AN ENCOUNTER WITH POPE ST. JOHN PAUL THE GREAT PROFESSOR PENS NEW PLAY ON YOUNG KAROL WOJTYLA
ALUMNI AND THE NEW EVANGELIZATION
OUR CALL TO CONVERSION NEW GRADUATE PROGRAM IN EDUCATION
VOLUME 33 | NUMBER 1 | SPRING 2025
Published three times yearly by the Communications and Marketing Office.
Editor & Design Director: Niall O’Donnell
Assistant Editor: Zach Smith
Design Assistant and Illustrator: Julie Wells
Publications Coordinator: Lianna Youngman
Photos: Paul Aguilar, Agnes Blum, Thomas Cole, Sophia Cummings, Aron Forthofer, Niall O’Donnell, Hailey Sergent, Julie Wells, Lianna Youngman
Contributors: Richard Hanley, George Harne, Agnese Janaro, Kurt Poterack, Jacob Stevens, Zach Smith, Conor Sweeney, Julie Wells, Andrew Whitmore, Lianna Youngman
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INSTAURARE magazine (pronounced “in-sta-rar-ay”) receives its name from the Latin in the college’s motto “Instaurare Omnia in Christo,” or “To Restore All Things in Christ.”
Christendom College does not discriminate against any applicant or student on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, or veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mr.
Mr.
(Treasurer)
O’Keefe ’93 (Chairman)
Mr. Gary Schuberg
Mr.
Mrs. Michele Velasco ’90 (Vice Chairman)
Mr. Thomas C. West Jr. ADVISORS
ON THE COVER
Students walk past the statue of St. John Paul the Great, which stands in front of the college's student center named in his honor.
inside this issue
BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS
Christendom women’s basketball: national champions again. The team edged out MiamiHamilton University 63-60 in a thriller to become the first team in Christendom College history to win back-to-back national titles.
CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE
Restoring Education in Christ
Christendom launches Center for Educational Philosophy and Leadership in a historic expansion of the graduate school.
Christ, Culture, and Karol
An inside look at Dr. Daniel McInerny’s new play on Pope St. John Paul II, written for a culture starving for truth.
Great Work for the Church
The story of the greatest endorsement the college has ever received.
Theology professor Dr. Conor Sweeney examines faith as seen through Christ and meaningful relationships with others.
Alumni Answering the Call
A look at Christendom alumni answering the call for the New Evangelization through modern media.
A Legacy of Faith
David Zarri is interviewed about his decision to participate in Christendom’s Legacy Challenge.
a note from the PRESIDENT
GEORGE A. HARNE, PH.D.
“ Christendom College has a role to play in saving western civilization. ”
“How will we save western civilization?”
This was the urgent question and theme for a gathering of international leaders in London in late February, where I had the honor of representing Christendom College. Many among the leaders were Catholic and we found ourselves naturally reframing the conference’s question within the context of our faith and the mission of the Church. Instinctively, we drew on the sources of our intellectual tradition, relocating the hoped-for rescue of civilization within a metaphysics, anthropology, and politics that are illuminated by the Catholic faith. Inevitably, I also found myself testing the conference’s theme in relation to Christendom College’s mission: How should the secular proposal to “save western civilization” relate to both the college’s mission of “restoring all things in Christ” and the day-to-day life of our college?
Over the course of the conference, I returned again and again to the ways in which our faith unites the universal and the particular. As Catholics we look to a double horizon that is temporal, local, and personal, while at the same time believing that the small acts of generous wisdom and love that we undertake have eternal, global, and universal significance. Indeed, this double horizon was inscribed within the DNA of the college’s founding. When the founders confronted the question of how they might restore all things in Christ—a goal that is nothing if not comprehensive—they took the step of establishing a particular college that would form particular young people through a rich but focused Catholic liberal education and would shape them as whole persons through the local practices of an academically vibrant and spiritually well-ordered community.
And today, nearly fifty years later, we recognize that it is through our unique collegiate community that the universal and the particular continue to meet in unseen ways each day. At Christendom College, we study particular classic disciplines to form the intellect, allow daily Mass to nourish us on the pilgrimage to sanctity, and embrace an ordered rhythm of life to give purposeful structure to our days. And we do all of this so that we can reach a virtuous maturity that will enable us to carry out the vocation each of us has received, preparing to take up our roles within a divinely scripted drama that is at once local and—in ways that most of us will never know—world-historical. Some of our graduates will be called to serve outside of the public spotlight and others will take up very public roles. But each member of our community must choose each day to be formed intellectually and spiritually for whatever he or she will be called to do, whenever that call may come.
And during the conference, I found myself thinking about Pope St. John Paul II as well. Here was an individual, a single person who said “yes” to God, embraced the intellectual and spiritual formation that his elders judged to be necessary, and then was led to a prominent role in the
political liberation of a continent. His formation and “yes” led him to articulate with new vigor the truths from which human flourishing and freedom are born. And, among many other things, it led him to articulate with keen insight a vision of the relation between Faith and Reason and the nature of Catholic higher education as it is born from the heart of the Church.
