Instaurare | Summer 2008

The Christendom College Quarterly Magazine

Vol. XVI, No. II Summer 2008

Inside this issue...

Cardinal O’Malley at Graduation - pg 2

College Attends Papal Mass in DC - pg 8

Cardinal Arinze Joins in 30th Anniversary - pg 9

2008 Crusader Rugby: No Pain, No Gain - pg 17

Graduation 2008

From the President College President Timothy O’Donnell delivered this address at the 30th Anniversary Gala Dinner Dance on April 19, 2008.

I remember hearing a story once told

by Archbishop Fulton Sheen, who recalled a conversation he once had with Pope Paul VI during the turbulent times after the Second Vatican Council. The Pope told the Archbishop that it was his habit to open his mail at night just before retiring and he confided to him that nearly every letter had a thorn in it so that when he laid his head down on his pillow, he laid it on a veritable crown of thorns. The Pope then paused and, with tears welling up in his blue eyes, he quickly added with a smile, “Yet I cannot tell you the indescribable joy that it gives me to suffer for Christ Jesus Our Lord.” In a public audience towards the end of his pontificate, Paul VI, who had such a paternal heart and was surrounded and beset by defections and betrayals, cried out three times at a general audience, “Where is the love for the Church?”

Christendom College was and remains an answer to that heartfelt cry. The College was founded in 1977 at the very end of the reign of Paul VI, the Pope of Humanae Vitae. Of course most of the College’s life coincided with the reign of Pope John Paul the Great. Pope John Paul, in a private audience in 1992, told a group of Christendom pilgrims, which included myself and our founding President – Dr. Warren Carroll: “I thank you! Christendom is doing a great work for the Church!” Now as Pope Benedict XVI, gloriously reigning, continues the great work of reform, I pledge to you this evening that Christendom College will continue to play its role in helping young men and women consecrate their intellects and wills to Jesus Christ in faithful service to Christ’s vicar and the Church.

This past Thursday, I had the honor of attending the Holy Father’s address to the Presidents of Catholic Colleges and Universities. At that historic gathering, he said many things. One of the most important was his observation that “the contemporary ‘crisis of truth’ is rooted within a ‘crisis of faith.’” He continued: “A particular responsibility therefore for each of you and your colleagues is to evoke among the young the desire for the act of faith, encouraging them to commit themselves to the ecclesial life that follows from this belief.”

The Holy Father continued: “Teachers and administrators, whether in universities or schools, have the duty and privilege to ensure that students receive instruction in Catholic doctrine and practice. This requires that public witness to the way of Christ, as found in the Gospel and upheld by the Church’s Magisterium, shapes all aspects of an institution’s life, both inside and outside the classroom. Divergence from this vision weakens Catholic identity and, far from advancing freedom, inevitably leads to confusion, whether moral, intellectual or spiritual.”

How significant it is that the College’s 30th Anniversary celebration coincides with Pope Benedict’s first apostolic visit to our nation. In the past thirty years together we have accomplished great things. Our College has now graduated over 1,000 students with approximately 10% of our alumni becoming priests or religious. We now have ap-

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Timothy T. O’Donnell, STD, KGCHS

proximately 400 undergraduate students from 43 states across this vast nation including students from Mexico, Canada, England, and Hungary. Our Notre Dame Graduate School, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, has 125 students who are now studying and deepening their faith at the program’s location in Alexandria, Virginia. This graduate program now also includes the Deaconate Formation Program for the Diocese of Arlington and we thank Bishop Loverde for his trust and confidence. In the summer, we have the Vita Consecrata Institute of the Institute on Religious Life, which brings priests and men and women religious to our campus for ongoing theological formation. We are now also celebrating the fifth anniversary year of our Study Abroad Program in Rome, Italy, which allows our students to study at the very heart of the Church. One of the fruits of this opportunity to study in Rome is enkindling within the students a strong desire to be part of the New Evangelization. An example of this can be seen by the fact that twenty of our students will spend their summer doing missionary work down in the Dominican Republican at the Diocesan mission at Banica.

With your support, the College, although young, has earned a national and international reputation far beyond its years. For Christendom has a history filled with heroic struggle and distinction, swimming against the strong currents of the secular tide with it accompanying moral relativism. This secular miasma which denies “the whole truth about man” leaves behind in its wake wounds, shattered dreams and lies, and social chaos. At Christendom College, this battle to be faithful continues on a daily basis and must always be renewed. For this secularist ideology, as Pope Benedict observed in his address on Thursday, “seeks to drive a wedge between truth and faith.” I pledge to you that with your prayers, good word, and support, we will continue to strive in an age marked by infidelity to be faithful to Christ, to be faithful to His Church – which is not just an institution but His Bride – His Mystical Body, and to be faithful to the directives of His Vicar on earth. As Roman Catholics, we recognize that in our fidelity to Peter lies our fidelity to Our Lord Jesus Christ. We will also seek to remain faithful to the magna traditio of Catholic higher education as enunciated by Pope John II in Ex Corde Ecclesiae and now by Pope Benedict XVI. It is an education in which faith and reason are both given the authentic freedom to play their proper roles. In our outstanding academic program lies a heaven-sent answer to the needs of our time.

For here we have a program where Theology, reigning as queen with sound Philosophy as handmaiden, allows both disciplines to exercise a sapiential role over the entire curriculum thereby ensuring a deep intellectual formation. In response to the loss of the sense of our patrimony and the chaos of the late twentieth century, the study of History seeks to impart a wisdom and a deep appreciation of memory and identity that recalls with gratitude the sacrifices by our forebearers. Literature, which seeks to deepen the sense of that patrimony by the reading of the Western canon and celebrates and strengthens the Christian imagination, is a field so crucial in today’s secular world.

Political Philosophy seeks the proper understanding of the common good and the forgotten principal of subsidiarity as found in Catholic social teaching. Math and Science seek to discipline the mind and see 30th ANNIVERSARY REMARKS on page 18

Cover Story

Cardinal O’Malley, Ralph McInerny Join Christendom’s Largest Graduating Class

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As Christendom College seniors prepared to receive their degrees and leave their alma mater, they were encouraged by the words of His Eminence Seán Patrick Cardinal O’Malley.

Christendom conferred 95 Bachelor of Arts and two Associate of Arts degrees on its graduating class of 2008. The ceremony, held in the St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium on May 10, marked the 29th graduation in Christendom’s 30 years. Noted Thomist professor and scholar Dr. Ralph McInerny also joined the graduates for commencement weekend.

Cardinal O’Malley, who is currently the Archbishop of Boston where he has served since 2003, offered the Baccalaureate Mass on Friday, May 9, and delivered the homily.

Sean Cardinal O’Malley of Boston celebrated the Baccalaureate Mass on May 9.

“The one who believes is never alone,” he said, quoting Pope Benedict XVI. “Today at Christendom we feel that so clearly. We are not alone. Christ the Good Shepherd is with us. Peter is with us. We have a throng of witnesses of brothers and sisters and together we will follow Christ Who is the way. Not at a safe distance, but up close in the danger zone—at ground zero.”

“It is a great joy and privilege for me to be back here with you to celebrate the Eucharist at this Baccalaureate Mass and to see how God has blessed this wonderful institution,” Cardinal O’Malley said in his homily.

