Holy Mary, Mother of God
Dear Mater Dei Community,
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. May He continue to be born anew in our hearts and in our apostolate throughout the year to come.
We had a fun time producing our new 3-minute promo video which was recently debuted, please spread the word! Also this month, in honor of our patroness Mater Dei (Mother of God), we'd like to share the symbolism behind our logo. May God bless you.
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Ad Jesum Per Mariam
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Day-to-day at Mater Dei
After some much needed down time over Christmas break the students are back at it full swing. Now it’s time to cram for finals as the semester comes to a close on the 17th. Some of our instructors have come in during their time off in order to help students with extra preparation for exams. Their genuine commitment to the students is a blessing and an inspiration.
For the December service project the students helped the Handmaids with preparations for Christmas at St Lawrence Church. The ladies polished sacred vessels in the sacristy while the men did the grunt work of hauling and setting up Christmas trees. Students also worked on shoveling the parking lot entrances...a little extra project added in courtesy of the snow storm.
Mater Dei logo
What's the story behind our logo? It is modeled after the illustration depicted on the back of the Miraculous Medal, which is full of deep symbolism and meaning for our Catholic faith. A “mini Catechism around the neck” as it has been described. It is appropriate considering our mission of educating students under the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church and under the protection of our patroness, Mater Dei.
The Marian cross is the “M” of Mary intertwined with the cross of Jesus, symbolizing her presence at the foot of the cross during His crucifixion and her role in our salvation. At the foot of the cross, Jesus gave His Mother to us as our own (John 19: 26-27). The intertwining also symbolizes their intimate union, highlighting that true devotion to Mary always leads back to Jesus.
The stars symbolize the 12 Apostles, representing the Church. They surround Mary, who is the Mother of God and the spiritual mother of His disciples and the Church. The stars also refer to the woman of Revelation in John’s vision: “And a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars...” (Revelation 12:1).
The two hearts symbolize the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, closely united and burning with love for us. The heart of Jesus is crowned with thorns, symbolizing His Passion and Death. The heart of Mary is pierced with a sword (Luke 2:35), symbolizing her suffering and sorrow in union with her Son.
Spread the word
Our new promo video is complete! It's hard to give an overview of our inspiration in three short minutes but we did our best and had fun doing it. We are hopeful the narrative will draw people in to learn more.
Our main focus right now is to get the word out into the larger community about our endeavor so we can gather support going forward. Over the next two months students will be visiting parishes around the Duluth area to help serve coffee and donuts and/or breakfast after weekend Masses.
In regards to student recruitment we will presenting information to 8th graders at the St. John's and St. James campuses of Stella Maris at the end of the month. In addition, we will host open house events at our education center in February.
Please help to spread the word about Mater Dei Apostolate. Share this newsletter and encourage people to sign up on our website to stay up-to-date first hand.