St. Michael has hired Philip Martin to be its first theology and science teacher when the school opens in August of 2016. Martin has a B.S. from Auburn University in Industrial Engineering and a M.A. from Franciscan University in Theology. For the last five years, he’s been a full-time theology teacher at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile.
“A number of things stand out to me about Mr. Martin,” explains Faustin Weber, St. Michael principal. “Most importantly, I am impressed by the quality and conviction of his Catholic faith, his life story, and his deep desire to help us build a culture of faith here. Second, he’s a well-regarded member of the McGill faculty, highly praised by the school administration and his co-workers. And third, as his dual engineering and theology degrees attest, he’s very versatile. In fact, Ive asked him to teach a couple of freshman Physics classes in our first year or two, helping us make the transition to a full sized 9-12 school. I am very happy he’s accepted our offer to become part of our first faculty. “
Mr. Martin, a Daphne resident, is equally enthusiastic: "I am humbled and honored to be a part of the faculty here, and I look forward to contributing to the faith life and culture of St. Michael—both inside and outside the classroom. I’m grateful for my friendships at McGill and all that I’ve learned there, and I’m confident we can build something similarly special in Baldwin County, so that St. Michael becomes a true “home” for our students and their families, and for future families such as my own.”
Like other recent hires, Mr. Weber has not yet assigned Mr. Martin extra-curricular responsibilities. “Our first students will help us decide which clubs we sponsor,” Weber says, “and Mr. Martin will give them many options. When he was an undergrad at Auburn, he started the Pro-Life student group there, and was also the founder of Auburn’s “Ultimate Frisbee” team that traveled to play other schools around the southeast. He’s chaperoned March for Life groups to Washington, taught A.C.T. prep classes while at McGill, and led R.C.I.A. classes for adults wishing to join the Catholic faith. I think our students will really like him."
Mr. Martin has been married to his wife, Jennifer, for 6 years. They have three young children, Joseph (5), Clare (2), and Mary Catherine (6 months), and are members of Christ the King Catholic Church.
Contact info: pmartin@stmichaelchs.org