Following the Mass, graduates and their families were treated to an outdoor reception in Piazza San Lorenzo, the square in front of the St. Lawrence Commons. All enjoyed cocktails, music, and the spring air, while many took advantage of the opportunity to meet with the visiting dignitaries.

Later, the graduates, their parents, and mem-

bers of the faculty and administration enjoyed an elegant dinner prepared by College Chef Ron Steckman and his staff.

During the dinner, Senior Class President Flannery O’Connor gave an eloquent toast to the faculty of Christendom. Dr. Steven Snyder, Vice President for Academic Affairs, saluted the students and their parents for their commitment to obtaining a ChrisDr. Ralph McInerny delivtendom College ered the Commencement liberal arts educa- Address on May 10. tion.

Christendom President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell next took the podium and told a humorous story about Cardinal O’Malley’s last visit to Christendom’s campus.

“In 1988, while Bishop of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, then-Bishop O’Malley at-

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of their children to Christendom, and their youngest, Therese, was part of this historic graduating class.

On Saturday morning, the Class of 2008 processed across campus, led by the triumphant song of the bagpipes, to Crusader Gymnasium where the commencement exercises were held.

Dr. O’Donnell bestowed an Honorary Doctorate on Cardinal O’Malley during graduation. tended Christendom’s graduation, offered the Baccalaureate Mass, and delivered the commencement address. At that time, I was Vice President of Student Affairs and my wife, Cathy, was due with our 5th child. Cathy always delivered her children in our home state of California, and she was already there when Commencement arrived. I figured I would stay on campus for Commencement and then fly out to California in time for the delivery. I was wrong and missed the birth of our daughter, Kathleen Dubh, who, now as a Christendom junior, 20 years later, is looking forward to meeting the ‘reason’ her Daddy missed her birth,” joked O’Donnell.

Prior to the conclusion of the evening, O’Donnell awarded the St. Peter Canisius Award for Distinguished Service to the Church through the Teaching of Theology and Doctrine to founding Theology professor Raymund O’Herron. For 30 years, O’Herron has taught Theology 101 and Theology 102 to hundreds of students, and now, even to some of his first students’ children.

O’Herron and his wife, Sheila, sent all nine

After the opening blessing by College Chaplain Fr. John Heisler, Dr. O’Donnell introduced Dr. Robert Rice, long-standing English professor, who served as the emcee for the commencement events. O’Donnell acknowledged and thanked Rice for his 26 years of service to the College, most of those as Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Salutatorian Jane Finlay of Luray, VA, then welcomed all to the ceremony and spoke of how Christendom has prepared the graduates to face the challenges that await them in the world.

“Our future, my fellow graduates, is indeed full of possibilities. Most of us do not yet know what paths Christ is calling us to. We cannot know what the future will bring us.

But from this garden of possibilities we may pluck one certainty: the world we go into is a dangerous and even hostile world. It will not praise us. It will not love us. It will neither value nor understand what we have achieved here.

Yet this should not make us afraid,” she said.

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Salutatorian Jane Finlay from Virginia.

Finlay concluded, “As we go forth from Christendom to be a light to the nations, we can be happy and confident that...Christ will conquer. Christ has already conquered.”

Following Finlay’s address, Cardinal O’Malley received an Honorary Doctorate presented

by Dr. O’Donnell.

“It’s a great honor to be here,” Cardinal O’Malley said in his remarks. “When you’re a bishop, you get a lot of honorary degrees… but I can not think of any institution from which I am more pleased to receive a degree.

This is truly a school born ex corde ecclesiae (out of the heart of the Church) and remains close to Christ’s heart, faithful to His Church, and passionate about the mission we have received: to build a civilization of love and instaurare omnia in Christo (to restore all things in Christ).”

Dubh O’Donnell meets the “reason” her father missed her birth in May of 1988.

Bernard King and Greg Monroe process with the rest of their class into the Baccalaureate Mass.

Dr. Ralph McInerny, the Michael P. Grace professor of medieval studies at Notre Dame

Valedictorian Meredith Wilson from Pennsylvania.

Three of Christendom’s founding five faculty are still active at the College: Dr. William Marshner, Dr. Kristin Burns, and Mr. Raymund O’Herron.

University, then delivered the Commencement Address and was awarded Christendom College’s Pro Deo et Patria Medal for Distinguished Service to God and Country.

Angela McNeely, Elli Ampi, and Allison Kavanagh – all happy to have graduated!

Graduate Sam Phillips with his father, Howard, and mother, Peggy, at the reception following Mass.

“The freedom we hear most about when it comes to higher education is academic freedom,” McInerny said in his address to the graduates. “It has come to mean that just about anything has right of access to the campus and curriculum. This used to be justified on the basis that ideas would be weighed, analyzed, and appraised… There is something to be said for academic freedom, in this sense, but only so long as institutions of higher learning are founded on the notion that some ideas are true and others false, and that assumption, in turn, assumes that there are objective principles of appraisal.”

“We call this day a commencement, not an end. What you have begun here must characterize your lives in the years ahead. Youth, it has been said, is wasted on the young. Disprove that by the way you live,” McInerny charged the graduates.

Tom McGraw, Alumni Affairs Director, awarded Senior Class President Flannery O’Connor of Amherst, NY, the Student Achievement Award in recognition of her extraordinary enthusiasm and organization of College events throughout her four years at Christendom.

Following this presentation, Valedictorian Meredith Wilson of Downington, PA, expressed her classmates’ affection for the College and the importance of the St. John the Evangelist Library, which opened its doors the same year they were freshmen.

Tom McGraw ‘93 presents the Student Achievement Award to Flannery O’Connor.

Following the graduation ceremony, family and friends gather outside the gymnasium.

Dan Gutschke, Zac Inman, Philosophy professor Dr. John Cuddeback, and Joe Molitor. fill ourselves with the love of God and His creation—now let us carry that love with us as we begin new tasks. Society is lost, but we know the way. Society is sad, but we have joy. Like St. John, we seek Truth with hope, equipped to recognize it and spread it. Faithful to the Church, let us go to restore all things in Christ,” she concluded.

Closing the ceremonies, President O’Donnell delivered his charge to the graduates.

“My charge to you today is to continue to seek to find Christ,” he said. “Find Him as you already have in many ways. And in becoming like Him, you will assist in the redemption of the world. Bearing witness in our wounded world to the hope and love that are within you.”

Quoting Edith Stein, O’Donnell said, “To suffer and to be happy although suffering.

To have one’s feet on earth—to walk on the

“When we came here,” she said, “we knew there were dangerous errors and profound truths, but applying the truths to refute the errors faced us as a great challenge. In the library, we have met that challenge. Through considering the greatest minds, our own minds have matured. We know logic, enabling us to see irrationality for what it is. We can withstand specious emotional appeals.

We know the principles of St. Thomas Aquinas, grounding our consideration of philosophy and politics. Most importantly, we know the Faith and we know how reason supports it. We have the tools to recognize error.

“We know the Truth—let us bring it to our neighbors. We have come together to

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Ray O’Herron received the St. Peter Canisius Award at the Graduation Dinner on May 9. dirty and rough paths of this earth—and yet to be enthroned with Christ at the Father’s right hand. To laugh and to cry with the children of this world and ceaselessly to sing the praises of God with the choirs of angels. This is the life of the Christian until the morning of eternity breaks forth.

