Matignon High School is dedicated to motivating lifelong learners to meet today’s challenges and to positively contribute to the future of the global community.

Originally housed in the former Sacred Heart School in East Cambridge, Matignon moved to its current North Cambridge location in September 1947. Founded by Richard Cardinal Cushing, the Archbishop of Boston, Matignon became the first Archdiocesan Central Catholic High School in the Boston area. The Sisters of Saint Joseph staffed the co-educational school from the outset and they remain a presence in the school, although today the majority of teachers and staff members are lay people.

The school name honors the first priest in the Archdiocese of Boston, Fr. Francis Matignon, who fled France during the Revolution and was missioned to Boston by Archbishop John Carroll of Baltimore in 1792. From his arrival in Boston Fr. Matignon promoted the idea of establishing a Catholic school. Now Matignon High School stands as a memorial to this man who remains a model for the students.

Throughout its fifty-five years in existence, Matignon High School has committed itself to educating students through rigorous academic challenges and life-enhancing components of faith formation and service. Matignon is dedicated to providing a supportive Christian environment in which students can flourish as persons while excelling academically. Each student is encouraged to achieve his or her personal and academic best and grow to his or her fullest capacity intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially.

Consistent with the school's founding mission, Matignon emphasizes leadership and service to others. As part of the Theology curriculum, each student must complete a self-designed service program integrating interaction with others and self-reflection to be eligible for graduation. Our Campus Ministry program also offers service opportunities within and beyond the Matignon community.

The generosity of Matignon students in evidenced in many ways. In recent years, school-wide service projects like Hunger Awareness Week and our Lenten Food Drive have allowed students to join together as a school community to support the food pantries in the local community and international organizations like OXFAM. Last year Matignon coordinated a Winter Clothing Drive as part of Catholic Schools' Week, donating clothes to the Women's Lunch Place and Saint Francis House and contributing over $500 to Saint Francis House. Matignon has also participated for the past three years in Lee National Denim Day, raising $1000 last year alone for Breast Cancer Research and Education. In the past three years Matignon has also donated over $1500 to the Paulist Center to sponsor a meal each year for the guests of the Wednesday Night Supper Club which offers a meal to 200 men, women and children each week. In addition, following the September 11th tragedies, the school banded together to raise $1683 which was divided between Catholic Charities and Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Parish in the Bronx, NY, where a Matignon graduate serves as pastor.

These service experiences allow the Matignon community to recognize the gifts with which we have been blessed and to discover ways to share those gifts with those around us. Matignon's annual Christmas Project allows each of the four grade levels to focus on a particular effort, to make a difference in the world around us by giving of ourselves. For the past four years, the Freshman Class has fulfilled the Wish Lists of residents at The Fernald School in Waltham, collecting over 150 gifts each year. Matignon's Sophomore Class has collected gifts for the young mothers at Saint Mary's Home for Women and Infants. Our Junior Class again donated 200 toiletry bags for the guests at The Paulist Center's Wednesday Night Supper Club. Each year, our Seniors collected gifts and donated them to Catholic Charities for their annual Toy Drive.

Groups of students have offered service by participating in school-sponsored volunteer projects, like serving meals at The Paulist Center's Wednesday Night Supper Club and sorting food at the Greater Boston Food Bank. Throughout the course of the last two years, more than 80 volunteers from Matignon have served the Food Bank, sorting over 35,000 pounds of food and contributing to over 18,000 meals provided by the organization.

For the past four years Matignon students, faculty members, alumni, parents, family and friends have joined together as a team to participate in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. Last year, over 20 members participated in the Cambridge Relay and raised over $3000 for cancer research and education, bringing our four-year total to over $13,000 and showing that all members of the Matignon High School community are committed to joining together to serve others.

In addition to Service Projects, Matignon's Campus Ministry Program is committed to strengthening the faith life of the school community. Through monthly school-wide Masses, Reconciliation Services and Retreat Programs, Matignon encourages students to grow in relationship with God and with one another. Through all of these experiences and programs, as well as through the academic, athletic and co-curricular offerings, Matignon aims to accomplish its goal of enabling students to follow the school motto Efficiamur Christiferi "Let Us Become Christ Bearers".