As we enter into the Lenten season, we follow the example of Christ, praying and fasting for forty days in the desert. It is a time to cut out distractions and refocus on what truly matters. We pray you are blessed with deep spiritual renewal in the coming weeks. In this month’s newsletter we share about a classroom party and a classroom visit. We also give an update on our plans for relocation.

As we begin a new calendar year, we ask the Lord to shower His blessings upon you, your loved ones, and our entire Mater Dei community. We look forward to the many blessings in store for 2023! In this month’s newsletter, we share about a gift received and the gift of life. We also invite you to spread the word about our upcoming Open House.

Blessings to you this Advent as we await with joy the coming of Christ into our hearts. It is a time of anticipation and preparation. In this month’s newsletter, we share about our own preparations at Mater Dei, including Advent traditions and a service project to assist those in need during Christmas.

Blessings to you as we approach the Advent season—a time of joyful anticipation for the birth of Christ. In this month’s newsletter, we share about the joyful coming of Christ into the Mater Dei Chapel! We also describe our student service project and introduce our instructors, who are fostering an authentic Catholic Culture at Mater Dei.

With joy in the Lord, we welcomed our first full 9-12th grade high school onto our campus last month! We have so much to be grateful for as we reflect on the journey of the past four years and consider the road ahead. In our first issue of Mater Dei Annunciations for the school year, we'll share about student activities in the classroom and in the community.

Three grace-filled years in the books! We praise God for leading us once again through a successful school year. In our final issue of Mater Dei Annunciations, we recap events from the past month and share about an opportunity being explored for the future growth of Mater Dei.

With our third year coming to a close, we are preparing for fundraisers, class trips and dinner events. Keeping the focus on academics is tricky as summer approaches, but we do our best to keep a proper balance at Mater Dei. In this month’s newsletter we share about a few end of the year activities, both academic and social.

Spring is in the air and we see glimpses of new life and hope. In this month's newsletter we share details about our students preparing for their future after high school, our instructors preparing for the future growth of Mater Dei, and our great hope in the future of our Church in general. Thank you for your continued support of our apostolate as we grow!

Blessings to you this Lenten season. As we pray and fast for peace in Ukraine and in the world, we are reminded to be grateful for our blessings. In this month’s newsletter, we consider the blessing of Catholic education as we discuss our literature curriculum, our service projects, and our recent open house. Thank you for your prayers and support for the many needs of our world, abroad and at home.

It's been a busy start to the year for us academically, but it's been balanced with opportunities for fun. In this newsletter we share a glimpse into the past month for our students which includes fun in the snowbanks, fun in the kitchen and fun behind the camera. As St. Thomas Aquinas says, "It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes."

Blessings to you in 2022! As we wrap up the joyful Christmas season, we celebrate the founding of our apostolate. Three years ago this month on the Solemnity of the Mother of God, the vision of Mater Dei was conceived and began to take shape. We are filled with gratitude as we reflect on our journey and consider the road ahead.

Blessings to you this Advent season. As we begin a new liturgical year, we reflect on the end of the world and our own final and particular judgements. With the sudden death last week of Grace Fitzgerald, sister of Mater Dei junior and dear friend to many, we are forced to contemplate this reality in a most difficult way in our community.

With two months behind us now, we are settled in and comfortable with the daily routine. It has been a joy to see the growth and maturity of the students in such a short time. In this newsletter we’ll give an update from the classroom and details about our recent service project. Also, thank you to everyone who attended the Rosary Walk in person or in spirit!

After a summer of intense prayer and preparation, we are so grateful to open our doors for year three. We look forward to new blessings and new beginnings as we continue on this grace-filled journey, guided by the Holy Spirit. In our first newsletter of the school year we share what the students have been up to the past month and we invite you to participate in two upcoming events.

Year two is in the books! We are grateful and blessed as we head into summer and begin preparations for year three. In our final May/June edition of Mater Dei Annunciations for the school year, we'll share about the busy days leading up to summer break, including a recap of two events: our recent virtual benefit event and our first annual Mater Dei in the Night for the students.

