NOVELTY - An oxygen reducing cathode catalyst is prepared by mixing a carbon source with a transitional metal precursor to form a metal precursor loaded carbon substrate; adding a nitrogen precursor compound to the metal precursor loaded carbon substrate to form a carbon-metal-nitrogen precursor; and pyrolyzing the carbon-metal-nitrogen precursor in a closed vessel, thus obtaining the oxygen reducing cathode catalyst.    USE - Method for preparing an oxygen reducing cathode catalyst used for a low temperature fuel cell (all claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The method produces the oxygen reducing cathode catalyst having improved catalytic activity and with high yields without gasifying carbon precursor; increases the availability of nitrogen target sites on catalytic supports for oxygen reduction reactions; and provides enhanced stability of the oxygen reducing cathode catalyst when used in acidic fuel cell environments. The prepared oxygen reducing cathode catalyst requires no precious metal, e.g. platinum; and also provides benefits, e.g. controlled deposition of catalytically active nitrogenous compounds that can increase the catalytic activity of the catalyst when compared to gaseous deposition of nitrogen to a surface of a carbon support. It lowers the cost for producing the catalyst material and follows a simple synthesis method compared to platinum/carbon catalysts and other non-precious metal catalyst conventionally used in fuel cell designs.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for:    (1) a low temperature fuel cell, comprising the oxygen reducing cathode catalyst; and    (2) a method of making a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, comprising applying an anode catalyst on a portion of a first side of an ionomeric membrane; and applying a cathode catalyst on a portion of a second side of the ionomeric membrane.    The cathode catalyst is synthesized by the mixing, adding and pyrolyzing steps of preparing the oxygen reducing cathode catalyst; and mixing the oxygen reducing cathode catalyst with a recast ionomer.