Holy Name Central Catholic High School

Holy Name High School opened on September 14, 1942. The new high school offered a bilingual program in French and English. By 1946, student enrollment had grown to 122 students and, in 1957, Holy Name’s status was changed to a Central Catholic High School. On September 24, 1967, the school moved from Illinois Street to Granite Street when Bishop Bernard Flanagan dedicated the new building. In September 1997, Holy Name Central Catholic High School added Grades 7 and 8. In December 2019 the Archdiocese of Worcester announced that the school would close at the end of the academic year and merge with St. Peter-Marian, creating a new school, to be named St. Paul Diocesan Junior/Senior High School. The new school will be located at the campus of Holy Name in Worcester.[3]

The curriculum included social studies, literature, natural sciences, mathematics, foreign languages, technology, theology, art, music and physical education. As a Catholic school, Holy Name promoted the principles of Jesus Christ in the students' personal and social life. The school had a full advanced placement program and a challenging academic level system. Students supplemented their learning with online courses through Virtual High School.

Holy Name offered a wide variety of artistic opportunities for students to pursue throughout their high school careers. These programs encouraged creativity and dedication, while inspiring a lifelong interest in the arts.

The Holy Name Music Program offered a chorus, band and jazz band at varying levels of difficulty. Every student who participated in the music program had the opportunity to perform at the Christmas and Spring concerts. In addition to these concerts, the music department attended the Great East Festival where Holy Name competed against area music programs.[4]

Students interested in theatre, whether acting, set design or production, had the opportunity to explore this area through Holy Name's Theatre Department. All students were invited to participate in the annual musical along with numerous other productions throughout the year. In March 2010, Holy Name performed The Fiddler on the Roof. Performances were open to the public for a nominal fee.[5]

Those who wish to work with artistic media were encouraged to participate in the art classes offered by the school as part of the curriculum. Art was open to students from junior high until senior year of high school.[6]

In addition to the academic life at Holy Name High School, students were strongly encouraged to participate in the wide variety of extracurricular activities offered. All the activities upheld Catholic and moral principles while fostering an environment conducive to both learning and socializing. The clubs and organizations offered included:

• Athletics: A top division 1 competitor in most sports, Holy Name won a boys' basketball state championship, several Super Bowls in American football, and had titles in cheerleading. Girls' and boys' basketball teams won many district championships as well as boys' and girls' soccer, baseball and softball. The school had several Gatorade Massachusetts players of the year.
• National Honor Society: In order to be accepted into Holy Name's chapter of the National Honor Society, students needed to maintain a high academic GPA along with several teacher recommendations. Membership in National Honor Society required that students act as tutors to younger students and participate in community service in Worcester County.[7]
• Mock trial: Mock trial is an organization dedicated to teaching students about legal advocacy and public speaking. Every year, the school participated in a tournament against schools across the state sponsored by the Massachusetts' Bar Association. Members are taught about legal procedure and court room demeanor throughout the season by writing their own legal arguments and acting as both attorneys and witnesses. Directed by Mr. Meagher, the mock trial team at one recent point won district championships in eight out of ten years and went as far as the state championship round.
• Christian Leadership: Drawing on its Catholic background, Holy Name's Christian Leadership organization was open to all students regardless of religious affiliation. Selection was based on prior community service and teacher recommendation. Members led retreats, organized and presented workshops that taught Christian values, and coordinated community service projects.[7]

Holy Name was the first high school in the state of Massachusetts to be powered by a wind turbine[8] after the 1984 installation of a 40 kilowatt turbine beside Hull High School, which was upgraded to 660 kilowatts in 2001. The 242-foot Holy Name turbine generated enough electricity for the entire school.[9]

The project, four years in the making, began when the school president Mary Riordan, facing steep energy bills at the school, asked Worcester Polytechnic Institute students to study whether they could take advantage of the school's windy campus.

Later, the Sisters of Saint Anne, who founded the school, gave the school $50,000 to pay a consultant to research the details. The total project cost was $1.5 million.[10][11]

• Emil Igwenagu, former fullback for the NFL
• Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of "Lunch Lady" series
• Bryan LaHair, former MLB player (Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians)
• Joseph Petty, Mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts
• Karyn Polito, 72nd Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
• Damien Sandow, WWE wrestler

• Holy Name Central Catholic Jr. Sr. High School official site
• ORN#1 'Wind Over Worcester' on YouTube - video describing the wind turbine at Holy Name