On Thursday, October 2, 2025, for the dedication and blessing of our Memorial Garden, we welcomed the families and friends of our young Knights and Lady Knights who were called home to our heavenly father during their time at Mater Dei.

The Memorial Garden serves not only as a tribute to students who lost their life while at Mater Dei, but also as a reminder to continue to keep in our prayers these young Knights and Lady Knights and their families.

Principal Dennis Litteken, who first envisioned the memorial, stated, “It is my hope that this memorial will be a place of reflection and comfort for those who lost a loved one or dear friend while at Mater Dei, as well as a celebration and an inspiration to our students, allowing them to understand how precious life is.”

Following a prayer service and Fr. Chuck Tuttle’s blessing of the memorial, the name and class of the twenty-eight memorialized students were read, and a family member or Mr. Litteken lit a candle in their honor: Edward Heidel ’58, Alan Kampwerth ’64, Bernard Linnemann ’64, Kent Jantzen ’64, Mary Lou Renschen ’66, Steve Becker ’67, Mike Huelsmann ’67, Gary Wellen ’68, Bill Garcia ’71, Bill Cintalon ’71, Charmaine Lager ’71, LuAnn Weh ’71, Mike Little ’72, Bob Engelmann ’72, Linda Von Hatten ’73, Sharon Santel ’75, Ron Von Bokel ’76, Beth Reitz ’82, Glenn Deerhake ’85, Charles Ade ’86, William Sullivan ’87, Kim Heimann ’88, Dean Luitjohan ’91, Jean Schrage ’94, Brent Meyer ’99, Jared Burke ’01, Allan Horstmann ’12, and Bella Brefeld ’24.

Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

The Memorial Garden is located in the circle drive near the main entrance of Mater Dei.

A stone monument serves as the center piece of the memorial.

The benches include a picture of the student, as well as his/her name, class, and birth and death dates.