Meet Two Very Special Teachers
The whole Martin Saints faculty is a priceless treasure. We are the smallest and newest high school in town, and so many people haven't heard about us. Yet. That's one reason why I send these email newsletters - people need to know what is happening here. Perhaps you could forward this email to a friend, or invite someone to an open house
I truly do not mean to brag, but I worry I've been modest to a fault, and, if I may speak from the heart, I am convinced (this is Deacon Roberts writing) that there is no other high school faculty in Philadelphia that comes close to integrating this level of academic excellence with so much spiritual depth.
A typical Martin Saints student could easily be taught by five PhD's over the course of his or her high school career, as well as a West Point lieutenant colonel, a canon lawyer, a Princeton lab scientist, and an Amish-trained carpenter.
And yet, in writing that last sentence, I don't mean to traffic in credentialism. Far from it. I'm just using shorthand to try and communicate efficiently how special this group is. Gesturing towards degrees and resumes is scarcely scratching the surface, and this shorthand does not capture spiritual fidelity and commitment.
The important truth is that every Martin Saints teacher has a vocation flowing from a deep Catholic identity, as well as academic excellence. I am honored to call them friends and colleagues, and, as more and more parents meet these special people, I think that our young school will grow.
You can read about all of our teachers on our faculty web page. But for right now, please let me introduce you to two of them who have done something extra special recently. Holly Guertin (top left) and Caitlin Cochran (top right) are art teachers at Martin Saints. Last week, both shared their vocations in remarkable ways. Let's take a moment to savor what they did.
Mrs. Guertin is one of the Martin Saints craftmanship teachers. Her work has been exhibited internationally, and she has designed for Lilly Pulitzer and Anthropologie. For over a decade, she has been working on a series of sculptures made out of wool. Last Friday at school prayers, she shared with us "the Kerygma series," a crocheted tryptich (pictured above) about human nature as revealed in the creation, fall, and redemption. Through the medium of wool, she shared not only her artistic vision, but how John Paul II's Theology of the Body is the foundation of both her conversion story and her work as an artist. You can learn more about Mrs. Guertin at her website and in this article.
Ms. Cochran teaches studio art and art history at Martin Saints. She's a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College, where she learned to love philosophy and asking questions about reality, what it means to live a good life, and how to be free. She then moved to Philadelphia to study realist painting at Studio Incamminati. At Martin Saints, our students reap the benefit of Ms. Cochran's inquiring mind and her sense for wonder and beauty. We're not the only people who recognize Ms. Cochran's excellence. Last week, the Institute for Classical Education asked her to lead an online picture study, helping other teachers around the country learn what it means to teach art in a Catholic liberal arts context. Here's a video of Ms. Cochran's presentation, and check out her paintings and drawings here.
Would you like your son or daughter to be taught by these people? Would you like to meet them and ask questions? Our final admissions open house of the year will be on Monday, March 6th, at 7pm. RSVP here. Also, on Tuesday, March 28th, we're hosting a special day for seventh graders to sample MSC classes and worship. RSVP for that here. But the truth is, you and your family are warmly welcome to come visit anytime. We love sharing our school, so please reply this email, and we'll connect you with the right person. Thank you and God bless you.
