with 185 students in grades 7 and 8.

Academics

The tuition charge for the 2023-24 school year was US$26,725. Scholarships are awarded upon admission to students in Catholic Memorial's middle school and high school programs. The admissions committee selects students for scholarship eligibility based upon their past academic performance and the results of the entrance exams. No applications are available for scholarships; instead, every application for admission is reviewed for scholarship potential. Financial aid is available for qualifying families. Over $1 million is given annually in financial aid.

Catholic Memorial offers 18 Advanced Placement courses in 2023.

College placement

Catholic Memorial is a college-preparatory institution. Students come from over 90 different towns and communities.

Community service

CM's mission includes the mandate to teach young men to "lead through service". CM students participate in numerous BERSI trips each year. These domestic and international travel experiences, build community among the students and immerse students in service experiences. Trips include the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, as well as Brownsville, Texas, and Wyoming. Additionally, a required 60-hour senior service program begins at the start of each year, with seniors serving at inner-city grammar schools, hospitals, non-profit agencies, clothing distribution centers, food pantries, and soup kitchens. Volunteers from all grades also participate in service experiences. Each year, CM students send large delegations - The Sea of Red - to the Walk for Breast Cancer.

In the past, the Annual Blessed Edmund Rice Solidarity Initiative (BERSI) has organized school trips to El Salvador, Europe, Peru, Dominican Republic, South Korea and Canada.

Controversies

Anti-Semitism

Catholic Memorial made headlines in 2016 when students chanted anti-semitic expressions at a basketball game against Newton North High School. Catholic Memorial students at the game chanted "You killed Jesus. " In response to the incident, Newton superintendent David Fleishman contacted the Anti-Defamation League, feeling that "they have a lot of work to do at Catholic Memorial." The Archdiocese of Boston called the situation "unacceptable." In a subsequent statement, Catholic Memorial indicated that they were "deeply disturbed by the behavior of a group of student spectators who made an unacceptable chant." Catholic Memorial ultimately made long-term revisions to their curriculum that would mitigate any recurrence of such an incident of antisemitism.

Extracurriculars

Journalism

Catholic Memorial students produce a number of publications each year. Errant is CM's literary magazine, publishing original poems, stories, and artwork by students. Knight Insight is published by the in-school Journalism class, and includes school news and updates as well as submissions from students. The CM Latin Club publishes Equites, a seasonal newspaper. Yearbook Club meets year-round starting in September and produces the school's annual yearbook, moderated by Craig Spaner.

CMTV

Catholic Memorial Television is Catholic Memorial's broadcast journalist program. Using an online live-streaming program, CMTV broadcasts a short program every morning to each homeroom, reporting news, notices, and upcoming events and sports games. In addition to broadcasting the pledge of allegiance and morning prayer, CMTV also arranges humorous skits and facilitates special announcements from school leadership. As of 2022, the club no longer does daily broadcasts. In 2024, the club resumed monthly broadcasts.

Latin Club

Catholic Memorial's Junior Classical League, or Latin Club, is always represented at the Massachusetts State Convention, where many CM students win prizes. It publishes Equites, a seasonal newspaper detailing the club's events and achievements.

Theater

The Catholic Memorial Theater Program, known in the 1960s as the Genesians and later as the Catholic Memorial Players and Drama Club, puts on two shows a year. In the past, one play in autumn was performed annually, but later, the Drama Club added a spring musical. The following is a list of some past performances:

Honor societies

Catholic Memorial offers multiple honor societies, ranging from individual subjects to the National Honor Society. The following is a list of active honor societies:

Speech and debate

At Catholic Memorial, nearly every student participates in "forensics", or speech and debate, at one point in his academic career. CM faculty teach students public speaking skills through various classroom activities. In the Speech and Debate club students perform and compete inter-scholastically as they recite speeches, dramatic acts and original oratory. Since 1961 the school's Speech and Debate program have produced over 25 state and three national champions. The 2010 team won the "Founder's Award" at Nationals. The team joined the NSDA 100 Club in October, 2018 in recognition for accumulating over 100 degrees over the course of the 2017–2018 school year. The Forensics program has won two straight Massachusetts Speech and Debate league championships in 2017 and 2018. After a second-place finish in 2019, Catholic Memorial returned as champions of Massachusetts Speech and Debate League in both 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Notable alumni

