FOR DECADES, MATER DEI High School’s theater, dance, choir and instrumental music students along with Monarch tennis teams have had to use multiple venues for performances and competitions.
These groups will soon have a place to call home.
ON OCT. 16, BISHOP KEVIN VANN BLESSED A MAJOR EXPANSION SITE ON MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL’S SANTA ANA CAMPUS. PHOTOS BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
On Oct. 16, Mater Dei officially entered the construction phase of a major campus expansion that includes a 32,000-square-foot performing arts center and new on-campus tennis courts. Consistent with Catholic tradition, Mater Dei held a blessing and dedication ceremony to mark the beginning of the project, expected to be completed 2028.
Mater Dei administrators, teachers, alumni, benefactors and elected officials turned out as Bishop Kevin Vann blessed the site and asked God to watch over the project.
Bishop Vann referenced Psalm 127:1 as the foundation for the blessing: “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor.”
The performing arts center will have at least 560 seats and be the home for the school’s theater, choir, dance and instrumental music programs. The state-of-the-art venue will feature a scene shop, green rooms, dressing rooms, rehearsal spaces, lobby and concessions spaces.
MATER DEI PERFORMING ARTS STUDENTS SING DURING THE OCT. 16 EVENT.
“As a skinny high school kid back in the Midwest, music became really important to me,” Bishop Vann said. “I didn’t really find a way to express myself at the given time, but the gift was given to me. So, I’m grateful that we have this possibility now, especially because we have a place where we can perform and sing, and God can embrace it.”
The new tennis complex is situated directly adjacent to the Meruelo Athletic Center.
No longer will Monarch tennis teams have to move from one facility to another, Mater Dei president Michael Brennan said.
“Over the years, modern-day students have shown incredible resilience, turning every makeshift stage into a sanctuary of creativity and every tennis match into their home away from home,” Brennan said. “The performing arts and athletics are not an afterthought; they are a profound expression of the human soul and a reflection of the gifts that God provides.”
Mater Dei alum Bob Demmond and his team at TBP Architecture led the design of the project, which also includes a new security center, landscaping and infrastructure upgrades.
“I was in the instrumental music program when I was here at Mater Dei and was blessed to have opportunities to explore music and grow as an adult while I was here,” Demmond said. “Everything I’ve learned in my life in the last 40 years has come from this foundation of a Mater Dei education.”
Slater Builders serves as the general contractor and manages the full construction of the project.
The roots of the new facilities can be traced back to the implementation of the Mater Dei 2000 Campaign, a multiphase capital improvement fundraising initiative that started in 2000 and helped fund the campus chapel, library, outdoor athletic facilities, the Meruelo Athletic Center and William Lyon Homes Aquatic Center.
“After the performing arts building and tennis courts are complete, generations of Monarchs will continue to develop their God-given talents and skills in the arts and athletics on the corner of Bristol and Edinger,”
Principal Frances Clare said.
“In these new facilities, our faculty and staff will continue to promote and generate the spirit of Mater Dei by challenging, encouraging and guiding students.”