The life of our parish community continues to thrive through many organizations and societies. These groups enrich the parish family by providing opportunities get to know each other, to grow stronger in our faith, to use our talents in service to our parish community, and to convert our faith into action.
You are invited to join these communities – both official Mater Dei groups as well as independent organizations who meet at Mater Dei – in helping bring grace and charity to our parish.
List of groups (Alphabetical Order)
- Adoration Society
- Altar Boys
- Altar Flowers
- Altar Society
- Blessed Frassati Group
- Catholic Brotherhood
- Choral Ensembles
- Garden and Landscape Club
- Little Flowers (Young Girls Social & Spiritual Group Ages 5-12)
- Mater Dei Homeschool Group (MDHSG)
- Mater Dei Photographers
- Men’s Discussion Group
- Miscarriage Ministry
- Our Lady’s Fiat (Young ladies ages 13-18)
- Padre Pio Lay Group
- Pro-Life Apostolate
- Rosary Makers
- Safety Team and Ushers
- St. John Bosco Boys Program
- Sunday Socials
- SURGE Upper Teen Group
- Youth Group
Adoration Society
Contact: Mike Drake – adoration@materdeiparish.com
The Mater Dei Adoration Society organizes parish-wide visitation hours during which the Most Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration. The principle recurring adoration event is on the First Friday of every month.
Altar Boys
Contact: Carlos Valdivia – altarboys@materdeiparish.com
As Catholics, we treasure the “most beautiful thing this side of Heaven” and our altar boys helps us to preserve this sacred tradition. Altar boys assist the priest at the altar during the Sacrifice of the Mass and other liturgical events.
Altar Flowers
Contact: Valerie Graham – flowers@materdeiparish.com
Arrangement and upkeep of the flowers on the altars at Mater Dei. Even if you don’t know how to arrange flowers, you can participate by helping to prep the flowers for the arrangers or maintaining the arrangements during the week.
Altar Society
Contact: Cecilia Bralick – altarsociety@materdeiparish.com
The Mater Dei Altar Society is responsible for the cleanliness and appearance of the sacristy, confessionals, baptistery, and sanctuary. We operate as five teams, with one team working every Saturday of each month.
Blessed Frassati Group
Contact: Debbie Malain – frassatigroup@materdeiparish.com
The Blessed Frassati Group is a spiritual and fellowship group for Mater Dei attendees in their 20s and 30s (married or single). We host spiritual and social events centered on our devotion to the Catholic Faith and the Traditional Latin Mass.
Catholic Brotherhood
Contact: brotherhood@materdeiparish.com
For Catholic adult men (age 21+), we meet every Sunday at 3 pm until Vespers at 4:45, in the St. Anne room for prayer, discussion and activity.
Choral Ensembles
Contact: Chase Fowler – musicdirector@materdeiparish.com
The primary purpose of the many Choral Ensembles of Mater Dei is to praise and glorify almighty God through the use of Sacred Music. We also honor Mary and the Saints and help beautify the Liturgical worship through our singing.
Garden and Landscape Club
Contact: Valerie Graham – landscape@materdeiparish.com
Helps beautify and enhance our parish grounds: planting and maintaining flowers, trees, gardens (including vegetable and fruits) and other types of landscape including grottos and statues.
Little Flowers (Young Girls Social & Spiritual Group)
Contact: Claire Dodge (5-8) & Jamie Maldonado (9-12) [Both use the same email] – materdeilittleflowers@materdeiparish.com
Little Flower Girls Club (LFGC) is a program for teaching virtues and studying saints through Scripture, saints’ biographies and the Catechism for girls ages 5-8 and 9-12. Both LFCG groups meet on the first Saturday of each month from 10:30-12:30. The older girls’ group engages in additional outings, community service & field trips.
Mater Dei Homeschool Group (MDHSG)
Contact: Jamie Pinkerton – homeschoolgroup@materdeiparish.com
A support group for Catholic homeschoolers who are Mater Dei parishioners or friends. We provide support through monthly Mom meetings, liturgical year festivities, fellowship and fun events, service work, field trips and resource and information sharing.
