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Academics
Curriculum

Theology

In the spirit of St. John Baptist de La Salle, the Theology Department at Mullen High School provides both scholastic and spiritual enrichment.
The rigorous program of required college prep courses and theology electives continues to invite students to recognize and accept the sacredness, dignity, and value of their lives and to grow in knowledge, understanding and praxis of the Roman Catholic faith and tradition.

Faculty, staff, students and their families collaborate to create a nurturing learning environment supported by prayer, liturgy, retreats, and on-going community service. We are proudly and absolutely 100% faithful to the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church and loyal to His Holiness Pope Francis.

Essential Outcomes

List of 6 items.

  • Scripture

    Students will be able to explain Scripture using a variety of traditional Catholic methods, as well as apply it to our modern world.
    Students will:
    1. Analyze and synthesize Scripture using the Catholic approach
    2. Understand  the covenantal invitation of Scripture and its application
    3. Research and utilize a variety of resources, from Magisterial documents to online resources
     

  • Christology

    Students will be able to comprehend the dynamic of Christ as both fully God and fully Man as it unfolds in Christ’s Paschal Mystery and our salvation (Grad at Grad: Faith in the Presence of God, Concern for the Poor and Social Justice, Excellence in Education, Respect for All Persons, Participation within Inclusive Community) 
    Students will:
    1. Demonstrate the essential understandings that reveal Jesus as man, God and Second Person of the Trinity.
    2. Define and analyze the Paschal Mystery in order to evaluate its role in salvation

  • Catholic Church

    Students will be able to explain the nature of the Church and Her relationship to the modern world through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Grad at Grad: Faith in the Presence of God, Concern for the Poor and Social Justice, Excellence in Education, Respect for All Persons, Participation within Inclusive Community) 
    Students will:
    1. Articulate how Christ continues to be present through his body the Church and through the power of the Holy Spirit
    2. Identify the Church’s mission of evangelization, restoration to holiness, and suffering

  • Prayer

    Students will be able to experience the various elements of prayer and their importance in our relationship with God. (Grad at Grad: Faith in the Presence of God, Concern for the Poor and Social Justice, Excellence in Education, Respect for All Persons, Participation within Inclusive Community) 
    Students will:
    1. Understand, describe and analyze prayer and its practices
    2. Explain how the elements of prayer reveal the qualities of God
    3. Discern movements within the heart and respond to God authentically

  • Human Dignity

    Students will be able to comprehend the nature of our dignity and that of others as being made in the image and likeness of God. (Grad at Grad: Faith in the Presence of God, Concern for the Poor and Social Justice, Excellence in Education, Respect for All Persons, Participation within Inclusive Community) 
    Students will:
    1. Demonstrate that their God given dignity is inherent to all of humanity and their search for meaning.
    2. Examine the key philosophical, moral and social justice of issues of truth and dignity and generate a Christian response

  • John Baptist De La Salle

    ​Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the ministry and mission of St. John Baptist De La Salle, the Christian Brothers and the influence of Lasallian Spirituality in the education of young people. (Grad at Grad: Faith in the Presence of God, Concern for the Poor and Social Justice, Excellence in Education, Respect for All Persons, Participation within Inclusive Community) 
    Students will:
    1. Analyze the major events and writings in the life of De La Salle
    2. Apply the vision of de la Salle to their personal life experiences. 

Departments

Faculty

List of 5 items.

  • Scott Dirrane

    Department Chair
    scott.dirrane@mullenhigh.com

  • Katie Cawley

  • Matthew Degitis

    matt.degitis@mullenhigh.com
    BA in English Lit and Secondary Education, University of Colorado
    MA in Theological Studies, Liberty University
    Bio

  • Betsy Porter

  • Wivina Vigil-Marin

    Wivina.vigilmarin@mullenhigh.com
    BA in Religious Studies, Higher Diocesan Religious Institute of Gent, Belgium
    MA in Religious Studies, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
    Bio

Course Offerings

List of 9 items.

  • Applied Spirituality

    Drawing on the knowledge of prayer, Catholic practices, morality, history and beliefs that students have gained during previous years of theology, this capstone class is designed to aid students in developing spiritual practices, within the context of a Lasallian Roman Catholic school. The emphasis in the class is on spiritual growth, deeper understanding of self, God and others and the vocation to love.

  • Bioethics

    Bioethics is an exploration of modern technologies related to medicine and biology and how they affect the dignity of the human person. The course focuses on what it means to be human from the biological, philosophical and spiritual perspectives. Foundational scientific understandings including the Big Bang Theory, evolution, embryology, stem cell research, fertility, end of life issues, and current issues in the news are studied. Finally, the moral, legal and political implications of controversial technologies are examined through the lense of the Catholic Church’s teachings on human dignity.

  • Comparative Religions

    This course is a comparative study of the major world religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Judaism, Islam, and Native American Spirituality. Under the mandate of Vatican II, this class seeks to discover "what is true and holy in these religions." Experiential and cultural emphases invite both empathy and understanding of people of the world.
     

  • Morality - Human Nature

    This course is designed to help students explore what it means to be happy  through the fulfillment of our human nature and by choosing to do the good. Specifically, it will build on the fundamental principles of truth learned in Reasons for the Faith A in order to understand the universal nature of morality. Students will understand the roles of freedom and conscience and the steps for making a moral decision. In addition, the 10 Commandments and the Beatitudes will be examined to help students understand their moral responsibilities.
     

  • Morality - Nature of Love

    This course will examine the definition and nature of love as it is revealed in the Trinity and embraced as part of human nature. Students will discover that fulfillment lies in the gift of self and how they choose to apply this to their lives. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and other Catholic teachings, will be used to examine the implications for friendship, dating, marriage, and family life. Finally, students will examine the basics of human sexuality and the challenges our culture faces.
     

  • New Testament

    The study of salvation history reaches its fullness in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Gospels, letters of St. Paul and witnesses of the early Church. The New Testament will be studied through the historical, cultural, political, and theological background of the first century world, and in addition, the foundation and early tradition of the Church will be studied. Students will be challenged to experience Christ’s Paschal Mystery as an invitation to love God, others, and self.
     

  • Old Testament

    Students will discover God’s plan of salvation and His covenant plan through reading the Old Testament Scriptures.  They will also discover how the Old Testament Scriptures prepare and foretell the coming of Jesus Christ and the Church. This class will also include information about the life of our founder, St. John Baptist de la Salle and the legacy he left. 
     

  • Reasons for the Faith

    This course is designed to help students understand the importance of recognizing and embracing the good as it is found in truth, in a world filled with relativism.  Through an exploration of logical thinking, classical philosophy, the question of what faith is, the many ways to prove things, and the Catholic approach to understanding God, students will work to comprehend these realities in their own lives.  Ultimately, the students will be encouraged to explore why a relationship with God is good for us.

  • Social Justice

    Catholic Social Teaching is based on the life and works of Jesus Christ. This course will examine issues of social justice, including economic equality, immigration, race, ecology, war and violence through the lens of Catholic Social teaching. Through civil discourse, students will speak out on social matters which threaten the human dignity of all persons made in God’s image and likeness.
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