Happy Easter! We are filled with joy as we contemplate the resurrection of Our Lord. It is a lasting joy as described by St. Josemaria Escriva who said "Easter is a time of joy - a joy not confined to this period of the liturgical year, but to be found really and fully in the Christian's heart". Our hearts are full.

Blessings to you this Lenten season! Remember our Lent from last year? As we recall the suffering endured from the lockdowns and deprivation of the sacraments and Holy Mass, we are reminded of how quickly the things we take for granted can be withdrawn from us. This teaches us to be always grateful for gifts of the Lord, lest they be taken away.

With the negative double-digit temps, it's hard to believe spring is just around the corner. As we anticipate warmer weather and melting snow, we can look forward to the life and growth that comes along with spring. In this month's newsletter we'll share about student life, life in the womb, and life in our local Church, all of which are experiencing growth at this time, despite the frigid temperatures.

Blessings to you this Christmas season and new year! As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, we also commemorate the conception of our apostolate two years ago this month on the Solemnity of the Mother of God. Only through the grace of God and the intercession of His Mother could we have survived the launch of our program through the infamous year of 2020.

Advent is upon us and we await with joy the coming of Christ into our hearts. It is a joyful anticipation, as we can be certain of His coming if we but dispose ourselves properly. We look forward to the fruit of our prayerful preparation. In this month's newsletter we pay tribute to our beloved Bishop Sirba. We are also happy to share a video from our recent Rosary Walk and Marian Procession.

As uncertainty abounds in our nation and in the world, we are blessed to provide our students with a little pocket of "normalcy" during their time at Mater Dei. It is so easy to get swept away in the current events of society...which are certainly significant. However, as Catholics we are called to keep our focus on what is eternally significant. Namely, the salvation of our souls.

It's been a long spring and summer but we're back! On the first day of class on September 8th, Mr. Lemke and I both arrived with flowers in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary...a sign of the unity of our intentions and a fitting entrance into year two. We look forward to the blessings ahead.

We made it, praise God! As our inaugural year comes to a close, we are filled with wonder and gratitude. In our final issue of Mater Dei Annunciations for the school year, let us briefly reflect on the journey of our apostolate, beginning with the early prayers of parents in our community. As God has consistently shown, He will work in His way and His time. 

The current crisis with this pandemic has forced us to consider as an apostolate, what scenarios we may be faced with in the future. There are many unknowns. How long will the current shut-down last? What happens if there is an outbreak of a new virus? Will national shut-downs be the new status quo? What does that mean for Catholic education?

God is truly trying to get our attention this Lent. With the pandemic and stay-at-home orders, He has forced us to slow down, reevaluate our priorities and surrender completely to His mysterious divine plan. As an apostolate we will continue to move forward blindly in faith, as we have been accustomed to do from the start.

It's hard to believe we're just three months away from bringing our inaugural year to a close! Time has flown by for the apostolate, as God has been keeping us on our toes. In this newsletter we are happy to share that we received some new items for the education center. Also, we had a successful open house event for prospective families.

It's been a busy start to the year at Mater Dei. In the midst of the busyness, God has been shaping and transforming the apostolate. With a seeming blink of the eye we have a Dean of Students and we're recruiting instructors for year two. The more blessings we receive the more humble we become, as it is evident Who is truly in charge. 

A year ago at this time, the idea of Mater Dei Apostolate was only being conceived. After special graces received on the Solemnity of the Mother of God, we were given the confidence to move forward with the development of our program. It has been an effort planted firmly in faith and hope, the fruit of which has been the growth of a Catholic community united in Christ. 

The beginning of Advent has been marked with sorrow by the sudden death of our holy and beloved Bishop Paul Sirba. He was a mentor, friend and spiritual father to so many. A faithful shepherd to us all. Though we mourn our loss, the Lord's own words give us perspective. 

It's hard to believe two months of our inaugural year are already behind us. We have been blessed. Each gift of time, talent and treasure continues to shape our apostolate in ways that are truly beautiful. We're happy to share details and developments from the past month, including an exciting announcement about a matching pledge!