“Do this and you will help achieve the redemption of the world and you will help the restoration of all things in Christ,” O’Donnell concluded.

Paul English, Jane Finlay, Katie Fitzpatrick, Sarah Flamminio, Kathryn Ford, Maria Ford, Kak Freeman, Amy Germann, Kyle Greene, Karissa Gubash, Dan Gutschke, Ryan Hechinger, Dan Henson, Joseph Hichborn, Nikole Hill, Stephanie Howe, Jordan Hudson, Zac Inman, John Jalsevac, Sheila Jenné, Allison Kavanagh, Agnes King, Bernard King, Bridget Kopec, Caitlin Kunath, Bobby Lancaster, Jennifer Martin, Lou Massett, Joe Mazzara, Tyler McAtee, Erin McCafferty, Kathleen McKinnon, Angela McNeely, Adam McSheffrey, Colleen Mead, Katherine Melton, Emily Mersch, Veronica Miller, Joe Molitor, Greg Monroe, Noah Morey, Flannery O’Connor, Bridget O’Donnell, Therese O’Herron, Thérèse Oligny, Sam Phillips, Eric Pilegaard, Jen Poston, Grace Pregent, Paul Provencher, Patrick Quest, Andrea Read, Claire Riggio, David Rodríguez, Matt Rose, Olivia Ruhl, Caitrie Santicola, Robert Schmid, Richard Scrivener, Dominick Severance, Laura Shrader, Chris Smith, Daniel Smith, Anne Therese Stephens, Andrew

Alumni Ann Marie Scrivener, Ed Scheetz, and Rob Scrivener had children who graduated.

Stine, Anna Svendsen, Beth Thrun, Catherine Trojack, Emily Twaddle, Sean Vieira, Megan Von Ehr, Joan Walsh, Draper Warren, Sydney Whitmyer, Micah Willard, Meredith Wilson, and Meredith Wise.

Two Associate of Arts degrees were conferred on Rebecca Loth and Rosemary Scheetz.

DVDs of graduation are available by contacting the College’s marketing office.

Marriages Made in (Almost) Heaven

Following the ceremonies, family, friends, and students were treated to a delightful reception in the St. Lawrence Commons.

Later that evening all returned to a wonderfully decorated Commons for one last dance, with music provided by a live swing band, The Yesterday Swing Orchestra.

The graduating class had a number of interesting aspects to it. Besides being the largest graduating class in the College’s 30-year history, (95 BA’s and 2 AA’s), 37 of the graduates were siblings of other Christendom alumni; 2 of them have parents who are alumni; and most interestingly, 12 of them (6 couples) were engaged to each other. Twenty-four of them majored in History, 22 in English Language and Literature, 22 in Philosophy, 15 in Theology, 11 in Political Science and Economics, and 4 majored in Classics. Additionally, almost 52% of the class, comprised of 57 females and 40 males, graduated with honors – 17 Summa Cum Laude, 15 Magna Cum Laude, and 17 Cum Laude.

The 95 Bachelor of Arts degrees were conferred on Becket Adams, Elli Ampi, Mary Beth Baker, Daniel Baron, Jackie BelleOudry, Meghan Beller, Sarah Berger, Seth Brotherton, Rand Brown, Cassidy Bugos, David Bushey, Elizabeth Carducci, Tim Cavazos, Mary Anne Clarke, John Connolly, Sophie Coy, Sarah Daley, Elizabeth Doherty,

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Jennifer Posten and Joe Mazzara were married on June 21.

Katie Fitzpatrick and Sam Phillips are engaged to be married in May of 2009.

Tyler McAtee and Rosemary Scheetz were married on May 14.

Cassidy Bugos and John Jalsevac were married on May 15.

College President Dr. O’Donnell with his niece Maria Ford and his daughter Bridget – both graduates – his wife, Cathy, and brother-in-law Paul Ford.

Chef Ron Steckman and the kitchen staff prepared a wonderful graduation dinner for the faculty, graduates, and their parents on May 9.

Admissions Counselor and graduate Angela McNeely with her family.

Graduates Tim Cavazos and Micah Willard, both from Virginia.

Class President Flannery O’Connor with SAC President Richard Scrivener.

Graduate Mazzara Sworn in as 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps

The Quests sent 6 of their children to Christendom, including graduate Pate.

Mr. Ray O’Herron with his daughter, and youngest child, Therese.

Kak Freeman and Bridget Kopec – proud Christendom graduates!

Immediately following graduation on May 10, Joseph Mazzara was sworn in as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Administering the oath was his father, Col. Andrew

Mazzara, USMC. Mazzara is the latest in a long list of graduates who have been commissioned as military officers upon graduation.

Joe Mazzara being sworn in as a USMC 2nd Lieutenant by his father, Col. Andrew Mazzara, USMC.

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College Participates in Pope Benedict’s Historic Visit to America

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Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States this past April was met with great joy by the faculty, staff, and students of Christendom College, who participated in many of the celebrations surrounding his trip. College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell represented the College community at a number of events reserved for special guests only.

On April 16, the Holy Father’s 81st birthday, O’Donnell was invited to join a small group of dignitaries at the White House where President Bush met with the Holy Father. Then, later that evening, O’Donnell attended a reception at the Italian Embassy where a number of former US Ambassadors to the Vatican, including friends of the College Ambassadors Thomas Melady and Jim Nicholson, as well as current Ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon, celebrated the Pope’s historic visit to America.

O’Donnell and fifty Christendom students, along with 15 members of the faculty and staff, were honored to attend the Papal Mass at Nationals Park on April 17. The College received 65 tickets from the Diocese of Ar-

lington and a drawing was held to determine who would attend the Mass.

“It was an amazing event,” said sophomore Steven Ginski. “Seeing the Holy Father enter the stadium and then drive around in his popemobile actually gave me goosebumps.

Being so close to the Vicar of Christ, and being around all of those thousands and thousands of Catholics made me long even more for my upcoming semester in Rome with Christendom. I can’t imagine being able to be so close to the Holy Father all of the time.”

Following Mass, thirty students attending Christendom’s Notre Dame Graduate School joined hundreds of other students on the grounds of The Catholic University of America, hoping to get a glimpse of the Holy Father as he drove in his popemobile throughout the campus. A number of Christendom’s undergrads also attended this event and carried the Christendom College banner to show the College’s total support and faithfulness to the Magisterium and to the Holy Father.

Later that same day, Dr. O’Donnell met with the other leaders of the American Catholic colleges and universities as Pope Benedict addressed them at The Catholic University of America on the state of Catholic higher education in America.

The words of Pope Benedict at this meeting of Catholic university leaders gave strong affirmation to the mission of Christendom College: “I wish to reaffirm the great value of academic freedom…

Yet it is also the case that any appeal to the principle of academic freedom in order to justify positions that contradict the faith and the teaching of the church would obstruct or even betray the university’s identity and mission… Teachers and administrators, whether in universities or schools, have the duty and privilege

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Some of the Christendom contingent that went to the Papal Mass on April 17. to ensure that students receive instruction in Catholic doctrine and practice. Divergence from this vision weakens Catholic identity and, far from advancing freedom, inevitably leads to confusion, whether moral, intellectual or spiritual,” Pope Benedict said.

