Stella Maris Explorers

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Gulfport, MS
Stella Maris Explorers

promoting art, faith, and science education with a weekly enrichment program for children

06/17/2026

Meet our retreat speakers!

We are honored to welcome Fr. Clinton Sensat to the Stella Maris Explorers Mom's Back-to-School Retreat this July.

Ordained to the priesthood in 2009 for the Diocese of Lafayette, Fr. Clinton brings years of pastoral and teaching experience to his ministry. He holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception and a Master's degree in English from the University of New Orleans.

As Catholic mothers, we are entrusted with the sacred work of forming souls for Heaven. Education is far more than the transmission of information. It is the cultivation of wisdom, virtue, and a love for all that is true, good, and beautiful.

Fr. Clinton will help us reflect more deeply on this mission through two inspiring talks:

📖 The Purpose of Catholic Education
🧠 The Well-Educated Mind

In a culture that often measures education by achievement alone, Fr. Clinton will offer a richer vision rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition. His talks will encourage us to see education as a path toward holiness, helping our children grow in both knowledge and their relationship with Christ.

Join us this July for a day of prayer, fellowship, creativity, and spiritual renewal!

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/moms-back-to-school-retreat

06/10/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday to our wonderful board member, Betsey Sawyer Estrade!

Born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Betsey is a devoted wife, mother, and professional who generously shares her many talents with our coast community.

As a licensed attorney, Independent Financial Advisor, life coach, parish volunteer, and Program Expansion Committee Co-Chair for Stella Maris Explorers, she brings wisdom, vision, and a genuine heart for service to everything she does.

Betsey faithfully serves her parish as a lector and as Annulment Coordinator at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church, while also balancing the beautiful vocation of motherhood to her daughter and stepmotherhood to three boys.

We are deeply grateful for the ways Betsey supports and strengthens our mission of serving Catholic families along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Please join us in wishing her a joyful birthday and praying that God abundantly blesses her in the year ahead! 💙

06/08/2026

We are delighted to introduce our first guest speaker for the Mom's Back-to-School Retreat this July: Sister Lynn McKenzie, O.S.B.

Despite a ministry that takes her across the country and around the world, Sr. Lynn has graciously made time to join us, and we are deeply grateful.

A Benedictine sister of Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman, Sr. Lynn serves in leadership roles that support Benedictine communities throughout the Americas and beyond. Trained in both civil and canon law, she is a trusted advisor to religious communities and brings a wealth of wisdom from years of service to the Church.

Sr. Lynn's retreat presentation will focus on a topic close to every Catholic mother's heart: raising children who are attentive to God's voice and aware of their unique vocational calling. Whether that call leads to marriage, religious life, priesthood, or dedicated single life, parents play a vital role in helping children recognize and respond generously to God's plan.

Join us for a day of prayer, fellowship, creativity, and encouragement as we prepare our hearts and homes for a new school year!

06/03/2026

📅Save the date!📅

Before lesson plans, schedules, and school routines begin again, set aside a day to nourish your mind and soul.

Join Stella Maris Explorers Club for our Mom's Back-to-School Retreat, a day dedicated to helping Catholic mothers renew their spirit.

Spend the day enjoying:
✝️ Prayer and spiritual reflection
🤝 Fellowship with other Catholic mothers
🎨 Crafting and journaling
🎤 Two inspiring guest speakers
💬 Panel discussions for homeschooling, private school, and public school families

As mothers, we are the primary instructors of our children in the faith. Regardless of your child's educational setting, this retreat is designed to encourage and equip you for the year ahead.

Mark your calendar now and watch for the registration details coming soon!

05/19/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended the Stella Maris Explorers Club student art show opening reception last evening! We loved celebrating our children's work from this past school year.

While the reception has concluded, the exhibition remains open for public viewing Tuesday through Friday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Gulfport Arts Center has graciously loaned us their entire bottom floor for our arts show. Be sure to check out the collection of local artists upstairs!

We extend our sincere gratitude to the Gulfport Arts Center for hosting this event, and to the Mississippi Arts Commission for sponsoring our children's work via their generous grant. We encourage everyone to visit the gallery this week to view both collections.

05/16/2026

Thank you all for making this semester such a joyful season of learning, friendship, and wonder. As we close the books on another wonderful semester at Stella Maris Explorers Club, we pray you have a restful and blessed summer. We look forward to gathering again when Club resumes in August!

Children began our last meeting day by sharing presentations. Some presented on their favorite science topics from the year, while others demonstrated creative boats they designed and built from upcycled materials. Their curiosity, ingenuity, and confidence were on full display for their peers!

In Faith, students wrapped up the semester with a lively review activity and some memorable on-the-spot interviews that gave everyone a chance to reflect on what they learned throughout our Mystagogy-themed semester.

In Art, children either completed their final quilting projects or enjoyed an open studio experience using the materials and techniques they explored this year. It was wonderful to peek at their creativity and ex*****on that blossomed over the semester.

Thank you for a wonderful year at Stella Maris. Until August! 🌊⭐

05/12/2026

Our last meeting was another wonderful morning of learning and discovery at Stella Maris Explorers Club!

In art, our young explorers put the finishing touches on their quilting projects. From designing and blocking to piecing and sewing, each child created either a small lap quilt or the beginning square of a much larger dream. It has been a joy watching their creativity (and patience!) come together stitch by stitch.

In science, learners explored the fascinating world of fluid mechanics, studying buoyancy and surface tension through hands-on experiments. There were curious minds, eager observations, and yes, a little splashing involved!

In faith, we reflected on a 'tale of two St. Thomases'. Children compared St. Thomas the Apostle, who desired to touch the wounds of the risen Christ before believing, with St. Thomas Aquinas, whose heart burned with love for Christ truly present (yet unseen) in the Eucharist. Through both Saints, we considered how God meets us in our questions, our senses, and ultimately in the gift of faith.

We're so grateful for our member families giving us another semester of learning, community, and experiences!

05/08/2026

Stella Maris Explorers Club is delighted to congratulate our board member, Mary Easterling, on graduating from the GivHer Circle Young Philanthropist Cohort!

Since November, Mary has been one of just 15 remarkable young women from across the Mississippi Gulf Coast selected for this inaugural leadership and philanthropy program. Over the past months, she has developed skills in philanthropy, leadership, and grant writing while building connections with fellow young leaders dedicated to serving their communities.

We are so proud to see Mary’s gifts, generosity, and dedication continue to grow! Stella Maris is blessed by her generosity, and we cannot wait to see the good she will continue to do for our community and beyond. Congratulations, Mary!

05/03/2026

We are so grateful to La Pointe - Krebs House and Museum for a truly marvelous field trip experience!

Known as the oldest standing home in the Mississippi Valley, this carefully preserved French colonial home offered our explorers a glimpse into early life along the Gulf Coast. Walking its grounds (and graves!) and hearing the people's stories gave our children a reference point for local history, helping them feel connected to a real place and time.

The children enjoyed learning about the construction techniques of the past, adapted to the local environment. We also were thrilled with the detailed timelines, portraiture, and material culture on display in the deceptively small museum.

A special thank you to our wonderful guides, Mr. DeWayne and Ms. Erin, whose knowledge and enthusiasm brought it all to life! Through their storytelling and care, our explorers were able not only to learn about the past, but to step into it with curiosity.

Experiences like these are a gift to our children, forming both their minds and their imaginations. We are deeply thankful for the time and passion shared with our group!

Address

11975 Seaway Road, Suite B116
Gulfport, MS
39503

Website

http://stellamarisexplorers.com/

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