This article's list of alumni may not follow Misplaced Pages's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (September 2021)

• Jim Carey – professional ice hockey player
• Daniel F. Conley – Suffolk County District Attorney
• Robert Consalvo – Boston City Councilor
• Ted Donato – professional ice hockey player and coach
• Brian J. Donnelly – former U.S. Congressman and Ambassador
• Allen Doyle – professional golfer
• Jim Fahey – professional ice hockey player
• Skip Lockwood – professional baseball player
• Mark MacDonald – professional football player
• John Marino – professional hockey player
• William Martin – author
• Mike McColgan – singer, Dropkick Murphys, Street Dogs
• Joey McIntyre – singer, New Kids on the Block
• Chris Nilan – professional ice hockey player
• Chris O'Sullivan – professional ice hockey player
• Jack Parker – college ice hockey coach
• John H. Rogers – Massachusetts State Representative, Majority Leader
• Michael F. Rush – Massachusetts State Senator
• Paul Stanton – professional ice hockey player and coach
• John Tobin – former Boston City Councilor, Vice President at Northeastern University, and owner of John Tobin Presents comedy production
• Brennan Williams - professional wrestler known as ma.çé and former college football player

Notable faculty

• Ron Perry, basketball and baseball coach (1959–1972)
• Ian Moran

References

1. Official website, Tuition page, retrieved Sept 12, 2023
2. NEASC-CIS. "NEASC-Commission on Independent Schools". Archived from the original on 2009-06-16. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
3. CM Magazine
4. Official website, retrieved Sept 12, 2023
5. "History of CM". Archived from the original on 2015-11-06. Retrieved 2015-10-30.
6. "Catholic Memorial School guidance fact sheet" (PDF).
7. "Catholic Memorial students perform week of service in Bosnia". Archived from the original on 2013-01-31.
8. "Catholic Memorial School website". Archived from the original on 2012-11-29.
9. ^ "Catholic Memorial students chant anti-Jewish taunt at game - the Boston Globe". The Boston Globe.
10. ^ "Mass. Catholic school apologizes for anti-Semitic chant". CBS News.
11. "Catholic Memorial Bans Students from Monday's Semifinal Basketball Game After Anti-Semitic Chant". 14 March 2016.
12. ^ "Clubs & Activities". www.catholicmemorial.org. Archived from the original on 2016-04-16. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
13. ^ "Newspaper". Latin club. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
14. ^ McGonegal, Joe. "How to succeed in drama at Catholic Memorial - really try". Wicked Local. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
15. "Catholic Memorial School Blog: CM Drama brings "A Man for All Seasons" to the stage November 21". catholicmemorial.blogspot.com. 19 November 2008. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
16. McGonegal, Joe. "For Catholic Memorial director, 'The Guys' takes on added meaning". Wicked Local Roslindale. Archived from the original on 2016-04-25. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
17. "Catholic Memorial on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
18. "Students perform 'Damn Yankees' at Catholic Memorial School". Boston.com. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
19. ^ "Arts - Mount Alvernia High School". Mount Alvernia High School. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
20. "Catholic Memorial on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
21. "Twentieth Century: Where oversized personalities are welcomed". Catholic Memorial School. 2015-12-04. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
22. "Spring Musical 2016". www.catholicmemorial.org. Archived from the original on 2016-10-16. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
23. "Meet CM students". Archived from the original on 2013-01-22.
24. "Mark MacDonald". profootballarchives.com. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
25. Crowley, P. J. (April 7, 1972). "Perry, Blaney accept top HC positions". The Boston Globe.
26. "Dismissed from CM, Bill Hanson still has his supporters - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2017-05-24.

External links

• School website

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Ordinaries	Bishops Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus Benedict Joseph Fenwick John Bernard Fitzpatrick Archbishops John Joseph Williams William Henry O'Connell Richard Cushing Humberto Sousa Medeiros Bernard Francis Law Seán Patrick O'Malley Richard Henning Auxiliary bishops Cristiano Borro Barbosa Robert Francis Hennessey Mark William O'Connell Robert Philip Reed Peter J. Uglietto Emeriti bishops John Anthony Dooher Arthur L. Kennedy Deceased Joseph Gaudentius Anderson Thomas Francis Markham Emilio S. Allué Francis Xavier Irwin Walter James Edyvean
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