Those members of the College community who were unable to attend the various events spent time watching the events on television.

“We even changed the schedule of our daily Mass here at Christendom so that it didn’t conflict with the Papal Mass in Washington. We didn’t want our students to have to choose between attending Mass or watching the Pope’s Mass,” said College Chaplain Fr. John Heisler.

“We were so blessed to be able to take part in the Papal Mass,” said Director of Admissions Tom McFadden. “We are extremely thankful to Bishop Paul Loverde and the Diocese of Arlington for allotting us the tickets to the Mass. And we are most grateful to His Holiness the Pope for visiting the Nation’s Capital. It is an event we shall not soon forget.”

Junior Rachel Fogarty at the end of the Papal Mass at Nationals Park on April 17.

Cardinal Arinze Joins College for Pearl Anniversary Weekend

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Special guests Francis Cardinal Arinze and Dr. Joaquin Navarro-Valls joined the College community in celebrating its 30th Anniversary on April 18-20 with a festive weekend of events.

The College community gathered in the Chapel of Christ the King to attend a special Mass celebrated by Cardinal Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and

2006. Currently, he teaches at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and is President of the Advisory Board to Bio-Medico University of Rome.

Early the next morning, an odd, yet wonderful, spectacle took place on campus. Cardinal Arinze, who is a tennis enthusiast and plays on a weekly basis, challenged students to a game of tennis. Students signed up to take on the Cardinal on the court, and they rotated play time between them.

Laxton, was attended by 500 of Christendom College’s faculty, staff, students, benefactors, and guests. Warren Carroll, Damian Fedoryka, and Timothy O’Donnell, the College’s three presidents since its 1977 founding, were in attendance as were a number of the founding faculty members. Cardinal Arinze and Navarro-Valls served as the Chairmen of the Honorary Dinner Committee for the event.

Senior Joe Molitor, Sophomore Benjamin Allen, and Freshman Richard Allington were among the students honored to play with the Cardinal.

“It was a lot of fun,” Benjamin Allen said.

“He won a number of the games, but he won them fairly. We didn’t let him win.”

the Discipline of the Sacraments, on April 18. Following the Mass, Dr. Navarro-Valls, former Press Secretary to the Holy See, was given an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters at an Academic Convocation held in the St. Lawrence Commons.

“I am well aware that the mission of this College is ‘to bear witness to the whole truth about God, man, and the created order,’” NavarroValls began his address at the Convocation.

He continued to describe the College’s mission as an institutional commitment of exceptional bravery witnessed “in both the academic syllabus and the extracurricular activities—a combination for which the College is well known.”

The highlight of the celebration weekend was the Thirtieth Anniversary Benefit Gala Dinner Dance held at the Washington-Dulles Hilton, on the anniversary date of the election of Pope Benedict XVI, April 19.

Cardinal Arinze laughs with Christendom’s Chairman of the Board of Directors Donna Bethell and Dr. Navarro-Valls.

A veritable “who’s who” of Catholic luminaries joined Cardinal Arinze and Dr. NavarroValls on the Honorary Dinner Committee, including Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, Raymond Arroyo, Archbishop Charles Chaput, Edward Cardinal Egan, Francis Cardinal George, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Dr. Peter Kreeft, Bishop Paul Loverde, Sean Cardinal O’Malley, Fr. George Rutler, Eduardo Verastegui, and many more.

The event, which raised $250,000 for student financial aid and was organized by Ben

“In the world of higher education, thirty years really is not all that long,” says Stephen

“He played a conservative game,” Joe Molitor said. “I was on his team and played an aggressive game. At one point I overextended myself and missed the ball. The Cardinal got a kick out that. Everyone couldn’t help but laugh with him, myself included.”

Navarro-Valls’ address focused on the relationship between faith and culture.

“Christian thought needs universities as places in which the Faith can take—let’s say— bodily form and become culture. It is a task that is yours,” he said.

Navarro-Valls studied medicine at the Universities of Granada and Barcellona, and journalism at the University of Navarra. He worked as a journalist for Diagonal, Nuestro Tiempo, and ABC, and was president of the Foreign Press Association. He was Director of the Holy See Press Office from 1984 until

Dr. Joaquin Navarro-Valls receives an Honorary Doctorate from Dr. Timothy O’Donnell on April 18.

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Grundman, Christendom’s Director of Development. “When you consider that Christendom was founded during the cultural turmoil of the late ‘70s, and has grown from twenty-six undergraduate students to nearly 400 today—all without one penny of Federal funds—that is truly amazing!”

Christendom remains one of only three colleges in the United States who do not accept federal funds. According to Grundman, the College receives more than 80% of its funding from generous individuals who are not themselves Christendom alumni.

Cardinal Arinze with long-time benefactors Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Aquinas O’Connor.

Former long-time Board member Dr. Philip Crotty with His Eminence.

“Without these dedicated benefactors, hailing from all across this great country, the College could not have achieved this anniversary. All of us here at the College – faculty, staff and students alike – feel so grateful to them,” he says.

Being so young, support from Christendom’s own alumni is still modest, though growing steadily. Last year, the alumni giving percentage was right around 51%, one of the highest in the nation. Most US colleges receive substantial support from government and corporate grants and from their generations of established alumni.

“This benefit dinner was an important opportunity. It was a wonderful evening of celebration that was also the major fundraising event for financial aid for incoming freshmen. For more and more applicants, insufficient financial aid can be a deal-breaker,” says Grundman. “I’m excited to report that the event raised almost $250,000, much more than the $100,000 we had expected. For this we are truly thankful!”

Each of the guests received a special Pope Benedict XVI Rosary, made of mother of pearl and having a Benedictine crucifix and an image of Pope Benedict on it. The rosaries were blessed by the Holy Father when Dr. O’Donnell met with him in Rome on March 5. Additionally, they received commemorative wine glasses as gifts.

Prior to the gala dinner, a select group of donors were given the opportunity to spend some time with the visiting dignitaries and officials of the College in a special VIP reception. During that time, O’Donnell unveiled the plans for the Chapel of Christ the King Project, which involves renovating the College’s chapel and adding academic buildings,

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Board member Robert Crnkovich introduces his wife and daughter to His Eminence.

Mr. and Mrs. Scott Turicchi from California.

MJ and Michele (LaPalm ‘91) Velasco talk with Dr. Joaquin Navarro-Valls.

Board member Mary Beth Riordan, with Dr. O’Donnell, husband Dan, and Suzanne Nicholson.

Bishop of the Diocese Arlington Paul Loverde catches up with Cardinal Arinze during the VIP reception.

Roger and Carol Naill speak with Dr. O’Donnell.

Pictured with Cardinal Arinze are Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Ryan and Dr. and Mrs. Dan Cavazos.

walkways, and landscaping.

Following the reception, guests moved to the grand ballroom of the hotel where they were able to spend time meeting other guests and friends of the College in an hors d’oeuvres reception.

Emceed by EWTN’s Marcus Grodi, the gala dinner began with a beautifully moving rendition of the National Anthem sung by world-renowned Irish tenor Mark Forrest.

During the first course, the attendees were treated to the premiere of Christendom’s latest informational video, created by 2007 alumnus Julian Ahlquist (now viewable on the College’s website).

Irish Tenor Mark Forrest sings the National Anthem.

