Catholic Culture
Dear Mater Dei Community,
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. May God bless you.
++
Ad Jesum Per Mariam
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Day-to-Day at Mater Dei
With two months behind us, the students and staff are now settling into a comfortable routine and pace. Seriousness in the classroom is being balanced with lightheartedness during break time. We held our fall semester parent conferences, which allowed parents to meet with instructors individually to discuss the progress of the students and address any concerns.
After years of longing and praying, we finally welcomed our Lord, truly present—Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity—into our private chapel at Mater Dei! After Holy Mass, we solemnly processed downstairs to our chapel with the Blessed Sacrament. Students, staff, families, and the Handmaids were present to sing hymns of praise and thanksgiving as we welcomed our Lord to His new place of repose.
Students can now stop in for Adoration as frequently as possible, whether in between classes or for a dedicated holy hour. As our high schoolers navigate the tumultuous waters of teenage life in the modern world, they will learn that true peace is always found at the feet of Jesus.
Service Project
For our November service project we had the opportunity to assist an elderly woman with yard work and extensive deep cleaning of her home. This dear woman was isolated during the covid lockdowns, with no family or church community. Her own health began to decline and she was unable to keep up with caring for her home, inside and out. She has limited income and no family to assist her.
This particular service project was like no other project we have experienced. It was not an easy task. The condition of the home was shocking and heartbreaking. Certainly not something you would imagine your "neighbor next door" to be living in. The students displayed diligence, perseverance, and true compassion as they worked to transform the home.
What they accomplished in three short hours will literally change the life of our beloved sister in Christ. It has given her a fresh start and opened up the door for her to seek out the additional resources she needs to improve her health and her situation. The transformation of the home was miraculous. But even more miraculous will be the transformation of souls because of this act of service by our Mater Dei students.
Mater Dei Instructors
At Mater Dei, we hire adjunct instructors to teach each course of our curriculum. This means our instructors are not full-time but rather, they are on-site only to teach their specific course, much like a college campus. This gives us the opportunity to hire high-quality educators who are specialized in their subject area but don’t want to work full-time such as retired educators, stay-at-home parents with teaching backgrounds, and college professors or other professionals with flexible schedules.
We are utilizing an untapped resource of passionate laity who are eager to use their gifts of time and talent for the good of the Church and for the mission of Mater Dei.
Recently, we had a prospective student visit Mater Dei for a "shadow day". After the visit, we received an email from her mother with the following message:
"...every [instructor] she met with on Thursday left an incredibly positive impression on her. The last class specifically, Ancient Western Literature, was the most intriguing class period she may have ever have been in. Her words, "Mom. It was a 10 out of 10." They were discussing The Iliad. She loved the content, but more than that she appreciated the dialogue and conversation that the class was having. It was education met with mutual respect and encouragement from the instructor. It left a profound impact on her.
Please extend our gratitude to the teachers who let her sit in, and to the students who helped her along that day. Mater Dei's mission is good, and true and beautiful. And I hope we get to experience more of it in our future.
P.S. We had to go in search of a copy of The Iliad later that evening."
Take a moment to get to know our faithful, talented and passionate Mater Dei instructors by reading their bios on our website.
