8-K

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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 26, 2002


                              CENTRAL BANCORP, INC.
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             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


MASSACHUSETTS                            0-25251                  04-3447594
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(State or other jurisdiction           (Commission            (I.R.S. employer
of incorporation)                      file number)          identification no.)



      399 HIGHLAND AVENUE, SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS             02144
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      (Address of principal executive offices)                (Zip code)


       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (617) 628-4000
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                                 NOT APPLICABLE
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          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)



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ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS
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     On  March  26,  2002,  the  Registrant  announced  the  completion  of  the
Registrant's  fourth common stock  repurchase  program.  On March 26, 2002,  the
Registrant  also  announced  that it had named  Michael  K.  Devlin as its Chief
Financial Officer and named Paul S. Feeley as its Chief Information Officer. For
further information, reference is made to the Registrant's press releases, dated
March  26,  2002,   which  are  attached  hereto  as  Exhibits  99.1  and  99.2,
respectively, and incorporated herein by reference.


ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS
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     The following is a list of exhibits  filed with this Current Report on Form
8-K.

  Exhibit No.          Description
  ----------           -----------

     99.1              Press Release, dated March 26, 2002 (Completion of
                       Fourth Stock Buyback)

     99.2              Press Release, dated March 26, 2002 (New CFO and CIO)





                                   SIGNATURES



         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

                                      CENTRAL BANCORP, INC.



Date:  March 26, 2002                 By:/s/ John D. Doherty
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                         John D. Doherty
                                         President

EX-99.1

William P. Morrissey                                                 Immediately
Senior Vice President
(617) 628-4000



                         CENTRAL BANCORP, INC. ANNOUNCES
                  COMPLETION OF FOURTH STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM

     SOMERVILLE,  MASSACHUSETTS,  March 26, 2002--Central  Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ
National  Market:  CEBK) today announced that it had completed its fourth common
stock buyback  program.  The Board of Directors had authorized the repurchase of
up to 5% of the Company's  outstanding  stock pursuant to the buyback program in
December 2000. A total of 84,458 shares were purchased  under the fourth buyback
program at an  average  cost of $23.78  per  share.  The total  number of shares
purchased  since the first  repurchase  program  was  adopted  in April 1999 are
365,294 at an average cost of $19.56 per share, representing 18.54% of the total
common stock issued and  outstanding  prior to the adoption of the first buyback
program.

     Central Bancorp,  Inc. is the holding company for Central Bank, whose legal
name is Central Co-operative Bank, a Massachusetts  chartered  co-operative bank
operating eight full-service banking offices in suburban Boston.



                                      # # #

EX-99.2

William P. Morrissey                                                 Immediately
Senior Vice President
(617) 628-4000


                         CENTRAL BANCORP, INC. ANNOUNCES
                           NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
                          AND CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

     SOMERVILLE,  MASSACHUSETTS,  March  26,  2002 - The Board of  Directors  of
Central Bancorp,  Inc.  (NASDAQ  National  Market:  CEBK) has elected Michael K.
Devlin as Senior Vice President,  Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer and Paul
S. Feeley as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer.

     From 1997 until joining  Central  Bancorp,  Mr. Devlin,  who is a Certified
Public Accountant  (CPA), was a Financial  Consultant to the banking industry in
Massachusetts.  Between  1973 and 1997,  he was a member of the  accounting  and
business  advisory practice at Arthur Andersen LLP, where he served as a Partner
for 11 years.

     In his new role, Mr. Feeley,  who joined the Company in 1997 as Senior Vice
President,  Treasurer and Chief Financial  Officer,  is responsible for ensuring
the  implementation  and execution of  information,  operations  and  technology
systems for Central Bancorp.

     Central Bancorp, Inc., is the holding company for Central Bank, whose legal
name is Central Co-operative Bank, a  Massachusetts-chartered  co-operative bank
operating eight full-service banking offices in suburban Boston.


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