Mr. and Mrs. Gene Wurster dance the night away.

Former US Ambassador to the Vatican James Nicholson and his wife, Suzanne.

Mr. and Mrs. Cuddeback speak with the Cardinal.

Cardinal Arinze tells the band to play “My Way.”

“It is a joy for me to be associated with whatever has to do with the good of Christendom College,” began Cardinal Arinze.

“This is good news in our time! It is refreshing to see a Catholic college where the parents can send their children and not get worried whether they will get serious Catholic education – without discount – just as it is.”

He then read the message from the Holy Father, as written by His Secretary of State Cardinal Bertone.

One of Christendom’s founding faculty, Dr. Kristin Burns, with her husband, Mike.

Dr. and Mrs. Damian Fedoryka. Damian was Christendom College’s second president.

Following dinner, Cardinal Arinze, Dr. Navarro-Valls, and College President O’Donnell gave remarks.

EWTN personality Marcus Grodi was the Emcee.

“Your Eminence, the Holy Father has been informed that on 19 April 2008, you and Dr. Joaquin Navarro-Valls will co-chair a dinner marking the 30th Anniversary of Christendom College in Front Royal, VA. His Holiness asks you to convey his greetings to those present together with the assurance of his prayers for all associated with the educational mission of the college. As a pledge of wisdom, joy, and peace in the Lord, he cordially imparts the requested apostolic blessing.”

The evening continued with the guests dancing the night away to the music from the Yesterday Swing Orchestra, while others partook of cordials and cigars.

Bob Hambleton was one of the first 26 students to attend Christendom. He and his wife, Amy (Francis), met at Christendom and are the proud parents of 17 children, 5 of whom have already attended Christendom.

On Sunday morning, Cardinal Arinze celebrated a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving at Christendom’s Chapel of Christ the King during which he delivered the homily.

“For thirty years Christendom College has

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given distinguished service as an authentic academic institution. It has performed admirably to live, to show, and to share its Catholic character. And it has educated citizens that are a credit to Church and society,” said His Eminence in his homily.

“As a liberal arts college, Christendom has given dynamic leadership to its students on how to discover the true, the good and the beautiful, and how to pursue these goods which are so deserving in themselves. The students are educated to work hard to be free and to remain free persons by disciplining themselves to choose the good, both for themselves and for others. This is the avenue that leads to becoming men and women of virtue, of justice, of prudence, of temperance, of fortitude and of knowledge. This leads to true wisdom. The students are taught not to be afraid of the truth, of reality.

Cardinal Arinze spends time with Jude O’Donnell and his mother, Sherry.

Cardinal Arinze blesses James McFadden after Mass on April 20.

“Christendom College is above all a Catholic educational institution. It does not just give proof of a rigorously serious member of the national and international community of knowledge and research. It importantly expresses its Catholic identity through an explicit profession of the Catholic Faith, and through studies given unity and a sense of direction by sound philosophy and authentic Catholic theology,” he concluded.

The weekend finished with a special champagne brunch where the College community was able to say farewell to the Cardinal. Pictures from this event may be found on Christendom’s website.

Cardinal Arinze and Joe Molitor play a game of tennis doubles with other Christendom students.

The College will conclude its 30th Anniversary celebratory year with its Summer Institute on July 12.

His Eminence, who is an avid tennis player, serves an ace on Christendom’s tennis court.

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Cardinal Arinze poses with Fr. John Heisler and the Christendom altar servers.

Students Make Honorable Grades on National Greek Exam

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Christendom College students participated in the 2008 National Greek Exam, with all 15 receiving awards for their exceptional performance.

The awards for the exam are broken into various sections, with highest honors first, followed by high honors, honors, and then merit awards.

Receiving highest honors were Christendom students Sheila Jenné, Kyle Kelley, Juan Hernández, Meredith Wise, Paul English, Julia Callaghan, David Klosterman, and George Walter. Receiving high honors were Ryan Mitchell, Micah Willard, Michael Strickland, and Sarah Fritcher. Finally, Gemma Larcina, Catherine Trojack, and Thomas Vicinanzo received merit awards.

Sophomore Kyle Kelley’s performance on the NGE was particularly significant. Kyle has only completed elementary Greek but scored

better than many upperclassmen who sat for the same exam. There were no perfect papers on this exam nationally, so Kyle and Sheila Jenné are among those earning the highest scores on this exam this year, one error each.

The faculty of Classical and Early Christian Studies congratulates all these Greek students and thanks Professor Fred Fraser, who helped prepare them to sit for the exam.

The American Classical League and National Junior Classical League administers this exam each year to high school and university students to measure proficiency in Greek. This year, 1680 students from 154 different high schools or universities took the exam.

Three Christendom Classical and Early Christian Studies majors received awards in recognition of their superior performance during the 2007-2008 academic year. Ryan Mitchell was awarded the Patrick Duffy

Sophomore Kyle Kelley scored near perfect on the National Greek Exam.

Scholarship, George Walter received the St. Jerome book prize for Classical and Early Christian Studies, and Kyle Kelley received the St. Isidore of Pelusium award in Greek letters.

College Introduces Liturgical Music Minor to Complement Liberal Arts

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For thirty years, students with musical ability and talent have been attending Christendom. Although little continued formal education has been offered over the years, students have always utilized the many opportunities to perform for the College community, such as Coffee House, St. Cecilia’s Eve, Cup O’Coeli, and Piano Night. Also, students with the willingness and ability to sing have found satisfaction participating in one of the College’s three choirs: the standard mixed voice choir, a chamber choir known as the Palestrina Chamber Choir, or the Schola Gregoriana. But now, students at Christendom will have an opportunity to study music at the College.

In order to earn the music minor, students will have to take specific courses, totaling 19 credits, including History of Music in Western Civilization, Music Theory and Composition, Theology of Worship and Its Music, Gregorian Chant, a Choir Apprenticeship, Organ or Voice Lessons, and one class of either Ecclesiology, The Sacraments, or The Second Vatican Council.

“Every year, I hear from many students who are interested in studying music during their college years,” says Director of

Admissions Tom McFadden. “And many of these same individuals are not necessarily looking into earning a living making or playing music, but rather, they simply want to continue learning more about their passion. And up to now, we’ve only been able to offer them opportunities singing in the choir or giving musical performances throughout the year. Now, students can continue learning more about liturgical music, while still getting a solid Catholic liberal arts education – the best of both worlds.”

Beginning in the Fall of 2008, Christendom will add a liturgical music minor to its academic program offerings. Currently, students may major in one of six areas: History, Theology, Philosophy, Classics, Political Science, and English Language and Literature.

And students may minor in any of these six subjects, as well as minor in Mathematics.

Liturgical Music now joins the list of available minors.

Professor Kurt Poterack, who holds a PhD in Composition from Michigan State, believes that this addition to the program will be well received amongst prospective and current students alike.

Music professor and director Dr. Kurt Poterack conducts the Palestrina Choir in the library rotunda.

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Dr Carroll Lectures on Sen. McCarthy and Queen Isabel of Spain

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Christendom College’s Founding President Dr. Warren H. Carroll delivered two lectures during the latter half of the spring semester.

One focused on Senator Joseph McCarthy while the other gave insights into the life of Queen Isabel of Spain.

