A Message from Mark Koesters, Head of Marian's Religion Department

Above the main entrance to Marian High School is a plaque that states, “Be it known to all who enter here that Christ is the reason for this school.” By extension this applies to the Religion Department at Marian. The center and focus of all religious education at Marian is Jesus Christ as experienced and believed in the Roman Catholic tradition. This focus on Jesus throughout the Religion program can be summarized in three words: theology, spirituality and service. The program offers a solid foundation in Roman Catholic teachings so that students can experience God and integrate the Christian faith in their lives, learn the responsibilities of becoming adult believers and live out Marian’s Mission, part of which is to “be leaders and life-long learners in a society where their talents and faith will give hope to the world.”

Theology: Every student at Marian is required to have eight semesters of religion. Topics of study include Scripture, Christology, Church History, Morality, World Religions and Sacraments. Connections between classroom topics and current issues are often discussed. A unit on Mary is taught every year. In addition, Marian has a strong sexual abstinence program.

Spirituality: The day at Marian begins with prayer, and students are given many opportunities to lead prayer. There is a monthly all-school Mass that coincides with important Catholic holy days or with events significant to Marian. Each student also attends class masses and a retreat every year. Freshmen and seniors have overnight retreats, and sophomores and juniors have a variety of day retreats from which to choose.

Service: Service to others is a natural extension of being a Marian student. Though Marian does not require a specific number of service hours, most students are involved in service in some way, either with the many sites and opportunities that Marian facilitates or with the ones that they find on their own. A service reflection paper, however, is required of all students each year on the variety of service completed during the previous twelve months.

Religion Department: Mark Koesters, Kory Delkamiller, Greg Golka, Tara Joyce Whipp, Kathy Tocco and Pat Travis.

Course Offerings:

Scripture
Christ and the Church
Morality and Social Justice
Faith Commitments