Announcing Our Next Principal

As Central Catholic prepares to begin our 90th year in the fall, we are excited to announce that Mr. Andrew Murray, our current Assistant Principal for Student Success, will serve as the 17th Principal of Central Catholic, effective July 1, 2024.

"Mr. Murray is the perfect person to inspire and lead our community as we look to the future while standing on the shoulders of the legacy that has been handed to us," notes Mr. Christopher Sullivan '81, President of Central Catholic High School.

"I am continuously impressed by his deep love for our school, our students, our faculty, our staff, and our alumni. There are very few people who have embraced the mission of Central Catholic and our Marist Charism the way that Mr. Murray has."

"I am honored and excited to serve as the 17th Principal of such a distinguished and supportive institution as Central Catholic - a place I consider a second home," said Mr. Murray.

"Our phenomenal student body brings energy and life to campus each and every day. I am endlessly impressed with their positivity and ability to conquer any challenge. The opportunities our students have to grow in all areas is truly unlimited!"

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Announcing Our Next Principal

• About Our Next Principal
• The Search Process
• The Future
• The Transition - Thanking Mrs. Keller
• We Are Central

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About Our Next Principal

Mr. Murray brings a unique perspective and breadth of experience to the position of Principal.

He graduated from Norwich University (VT) with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in Business and later earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Northeastern University (MA).

Following a 20 year business career in the healthcare and technology industries, he arrived at Central Catholic in 2007 as a mathematics teacher. After ten years, he was invited to join the Administration as an Assistant Principal for Student Success. He has completed various graduate certificate programs and graduate coursework in the field of education.

Over his 17 years at CCHS, he has been successfully supporting students as they discover their best selves, develop their abilities, strengthen their faith, and make lifelong friends.

"I am committed to working alongside our amazing and dedicated faculty and staff as they teach, coach, volunteer, mentor, attend retreats, support athletics and extracurricular activities. They work well beyond the scope of their jobs to create an amazing experience for our students and their families."

Mr. Murray’s involvement and contributions to the CCHS experience have included:

• Theatre Guild Moderator & Tech Director (15 years)
• Campus Ministry Retreat Leader
• Camp Champagnat Leadership Institute
• Project Rebuild Service Trip
• Summer Mission Trip
• Marists of Champagnat (participant and mentor)
• Marist School Evaluation Team
• Student Council
• Faculty Senate

He has also fulfilled the role of Central Catholic parent, which gives him an important perspective as he moves forward.

A Raider Dad

Mr. Murray, along with his late wife Jeanine, are forever grateful for the lessons their daughters Samantha (Murray '11) Coppedge and Mackenzie Murray '13 learned not only in the classroom but also through the Theatre Guild and Campus Ministry programs as well as other extracurriculars while at CCHS.

Samantha lives in North Carolina with her husband Tracey and daughter Winslow Anne. Mackenzie and her significant other Alexander are both in Nashville, Tennessee. Both will be graduating from Vanderbilt University's MBA program this spring.

"I am confident that Central Catholic equipped my girls with the tools they needed to further their education while nurturing their individual personalities as they grew into the amazing young women they are today."

Committed to Service and Faith

Beyond CCHS, Mr. Murray has been active in numerous service programs and faith opportunities, including high school and junior high retreat programs and the Cursillo Retreat Program.

He also helped to establish Beyond Sunday Missions, a community-based program to serve the least favored of the elderly and poverty-stricken families of Mexico, Maine.

Mr. Murray is an active member of St. André Bessette Parish (Amesbury, MA).

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The Search Process

In February, Central Catholic launched the search for our next Principal to identify the best person to lead our Marist Catholic, private, college-preparatory, co-educational school community of 1,200 students and 18,000+ alumni as we approach 90 years of excellence.

We reached out to valued members of our school community - including faculty, staff, students, families, and alumni - for their input and priorities.

Their insights were invaluable in guiding this process and ensuring that we selected a principal who not only aligns with Central Catholic’s mission and values, but also meets the needs and aspirations of our students, faculty, and families.

Finalists were invited to participate in multiple rounds of interviews that included Faculty, Staff, Board Members, Alumni, School Leadership, and a Marist Brother and former CCHS Principal.

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The Future of Central Catholic

When Mr. Murray welcomes the Class of 2028 to campus this fall, he will be welcoming one of our strongest and largest incoming classes into Central Catholic’s forever family of ambitious young men and women who are inspired to improve the world through faith, hard work, and an exceptional commitment to making every moment count.

He will welcome them to a place where they will discover their best selves, challenge their abilities, lead with their hearts, strengthen their faith, and make lifelong friends. A place where they will be surrounded by excellence and rise to their highest level.

CCHS is having an impact on not just our students but, through them, on the world.

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The Transition - Thanking Mrs. Keller

In the weeks ahead, members of Central Catholic’s Administration will work to form transition plans with Mr. Murray and Mrs. Doreen Keller '71^PMA. Mrs. Keller has proudly and effectively served as Principal for 14 years, making her the longest serving principal in Central Catholic’s history.

Read more about what Mrs. Keller has meant to the CCHS Community:

Thanking Our Principal, Mrs. Doreen Keller

The Principals of Central Catholic High School

• 1935-1936: Bro. Thomas Austin, FMS
• 1936-1938: Bro. Florentius, FMS
• 1938-1944: Bro. Joseph Abel, FMS
• 1944-1949: Bro. John Lawrence, FMS
• 1949-1953: Bro. Leo Vincent, FMS
• 1953-1958: Bro. George Camille, FMS
• 1958-1961: Bro. Hugh Ephrem, FMS
• 1961-1966: Bro. Augustine Pinard, FMS
• 1966-1968: Bro. George St. George, FMS
• 1968-1972: Bro. Leo Verville, FMS
• 1972-1979: Bro. William Lambert, FMS
• 1979-1981: Bro. Daniel Grogan, FMS
• 1981-1991: Bro. Kenneth Hogan, FMS
• 1991-1999: Bro. Richard Carey, FMS
• 1999-2010: David M. DeFillippo '66
• 2010-2024: Doreen A. Keller '71^PMA
• 2024-xxxx: Andrew Murray

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We Are Central

Welcome home to Central Catholic High School, a forever family of ambitious young men and women who are inspired to improve the world through faith, hard work, and an exceptional commitment to making every moment count.

Here, students of diverse backgrounds and all faiths prep for excellence every day — within themselves, for their communities, and at the world's best colleges.

So much more than a college preparatory high school, Central Catholic is a connected community, a transformative opportunity, a beautiful legacy, and a forever family.

It’s where students and teachers alike love coming to school, and where success is what we achieve together.

About Central Catholic High School

A College Preparatory High School of Excellence in the Marist Tradition

Founded by the Marist Brothers in the heart of Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1935, Central Catholic High School enrolls approximately 1,200 students from over 60 communities. Students come from diverse backgrounds to form a caring community of faith, learning, and service. They advance to college in overwhelming numbers (100% admitted each year) and move on to successful careers and positions of leadership in government, business, industry, academia, and professions.