In McCarthy: the Myth and the Truth, Carroll explained that the stories about Senator McCarthy are mostly unfounded and that Catholics everywhere should learn the truth about this man.

“If you are Catholic and have believed any of the slanders against McCarthy, you should know first of all that Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin was a loyal Catholic who was buried with a rosary around his neck,’” Carroll said at the beginning of his lecture.

“Surely such a man deserves at least a hearing before the tribunal of your soul before you condemn him on hearsay evidence.”

Carroll said that Arthur Herman, a professor at George Mason University, wrote the only biography that corrects the lies and distortions about the senator, Joseph McCarthy: Reexamining the Life and Legacy of America’s Most Hated Senator.

The lecture focused on McCarthy’s role in the Cold War, his anti-communist crusade, and the Army-McCarthy Senate hearings that led to his demise.

Carroll explained that the communist threat, which McCarthy fought against, was real.

“Today we know better,” he said. “Archival materials from the former Soviet Union have revealed that Stalin’s intentions were aggressively malign and expansionist, just as America’s coldest cold warriors had believed.”

It was McCarthy’s temper that got him in trouble, Carroll said. “Joseph McCarthy was a working man’s Catholic. He was dark and heavy, and he drank beer—too much of it, dying of cirrhosis of the liver. He was loud and uncouth. He denounced his critics like a barroom bully... worst of all—to the liberal left—he named names.”

His rough personality came to light during the televised Senate hearings where three particular issues raised by the lawyer Joseph Welch brought McCarthy down, Carroll said. A cropped photograph, a purloined

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letter, and, finally, the Fred Fisher incident.

Carroll explained that McCarthy accused Fisher, a member of Welch’s staff, of being a communist—a fact that had been printed in The New York Times days before. Welch made a dramatic display accusing McCarthy of being reckless and cruel, weeping openly in front of the television cameras. Public opinion and the media turned against McCarthy.

Fisher’s career never suffered, and the Senate censured McCarthy.

“The next time you hear someone denouncing Joe McCarthy, tell him about Arthur Herman’s book, which the vehemently antiMcCarthy media will never mention nor acknowledge,” Carroll said. “Perhaps you may help to make him no longer America’s most hated Senator.”

On April 28, Carroll once again delivered a fascinating lecture on one of his most favorite of all history-makers: Queen Isabel of Spain.

His lecture, which was based on his popular book of the same title, concluded his series of history lectures held this spring.

“Queen Isabel was the greatest woman ruler in history and made her country of Spain the supreme power in the world of her time,” Carroll said at the beginning of his lecture.

since, Catholic or secular. Even those who vehemently disagree with some of her policies (such as her establishment of the Spanish Inquisition) cannot deny her spotless moral integrity, the harmony of her life with her faith, and the justice and benevolence of most of her rule.”

Carroll spoke of the many challenges that Isabel faced not just as queen, but also as a mother. Her only son died young and her eldest daughter died at childbirth.

Her second daughter went insane. “The succession of tragedies was Isabel’s cross,” Carroll said, “which she carried as a true Christian.”

“Studying the life of Queen Isabel will inspire your children, because her life shows that in the midst of a corrupt culture, a person of virtue and determination can change history.” Carroll said.

The lecture focused on the many great moments of Isabel’s life—a life worthy of canonization, according to Carroll.

“Isabel’s life and virtues have special importance in an age like ours,” Carroll concluded.

“Her achievements as a woman will surely appeal to an age which is giving special emphasis to the scope of women’s potential to contribute to society... Her care and concern for foreign peoples of different races should appeal greatly in an age which has lavished care and concern on such people. Yet the memory of Isabel must be as incompatible with compromise on any fundamental tenet of Catholic faith and morals as Isabel herself would have been.”

He explain that “her contemporaries uniformly and repeatedly testified to her extraordinary virtues, as have most historians

Both of these lectures, as well as many other interesting talks, may be found at Christendom on iTunes U.

“She is Spain’s national heroine. She sent Christopher Columbus on his epochal voyage of discovery across the Atlantic Ocean, where he found America and thereby changed history. The Pope gave her the title la Catolica, which means ‘the Catholic.’ All her life she was a woman of profound humility and prayer,” he said.

Dr. Damian Fedoryka Explains Personalism of Pope John Paul II

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Philosopher and former Christendom College President Dr. Damian Fedoryka delivered an address entitled, “John Paul II’s Hermeneutics of the Gift as the Key to Understanding Life and Death” to students at Christendom College on April 7.

The talk delved into the richness of John Paul

receiving of the gift, but in the appropriation of the gift and the rejection of the giver and his love.

“God offers us our very existence and we take what is offered—we take possession of it—but by way of appropriating it,” he said.

“Instead of receiving it, we appropriate it.

And what does Christ say of this appropriation—what John Paul also speaks of as an expropriation of the gift—an extortion of the gift—a theft of the gift? Christ says, ‘He who takes possession of his life in order to keep it for himself will loose it.’”

Receiving the gift is a very important notion, because it means the opening of oneself, which is something that only the human person is capable of, Fedoryka explained.

who, as it were, breathes it into us. We come alive when we open and receive it.”

Prior to the talk, Fedoryka and his wife, Irene, received awards for their many years of service to the College. Mrs. Fedoryka received the College’s St. Catherine of Siena Award and Dr. Fedoryka received the College’s highest honor, The Pro Deo et Patria Award For Distinguished Service to God and Country.

Fedoryka’s talk was well received by students, who were able to ask him questions after the talk and in St. Kilian’s Café.

This informative lecture can be heard at Christendom’s website on iTunes U.

John Paul helps us to understand that a central characteristic of the human person is the power to possess ourselves. “When you are not your own, you can not give yourself in love. Because when you are tempted by satisfaction and you yield to temptation—not called or invited by goodness, beauty, or truth—what happens? You let go of yourself.

You lose possession of yourself,” he said.

II’s often-complex philosophy, highlighting the late pontiff’s emphasis on the importance of the human person.

Fedoryka, currently active at the Center for Personalist Anthropology and Ethics, explained that the gift of God’s love or human love could only be received if a person possesses himself. If he is clinging to a vice such as lust or gluttony, he cannot receive the gift.

Concluding, Fedoryka said that ultimately the whole mystery of life and death can be reduced to this: “that we must open ourselves to the gift, which is initiated by the giver

Dr. Fedoryka received the College’s Pro Deo et Patria Award for Service to God and Country.

“We have to let go of whatever it is that we are holding in our hands,” he said.

After an undergraduate education at the University of Louvain, Belgium, Fedoryka obtained his graduate degrees from Fordham University and the University of Salzburg, Austria. He has taught at several universities, including Franciscan University of Steubenville and Ave Maria College. Fedoryka has also lectured and worked extensively with youth in Austria and in the Ukraine, his native land.

Fedoryka said that John Paul II identifies the very meaning of sin as not consisting in the

Some of the Fedoryka family came to show support, including sons Dan and Alex (of the musical group Scythian), daughter Sofia Cuddeback with children, and Mrs. Fedoryka’s mother.

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Students Write International Award Winning Essays

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Christendom Junior James Tillman placed first in Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s (ISI) international annual Culture of Enterprise Student Essay Contest. Senior John Jalsevac placed third in the same contest. Senior Cassidy Bugos placed first in the 2007-2008 Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) College Essay Contest.

