Holy Name High School opened on September 14, 1942. The new high school offered a bilingual program in French and English. By 1946, the 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 old high school moved from Illinois Street to the present site on Granite Street when Bishop Bernard Flanagan dedicated the new building. In September 1997, Holy Name Central Catholic High School added Grades 7 and 8.
Holy Name offers a wide variety of artistic opportunities for students to pursue throughout their high school careers. These programs encourage creativity and dedication, while inspiring a lifelong interest in the arts. The Holy Name Music Program offers a chorus, band and jazz band at varying levels of difficulty. Every student who participates in the music program has the opportunity to perform at the Christmas and Spring concerts. In addition to these concerts, the music department attends the Great East Festival where Holy Name competes against area music programs. Students interested in theatre, whether acting, set design or production, have the opportunity to explore this area through Holy Name's Theatre Department. All students are 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 are open to the public for a nominal fee. Those who wish to work with artistic media are encouraged to participate in the art classes offered by the school as part of the curriculum. Art is open to students from junior high until senior year of high school.
Extra curricular activities
In addition to the academic life at Holy Name High School, students are strongly encouraged to participate in the wide variety of extra curricular activities offered. All the activities uphold Catholic and moral principles while fostering an environment conducive to both learning and socializing. The clubs and organizations offered include:
Athletics: A top division 1 Competitor in most sports, Holy Name has won a boys' basketball state championship, several Super Bowls in American football, and has titles in cheerleading. Girls' basketball and boys' basketball teams have won many district championships as well as boys' and girls' soccer, baseball and softball. The school has 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 must maintain a high academic GPA along with several teacher recommendations. Membership in National Honor Society requires that students act as tutors to younger students and participate in community service in Worcester County.
Mock trial: Mock trial is an organization dedicated to teaching students about legal advocacy and public speaking. Every year, the school participates 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 has won district championships in eight out of the last ten years and going as far as the state championship round.
Christian Leadership: Drawing on its Catholic background, Holy Name's Christian Leadership organization is open to all students regardless of religious affiliation. Selection is based on prior community service and teacher recommendation. Members lead retreats, organize and present workshops that teach Christian values, and co-ordinate community service projects.
Holy Name is the first high school in the state of Massachusetts to be powered by a wind turbine 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 generates enough electricity for the entire school. 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 is at $1.5 million.