Mater Dei Photographers
Contact: Mitchell Marks photos@materdeiparish.com
The purpose of our ministry is to share the beauty of our liturgy and to promote our parish online and in promotional materials for our parish. Our photographs tell the story of our parish and the fraternity in the life of our community. Through sharing this story, we can better convey how the gospel of Jesus Christ is lived out among the faithful in our parish.
Men’s Discussion Group
Contact: Steve Boor – mensgroup@materdeiparish.com
The Men’s Discussion Group assists and supports men of the parish in growing stronger and more knowledgeable in our traditional Catholic faith. Meetings are once per month, usually on the last Wed or last Thurs, after the Holy Mass ends for that evening.
Miscarriage Ministry
Contact: Danielle Van der Putten – miscarriageministry@materdeiparish.com
Michael’s Miscarriage Ministry helps with: Informational resources including pro-life healthcare providers; Emotional Support for your family, including fathers and siblings; Practical support like meals, childcare, and help around the house with a care calendar.
Our Lady’s Fiat
Contact: Debbie Malain – ourladysfiatgroup@materdeiparish.com
For young ladies ages 13-18, we meet on the 4th Saturday of each month after 9:30 am Mass. Meeting time consists of a tea party brunch, a short devotion and talk led by Fr. Bauknecht, and an activity.
Padre Pio Lay Group
Contact: Jamie Gogo – stpadrepiolaygroup@materdeiparish.com
The Padre Pio Lay Group is a prayer group that gathers faithful once a month in prayer for particular intention uniting it in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Here we also learn some spiritual direction of Padre Pio to his spiritual children that we can also apply for the sanctification of ourselves. The group meets every 2nd Saturday of the month for 9:30 am Mass and at 10:30 a.m. in the St. Anne’s room afterwards.
Pro-Life Apostolate
Contact: Mary Florek – prolife@materdeiparish.com
We join with many other faithful throughout the diocese proclaiming the Gospel of Life through events such as 40 Days for Life, Life Chain, and the annual March and Rally for Life in Dallas.
Rosary Makers
Contact: Angela Heiter – rosarymakers@materdeiparish.com
Our Lady’s Rosary Makers at Mater Dei are propagating devotion to the Most Holy Rosary, and hope to make available many Rosaries for our Parish use and also for the missions.
Safety Team and Ushers
Contact: Tom Brugger – safety@materdeiparish.com
The Safety Team are men of the parish who assist at the Sunday Masses to create a safe and friendly atmosphere by greeting and assisting visitors, directing parishioners to seats, taking up the collection, distributing the Sunday Bulletin, and helping out with safety as needed.
St. John Bosco Boys Group
Boys formation program (ages 13-18) – The goal of this program is to foster the virtues of purity, temperance, prudence, justice and fortitude along with the development of Christian conviction and true leadership. Courses offered provide spiritual formation alongside intellectual growth.
Sunday Socials
Contact: Debbie Malain – sundaysocial@materdeiparish.com
Mater Dei parish has a Sunday Social in the parish hall after the 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Sunday Masses. There are five teams who take turns setting up the drinks and food each month, and cleaning up afterwards.
SURGE Upper Teen Group
Surge, an upper teen group for youth in 10th -12th grades, meets on second Fridays at 4:30 and has a social activity on fourth Saturdays.
Youth Group
Contact: David Vidimos – youthgroup@materdeiparish.com
For youth ages 13-18, the youth group generally meets on 1st & 3rd Saturdays in the parish hall, from 5:30p-9:30p. Starting with a rosary at 6 pm, we have a group dinner and an interactive talk/discussion led by Father O’Brien, followed by games headed up by Father.
Independent Organizations
Confraternity of St. Peter
Junior Legion of Mary
Knights of Columbus
Legion of Mary
St. Vincent de Paul Society
Troops of St. George