Jalsevac was excited to see two Christendom students as finalists in his writing competition.

“The international contest is extremely competitive, with submissions coming from some of the most prestigious universities around the globe,” Jalsevac said. “That Christendom has produced two winners is an extraordinary testament to the education that we have received from the college and its professors. I know that personally I could never have won the contest without all the intellectual and technical training I have received from my professors over the years.”

Bugos, who married Jalsevac on May 15, agreed.

James Tillman’s essay won him $10,000.

Tillman received a $10,000 award and Jalsevac received $2,000. Both were honored at the ISI Indianapolis Leadership Conference on April 14. Bugos was awarded the first place prize of $5,000 for her essay, which answered the question: What role should “women’s issues” play in the 2008 elections and how do you define women’s issues?

The topic of ISI’s contest was Can Character and Communities Survive in an Age of Globalization? According to ISI’s website, “the contest is designed to encourage students to reflect on the relationship between free enterprise and the institutions and mores that define a particular culture.”

“I was about as surprised as I was thrilled when I found out I won,” Tillman said. “The time when I had thought the contest winner would be announced was long over. I was at home and all of my younger siblings were as thrilled as I was too.”

“Winning ISI’s Culture of Enterprise essay contest was very exciting,” Jalsevac said. “Not only because of the cash prize, but also for the encouragement it gave me as an aspiring writer and intellectual.”

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“My classmates and I have been thoroughly steeped in the Catholic intellectual life and we will graduate caring deeply about the pressing needs of the world.” Bugos said. “This is the example that has been shown to us by our faculty and by the authors we’ve studied. We leave Christendom knowing that sometimes being a follower of Christ means feeding the homeless, and sometimes it means clobbering Clinton and Obama.”

Both Tillman’s and Jalsevac’s essays are available on ISI’s website. Bugos’ essay can be

Cassidy Bugos and John Jalsevac wrote winning essays. They were married on May 15. found at IWF’s website.

“These organizations received countless outstanding entries for the annual contests,” Political Science Professor Bracy Bersnak said.

“It’s wonderful to see three of our students at the top of international lists. It’s a testament to our great program here and the fact that our students can compete with the best in the world.”

Student Wins Dr. Robert Rice Literature Award On May 1, the Department of English Language and Literature announced the institution of the Robert C. Rice English Language and Literature Award.

Dr. Thomas Stanford, Chairman of the department, and Dr. Robert C. Rice both presented the award to Meredith Wilson, its inaugural recipient.

According to the award citation, “the award honors a student who has distinguished himself by exemplary scholarship, collegiality, and skill in written composition and oral address.”

“The department wanted to establish an annual award to honor a graduating senior,” said Stanford. “The department voted unanimously, over Dr. Rice’s objections, to name the award for Dr. Rice, who has simply been the heart and soul of the department for almost as long as it has existed. He is a wonderful model of scholarly dedication, virtue, and geniality, so naming the award for him makes clear to Meredith Wilson was awarded the Dr. Robert C. Rice Engthe students what kind of person we’re lish Language and Literature Award. Dr. Rice (l) and Dr. trying to form through our major.”

Stanford are pictured with her.

Board Member Robert Crnkovich Board Advisor Mary Ellen Bork ExImpressed with Christendom Grads cited About Future of Christendom Bob Crnkovich was born in Milwaukee, WI. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, he acquired a Juris Doctor from Marquette and a Master of Law at Georgetown University.

He first heard of Christendom College through his father-inlaw, John Schmitz, College Founder Dr. Warren Carroll’s godfather, about whom Carroll recently lectured.

“I believe in its mission,” Crnkovich says when asked why he A dynamic duo: Liz and Bob Crnkovich. is involved with Christendom.

“Our graduates are amazing.

We have several at our local Parish, St. John the Beloved in McLean, VA. Sebastien Jansen, Sabatino Carnazzo, and their spouses are incredible additions to the community.”

Crnkovich is a tax advisor for PriceWaterhouse Coopers in Washington, DC, and also teaches on a part-time basis at a local school.

A chess and basketball player he currently lives in McLean, VA with his wife, Liz, and eight children (Mary, Lizzie, Bobby, Catie, Theresa, Bridget, Annie, and Tommy).

Mary Ellen Bork was born in Troy, NY. After an education at Manhattanville College, she earned a Master of Arts in English literature from Siena College and, later, a Master of Arts in Theology from The Catholic University of America.

Mrs. Bork, a member of Christendom’s Advisory Board, believes that Christendom “is an institution that exhibits a clear Catholic identity and has proven itself successful in educating the next generation in the truth of the Catholic faith and the best that Christian humanism can offer.”

Christendom’s strong intellectual formation given in the context of a vibrant Catholic community is what she likes most about the College.

“Under Dr. O’Donnell’s leadership the College has grown and established its reputation, giving it a real future,” she says. “It is an island of Catholic culture in Northern Virginia that serves the Church and the country. That is quite an accomplishment.”

A piano player and lover of art, she currently resides in McLean, VA, with her husband, the Honorable Robert Bork.

Crusader Rugby Brings Great Energy (and a Little Pain) to Campus

Professor Fred Fraser tries to take down Senior Greg Monroe as he rushes down the field during a practice rugby game played the day before graduation.

Prof. Fred Fraser takes out his frustrations on Prof. Brendan McGuire.

Johnny Hambleton gives a straight arm to Kieran DuFrain.

Jack Donohue hopes to rush past the defense led by Johnny Hambleton.

Down and dirty – looking for the ball out of the scrum.

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Annual Fund Campaign Smashing Success, Raises Over $2M

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The members of Christendom’s Development Office, led by Vice-President for Advancement, John Ciskanik, recently celebrated the successful conclusion of the College’s

ed to $2,064,000, a combination of cash gifts and pledges to the Annual Fund. The achievement of this goal is a powerful testimony to the commitment of Christendom’s friends, old and new, to its mission to ‘Restore all things in Christ.’”

Coincidentally, the $250,000 in excess of the 2007-08 Annual Campaign goal resulted from the generosity of table sponsors and overflow attendance at Christendom’s 30th Anniversary Gala Benefit Dinner Dance this past April 19.

VP for Advancement John Ciskanik at last year’s President’s Council Dinner. first-ever Annual Fund Campaign, ending this past May 31.

“The 2007-08 Annual Campaign goal presented to my staff and me by the Board was the College’s largest ever at $1,814,000,” remarked Ciskanik. “I am delighted to announce that the total funds raised amount-

“All funds raised from the Gala benefit next year’s students directly,” said Ciskanik. “Financial aid awards take many forms, from need- and merit-based scholarships to student jobs on campus. Every one of those dollars makes a difference in the lives of real people, whether incoming freshman or students returning for their second, third, or final years.”

Asked about the factors contributing to this year’s success, Stephen Grundman, Christendom’s Director of Development, said, “One word: Teamwork. Everything that has been achieved this year has been the result of tremendous teamwork, everyone work-

30th Anniversary Remarks... grasp the wonder of God’s created order. The Classical Languages are the intellectual scabbard of the mind, which help lay a deep foundation which strengthens the intellect for a keen penetration into the truths contained in our Christian Tradition – both East and West. This Classical Liberal Arts education is of vital importance if we are to form the young men and women who will be the leaders of our Church and nation. It is precisely this education which Pope Benedict stated as “integral to the mission of the Church.” This deep formation, which allows our graduates to tackle problems at their roots, must be allowed to grow and thrive.

