75 years ago, Mater Dei opened its doors to a small group of students with big dreams. Surrounded by open fields and guided by faith, the early Monarchs helped shape a community deeply rooted in the values of Honor, Glory, and Love. Beginning as the first Catholic high school in Orange County, Mater Dei has grown into a thriving community of close to 2,000 students. The defining spirit from the first classes in the 50s continues through every pathway on campus today.

As the school celebrates its 75th anniversary, stories from the earliest graduates remind today’s students where those traditions began. Among those voices is Lenore (Rigney) O’Hara ’54, a student in one of Mater Dei’s first graduate classes. She reflects on her experience transferring to the school as a junior.

“I was a little nervous, of course, not knowing anyone or anything,” O’Hara said. “But the principal was very kind to me and tried to get me to feel at home or at ease and worked out my schedule.”

Having just moved from Chicago to Santa Ana with her parents and siblings, O’Hara entered Mater Dei not knowing what to expect. The campus was still developing, with only a few buildings surrounded by open fields. Yet she quickly found herself resonating with classmates who were new to California and looking forward to being a part of the history. 

“A lot of them have moved to California with their families, too,” O’Hara said. “So they kind of knew [and] could appreciate the experience of arriving and not knowing a single person.”

Back in the 1950s, Mater Dei was still finding its footing. There was no gymnasium, and the Boys Basketball team practiced and played games in downtown Santa Ana. However, the Grotto has been there since the beginning, serving as a sacred centerpiece where students often gathered in prayer after games and school events. 

“The teams would go to the Grotto after their games to say some prayers,” O’Hara said. “That was a great tradition.”

Faith was not just a value but a foundation that is still held tightly within the community. O’Hara remembered the influence of Father Michael Hanson, the school’s first principal, whose leadership encouraged students to remain “faithful to Him, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Many of the teachers were priests and nuns from Ireland and Hungary, offering students both academic and spiritual support.

“We had a lot of wonderful teachers and not just from California or even the United States,” O’Hara said. “They came from other countries to teach at the school, [and] we always got help from the teachers if we needed.”

O’Hara’s connections to the school did not end after graduation, but marked the start of a lifelong relationship. Her children and grandchildren would all go on to attend the school, continuing her family’s Monarch legacy. 

“I’ve never lost touch with Mater Dei,” O’Hara said. “All of my children attended Mater Dei, and I’ve had grandchildren attend Mater Dei. I got to know some of the other families and parents over the years.”

For Kathleen Kelly ’94, Director of Alumni and Legacy Relations, the stories from the 1950s are living reminders of how the school’s primary values continue to grow upon generations of Monarchs. 

“The community and the family of Mater Dei have remained the same [since] the school began,” Kelly said.

Kelly has spent years connecting with Mater Dei alumni, from the Class of 1954 to recent graduates, she often hears about school pride and appreciation. Kelly shared that the school’s early development came from the families themselves. 

“There are stories of a bunch of the dads getting together to help grade and clear the fields to get them ready for the sports,” Kelly said. “There are a lot of grassroots stories like this campus, and this community was built with the help of a lot of people.” 

Athletics became an integral component of the growing Monarch spirit. American football dominated the early campus, while the Girls Athletic Association (GAA) offered female students a new sense of opportunity. The GAA paved the way for today’s female student-athletes. 

“Football was the king back then,” Kelly said. “[The GAA] only played against other teams at school, not played [against] other schools like the boys did, or like the girls do now, because girls’ sports were so brand new. Now, all of our teams are big and fun and doing well.”

Kelly shares that even as decades pass, the alumni from those early years have never lost touch. Many of them still meet regularly to share memories, celebrate milestones, and catch up on each other’s lives. Faith and community are the key factors that drive alumni back to where they once called home, embodying the school’s motto, ‘Once a Monarch, always a Monarch.’

“I think the biggest thing is their appreciation [for] Mater Dei and the community,” Kelly said. “They just want the kids to realize that and take advantage of it. “Community and family are something that run deep and are appreciated by every generation.”

​​Raphy Mekhail, a dedicated sophomore serving as ASB Class Senator, a club president, and a member of the Mater Dei soccer program, shares his perspective on Mater Dei’s legacy and evolution. As a current student leader, Mekhail reflects on how the traditions and values established in the 50s continue to shape and influence the Monarch experience today. His involvement across academics, athletics, and leadership offers a meaningful connection between Mater Dei’s historic foundation and the spirit of the modern student body.

“Listening to them makes you realize there’s a bigger story behind being a Monarch,” Mekhail said. “It’s not just about going to school, but about carrying on a legacy that started decades ago and still shapes who we are now.”

Recognizing how the traditions established by the first alumni continue to influence today’s students highlights the timeless values that define Mater Dei. This connection between generations reinforces how the school’s founding beliefs remain strong even as the campus and community continue to evolve.

“They’d see that those things haven’t changed, even after all these years,” Mekhail stated. “The same values of honor, glory, and love that guided them then continue to guide us today, connecting every generation of Monarchs.”

From O’Hara’s memories of the school in its early days to Kelly’s stories of grassroots teamwork and Mekhail’s vision for the next generation, the heart of Mater Dei spirit remains timeless.