Prayer and Action
Dear Mater Dei 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! It was a blessed event, highlighting the importance of prayer and action. We are so grateful for the strong faith within our Mater Dei community. May God bless you.
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Ad Jesum Per Mariam
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Day-to-day at Mater Dei
As a class enrichment assignment, students in our Composition & Rhetoric course reviewed and analyzed an article in the National Review titled, The Lion and the Bard: How Churchill used Shakespeare to Change the World, written by Dr. Tod Worner. The class had previously studied Churchill's memorable quotes in their analysis of figures of speech. The article served to give depth to these quotes, Churchill's character, and his place in history. However, many of the students couldn't appreciate a clear link between Churchill and Shakespeare. Our instructor surprised the students by inviting Mr. Worner himself to join the class for an in-depth discussion!
Students in our Fitness & Wellness course had a lesson on self-defense. They were taught multiple defense strategies and were able to practice newly learned kicking and punching techniques on a free-standing punching bag. These basic skills are so important to know in order to be prepared for a potential conflict in life. Plus, it is unanimously one of the favorite lessons for our teenagers because they get to kick and punch stuff.
Service Project
For our October service project, we assisted the Star of the North Maternity home, a ministry that provides housing, care and resources for pregnant homeless women. They recently moved into a new home! We pulled everything out of their packed garage to sort and organize donations. Then of course, it started to rain so we scrambled to cover every thing with empty plastic bins and coverings. Thankfully it was a brief rain. In addition to the garage, we cleared and organized a room in the basement to be used as a craft area, washed windows, sorted and organized a large book collection left by the previous home owners, and took several loads of items to the Damiano Center. We are so thankful for this wonderful ministry here in Duluth.
Rosary Walk & Marian Procession
The Mater Dei community gathered together for our second annual Rosary Walk & Marian Procession. The weather was beautiful and we were pleased to be treated to the lingering fall colors as we processed through the neighborhood and park. Over seventy people were in attendance to pray for our intention of unity within the Church, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of God. We were honored to have Bishop Daniel Felton in attendance as well. After the procession, we gathered into Holy Family Church for silent prayer and Benediction. It was a powerful event full of much grace.