Let us together pledge this evening to move forward into this new millennium in fidelity and in faithful service, remembering always the sobering words of Our Lord, “Without Me, you can do nothing.” Non nobis Domine – “Not to us, O Lord, but to thyself give the glory.” For Our Risen Lord, like a noble warrior, bearing wounds in his hands and in

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his feet, beckons us to His wounded side and bids us to stand with Him on this field of battle. Let us pledge here tonight on the occasion of the 30th Anniversary to stand for Him and with Him. Yes, let us stand for our Church, for our priests, as Pope Benedict reminded us so beautifully in his homily at Nationals Park, who are so deserving of our love and support, let us stand together in defense of the dignity of the human person made in the image and likeness of God, and let us again affirm that the gift of youth was made for heroism and not for self-indulgence. Let us work together to sustain this vital educational apostolate in pursuit of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, and thereby fulfill the College’s motto and hope of restoring all things in Christ. Yes, let us fight at His side during the time which is given us so that at the final dawn of that glorious eternal day, we will also reign with Him, who alone yields the true glory.

Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!

ing together to do his or her part.”

According to Grundman, last July the Board Chairman’s Annual Appeal achieved a 100% participation rate.

“I remember one morning in particular,” recalls Leslie Mathews, Donor Relations Coordinator, “when an envelope arrived from Dr. Carroll. As the College’s Founding President, Dr. Carroll remains an exofficio member of the Board of Directors, and despite the fact that he has never been a wealthy man, he sent a check for a very generous amount. He always does his part.”

Mathews, who has been an employee of the College for over ten years, handles every gift personally, ensuring that donors’ records accurately reflect their gifts.

“Members of the President’s Council were the mainstay of this year’s success,” said Ciskanik, “with the 251 members of the Council contributing a total of $1,432,525.”

There are four levels of achievement in the President’s Council, and they provide the College’s lifeblood each and every year. For the 2007-08 Academic year, 141 individuals achieved President’s Council “Member” level (giving $1,000–2,499), and “Sustaining Members” ($2,500–$4,999) numbered forty-eight. Thirty-six individuals achieved “Board Associate” level ($5,000–$9,999).

Together, these three levels accounted for $552,669 of the Annual Fund. Finally, the top tier of the President’s Council, the “Founder’s Circle” ($10,000 and up) sported twenty-six members.

Last, but not least, the “Gold Benefactors,” donors who contributed between $500 and $999 during the 2007-08 Academic year, numbered 169 strong, contributing significantly to this year’s success with gifts in excess of $100,000.

“It is because of the generous and loyal financial support of many, many friends that this May saw the launch of 97 additional Christendom alumni going into the world to restore all things in Christ,” Ciskanik said. “Now, as we enter the summer months, we are preparing for next year’s Annual Campaign. We really need everyone to come together once again this year and help make this year the best one ever.”

College Adds New Informational Video to Already Dynamic Website

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Christendom’s website is its main avenue to inform people about what the College has to offer. As a result, it is updated frequently, and is always full of new and interesting pictures, stories, and now, videos.

The most popular pages of the website are the News page, the Quick Facts page, the Frequently Asked Questions page, and the ever popular Chronicler Online.

The News page, since the beginning of the 2007-08 academic year, has been updated with more than 45 different stories, all of which are accompanied by exciting pictures.

Quick Facts is a popular page for those interested in getting a basic overview of the College and seeing everything from tuition to Commencement Speakers to endorsements to Board members.

The Frequently Asked Questions page is a recent addition to the website, but is quickly becoming more popular every day. Questions are emailed to Admissions Director Tom McFadden who answers them with great detail.

Questions such as “What do people do with their degrees from Christendom College?” and “How’s the food at Christendom?” and “What is a typical day at Christendom like?” or “Why should I attend Christendom?” and even “How is your institution unique? What distinguishes it from most other colleges and universities?” are answered.

The jewel of the crown, so to speak, is the Chronicler Online, which is updated every Friday throughout the school year. Under the direction of Managing Editor Niall O’Donnell, and with the help of student writer/photographer Tom O’Connor, contributing sports writers Jack Anderson and Matt Hadro, and Rome correspondents Emma Boyle and Matt Anderson, this year’s Chroniclers have been very well received by the public and are quickly becoming the anticipated Friday read.

“I am unaware of any other college that publishes a weekly update of the happenings on campus,” says Director of Admissions Tom McFadden. “It takes a lot of work, but we have found that our prospective students, and parents of current students, feel much more connected with Christendom and are

more attached to our mission. I’m proud of my staff for their hard work putting the Chronicler together each week.”

rently creating another informational video to give a more in-depth understanding of the uniqueness of Christendom.

The website receives an astonishing number of hits each month, and it continues to grow.

Currently, an average of 850,000 hits have been recorded each month over the past year, almost double the amount of traffic from two years ago.

The project is expected to be finished in early Fall 2008. All prospective students will receive a copy of this DVD when it is available.

For more information about all the latest events and happenings at Christendom College, log on to www.christendom.edu and check back often.

The College is planning on making some significant changes to its site over the upcoming year, including adding more videos of College events, as well as interviews with students, faculty, and staff.

The College uploads many of its audio and video files to its iTunes U site on the web, and the latest informational video, created by Christendom College alumnus Julian Ahlquist ‘07, is now available for viewing on the College site. Lasting approximately 15 minutes, Ahlquist uses the faculty, staff, and students to explain Christendom College to his audience, focusing on the academic, spiritual, and social aspects offered by the College.

This video premiered at the College’s 30th Anniversary Gala Dinner Dance on April 19, and was later shown to the students at the annual Coffee House variety show – receiving rave reviews from all who viewed it.

The Admissions and Marketing Office is cur-

INSTAURARE

Published quarterly by the Christendom College Admissions & Marketing Office.

Managing Editor, Layout, Design: Tom McFadden Contributing Editor: Niall O’Donnell Copy Editor: Maria O’Brien Photos: Tom McFadden, Niall O’Donnell, Tom O’Connor, Steve Jalsevac Christendom College 134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630 800.877.5456 ~ www.christendom.edu Copyright © 2008. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided the following credit line is used: “Reprinted by permission from INSTAURARE, the quarterly magazine of Christendom College (www.christendom.edu).” SUBSCRIPTION FREE UPON REQUEST.

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Sean Cardinal O’Malley

Francis Cardinal Arinze

“When you’re a bishop, you get a lot of honorary degrees… but I can not think of any institution from which I am more pleased to receive a degree. This is truly a school born ex corde ecclesiae and remains close to Christ’s heart, faithful to His Church, and passionate about the mission we have received: to build a civilization of love and instaurare omnia in Christo (to restore all things in Christ).” – Sean Cardinal O’Malley at Christendom College on May 10, 2008

“It is a joy for me to be associated with whatever has to do with the good of Christendom College. “This is good news in our time! It is refreshing to see a Catholic college where the parents can send their children and not get worried whether they will get serious Catholic education – without discount – just as it is.” – Francis Cardinal Arinze at Christendom College on April 19-20, 2008

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