Annunciations
Dear Mater Dei Community,
Praise God! We are just over a week away from the launch of our Catholic high school education program at Mater Dei Apostolate. To date, we have 10 students registered to begin our inaugural 9th grade class this fall. We are full of gratitude and enthusiasm for this opportunity which is being made possible only through God's grace working in each of us. Thank you for the prayers, time, talent and treasure you have dedicated on behalf of this endeavor thus far. We are excited to introduce you to our instructors and share a few details of what's to come in our first issue of Mater Dei Annunciations. May God bless you.
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Ad Jesum Per Mariam
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Mass with Bishop Sirba
Please join us as we begin the school year with Mass, celebrated by Bishop Sirba. Mass is on Tuesday, Sept 3rd at 8:00am at Holy Family Church, followed by a social in the church hall. Please invite family, friends and community members to give praise and thanksgiving for the first Catholic high school program in Duluth in over 40 years, and to pray for it's success.
Breaking Ground
After an exorcism and blessing of the Mater Dei education center and grounds of Holy Family Church, we have begun preparations for updating the facility. In order to operate as an education facility, a special use permit has been issued from the City of Duluth and there are a number of modifications that need to be made in order to comply with codes/regulations. After many delays and obstacles, our plans and permits have been approved. Students will begin class upstairs in the church hall of Holy Family Parish until the education center renovations are complete and pass inspection. We are grateful for the patience and flexibility of our Mater Dei families!
Meet the Instructors
Our instructors have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming school year. Each of them bring a unique set of gifts and talents to Mater Dei Apostolate and their passion for Catholic education is what will drive the success of our program. Please take a moment to get to know them by reading through their bios below.
Father Ryan Moravitz
Sacred Scripture
Fr. Ryan was ordained in 2008 after attending seminary at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary followed by the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Fr. Ryan received a BA in Philosophy from Saint Mary’s University in 2004 and while attending the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, he received a Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 2008 and a Sacred Theology Licentiate in Dogmatic Studies in 2009. He went on to receive a Master’s degree in Philanthropy and Development from Saint Mary’s University in 2016. Throughout his priesthood, Fr. Ryan has served on numerous boards, served as State of Minnesota Knights of Columbus Chaplain, Parochial Vicar in Hibbing, Pastor in Crosslake and Emily, and currently serves as the Diocesan Vocation Director and Pastor of Saint Lawrence and Holy Family in Duluth. In addition to teaching Sacred Scripture, Fr. Ryan serves as Chaplain of Mater Dei Apostolate. He looks forward to providing students with opportunities to encounter the Lord, in particular, through Mass and Eucharistic Adoration.
Father Joel Hastings
Latin I
Fr. Joel was ordained to the priesthood in 1999 and currently serves as pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Duluth and Director of Liturgy for the Diocese of Duluth. He graduated with a B.A. in philosophy from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul in 1995. Fr. Joel attended graduate seminary at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy from 1995-1999, during which time he received a Bachelors in Sacred Theology and the Diploma in Pastoral Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. In 2009 he received a Master’s degree in Liturgy from The Liturgical Institute of the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, IL. Teaching the Catholic Faith to all ages (especially on the subjects of liturgy and sacraments) has been a cherished part of Fr. Joel’s priestly ministry. As part of his service of St. Benedict Parish, Fr. Joel regularly offers the Traditional Latin Mass and he is excited to be part of the work of Mater Dei Apostolate in forming young people in a love for Jesus Christ and His Church.
Mrs. Mary Lou Jennings
Ancient Western Literature
Mary Lou graduated from Georgetown University with a BS in Nursing. It was there while studying ancient and medieval theology and philosophy that she developed a passion for the Catholic intellectual tradition and literature. She went on to study Spirituality and Sacred Scripture at Fordham University for five summers while raising four sons with her husband Len. She then attended Michigan State University to earn a BA in French followed by graduate studies in French literature and three years of classical Greek. She also studied graduate theology and Scripture at St. John’s University in Collegeville for four summers. She taught religious education at Blessed Sacrament in Hibbing and taught Scripture to small groups in the parish. Mary Lou is the executive director of the Sister Thea Bowman Foundation. She knew Sister Thea well and is presently working on her cause for canonization. She hopes to teach and to instill in her students at Mater Dei Apostolate a deep love for literature and the richness of the Catholic intellectual tradition.
Mr. John Niemann
Ancient Western Civilization
Mr. Niemann has been an educator for over 20 years, home educating his six children with his wife Sibyl and working as a teacher and administrator at some of the best traditional schools in the Twin Cities metro area, including Trinity School, Eagle Ridge Academy and Chesterton Academy, where he served as Headmaster. He is the co-founder of the Saint John Paul II Education Guild, a hybrid program for core high school academics. Mr. Niemann is a frequent lecturer at conferences and events. He has a law degree from the William Mitchell College of Law, a Master of Liberal Studies degree from Saint John’s College, Santa Fe, NM, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative History from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. The Niemanns live in St. Paul and are parishioners at All Saints Catholic Church in Northeast Minneapolis. Mr. Niemann is eager to be a part of Mater Dei’s work providing faithful, rigorous Catholic education under this new paradigm, which he believes is a great work of the New Evangelization.
Mrs. Beth Sullivan
Composition & Grammar
Beth graduated in 2009 from the University of St. Thomas with a bachelor's degree in Catholic Studies and elementary education, holding a specialty in middle school communication arts and literature. She taught library and middle school language arts at Maternity of Mary - Saint Andrew's Catholic School in Saint Paul for five years. Then she taught literature and composition at St. Simon's Catholic School in Indianapolis before setting aside her formal teaching to stay at home with her growing family. Beth, her husband, and four children have recently settled in Duluth and feel blessed to be part of the enthusiasm this community holds for growing in their Catholic faith. She is excited to teach Mater Dei students to understand their dignity while looking for glimpses of God’s goodness and beauty in the art of writing.
Mrs. Sarah Cossack
Algebra I - Geometry
Sarah received her Bachelors of Science in Mathematics from the University of Notre Dame in 2010 and her Masters of Education (Secondary Mathematics) from Creighton University in 2011. She taught math for two years at Millard North High School in Omaha, Nebraska. Her courses included International Baccalaureate Math Standard Level, Honors Algebra II, and Algebra I. She was a substitute teacher for two years in Omaha and Shawnee, Kansas. She has also been a math tutor for eight years. Recently, she moved to Duluth where she lives with her husband and three young sons. Sarah is also a catechist for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. Rose in Proctor. In addition to her family, her passions are math and Catholic education, and she feels honored to be a part of Mater Dei.
Mrs. Becca Kroll
Intro to Physics & Chemistry
Becca received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2007. She worked as a Director of Religious Education and Youth Minister for all ages, PreK-11, for 9 years between two Catholic Churches here in the Duluth area. Becca has been a stay at home mom since 2015. She and her husband are currently living in Esko raising their 5 children. When she is not too busy with the little ones she enjoys floristry and gardening, which inspired her to start her own floristry business in 2017. Becca is excited to instruct students at Mater Dei in order to illustrate how incredible God is through His creation of science and its beauty.
Mr. Zach Bennett
Science Consultant
Zach received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of St. Scholastica in 2006 double majoring in biology and Catholic studies and minoring in chemistry. He served as Youth Minister and Director of Religious Education for a Duluth parish for four years before returning to academia to pursue his Master of Science degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth in the Integrated Biosciences program. While completing graduate studies he served 2 years as a graduate teaching assistant for undergraduate courses, and one year as scientist-in-residence at Denfeld High School by means of a fellowship granted through the National Science Foundation. In 2013, Zach began his teaching career in the biology department at Lake Superior College. He teaches courses that range from general biology to human anatomy and physiology to students of all ages. Aside from raising 3 young children with his wife, Zach enjoys the active, outdoor life Duluth offers. He is excited to offer his expertise to Mater Dei to help young learners see the compatibility of faith and reason through the genius of the Catholic intellectual tradition and the beauty of the natural sciences.
Mr. Scott Pionk
Life Skills
Scott received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from the University of Wisconsin-Superior in 1986 with minors in Health Education and Journalism. He has 10 years of experience teaching Religious Education at Saint Lawrence in Duluth and 36 years of experience coaching baseball, football and hockey. Currently, Scott runs his own landscape business which he started in 2005. He and his wife, Karen, have raised five sons who attended the Catholic schools in Duluth through middle school. Scott has long believed there is a need for Catholic values to be integrated with high school education in the Duluth area. Through his work with the Life Skills course at Mater Dei, he looks forward to instilling these values while guiding students to become confident, successful, well-rounded young adults.