Thus we recall that, while it is true that we face a “civilizational moment” and are eager to work alongside men and women of common purpose, Pope St. John Paul II continues to teach us— by word and example—that our story is different from a purely secular vision, however noble that vision may be. The journey of the Church through time is distinct from the rise and fall of empires. We know that the primary agency for civilizational renewal, as Catholics, takes place through fidelity, virtue, and a willingness to become “salt and light” one day after the next.
Yes, Christendom College has a role to play in saving western civilization. We will form virtuous men and women who will be prepared to say “yes” when called to their roles. But this “yes” can only happen if it is preceded by a rigorous formation that entails the local and the particular: we must attend to our
own intellectual and spiritual formation one day at a time, by learning the next Latin declension and walking to the chapel for today’s daily Mass. All of this will take place by becoming the mustard seed and the grain of wheat that is willing to fall to the ground and die, in order to bear much fruit. It will be by these means that world-historical change will take place, through which western civilization will be saved, and through which we dare to hope that we can restore all things in Christ. Sometimes the connection will be clear: if we drop the ring into the fire, Middle Earth will be saved. But most of the time the connection remains hidden and known only to the Divine Author.
Let us not lose sight of this double horizon. Let us say “yes” to the great call while also faithfully attending to the local, the personal, and the modest tasks before us each day. May God use us as he sees fit, and let us prepare for the roles to which he has called us.
In April
we remember
20th anniversary of the passing of Pope St. John Paul the Great.
NEWS in BRIEF
CHAPLAIN AND STUDENT RECEIVE DIOCESAN AWARD
Christendom’s head chaplain Fr. Marcus Pollard and senior Aron Forthofer received awards at the Diocese of Arlington’s annual Youth, Campus, and Young Adult Ministries Appreciation Dinner on December 10, with Fr. Pollard earning the diocese’s Ex Corde Award for campus ministry and Forthofer being honored with the Volunteer of the Year Award. The Ex Corde Award honors an individual who has demonstrated exemplary service for campus ministry, giving their time and their energy to share the love of Christ with university students, while the Volunteer of the Year Award is given for exemplary volunteer work serving a community joyfully and faithfully.
CHRISTENDOM PRESIDENT LAUNCHES NEW PODCAST
Christendom College President George A. Harne, Ph.D., has launched a new podcast, Christendom Conversations, offering listeners the opportunity to engage with the wisdom of the Catholic intellectual tradition. Through thought-provoking discussions and in-depth interviews with Catholic intellectual leaders, the podcast seeks to explore profound ideas and address perennial questions. The first three episodes are available now.
PROFESSORS RELEASE NEW BOOKS, PUBLISH ARTICLES
Christendom College faculty members released new books and published articles in leading academic journals, with theology professor Dr. Matthew Tsakanikas releasing a new book titled A Catechesis on Deification, Transfiguration & the Luminous Mysteries, history professor Dr. Christopher Shannon penning a new work titled Singing from the Heart, and mathematics professor Dr. Douglas Dailey and philosophy professor Dr. Daniel McInerny both finding publication in the academic journal LOGOS. English language and literature professor Dr. Alex Taylor also wrote a new article for Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire.
christendom.edu/podcasts
CLASS OF 2024 SETS RECORD
Christendom College’s Class of 2024 has achieved remarkable success, with 99.2% of graduates reporting positive career outcomes or enrollment in graduate programs, according to a recent survey by the college’s Career and Professional Development Office. This far surpasses the national average of 85%, highlighting the college’s commitment to preparing students for success after graduation.
WOMEN’S SOCCER TAKES 2ND
Christendom’s women’s soccer team took second place in the USCAA DII National Championship game, falling to the University of Cincinnati Clermont in the final game of their incredible season. The national championship game—only their second in program history—came following a remarkable season that saw them go 10-1-3 overall, including a streak of thirteen games without a loss to close their season.
IN MEMORIAM
CHRISTENDOM MOURNS MARY ALICE RICE AND FR. ROBERT SKERIS
Christendom mourns the passing of beloved professors emeriti Mary Alice Rice and Fr. Robert Skeris—both beloved members of the Christendom family. Rice, who passed away after a brief illness on January 17, 2025, faithfully served the college for nearly four decades, teaching hundreds of students French and grammar and leaving a profound impact on generations of alumni and on the college as a whole. She was 77. Fr. Skeris, a member of the Christendom community for a decade in the 1990s, was instrumental in the intellectual and spiritual growth of the college during its second full decade, leaving a tremendous legacy at Christendom as Associate Chaplain, as Chairman of the Theology Department, and as director of the college’s choir and Schola Gregoriana. Fr. Skeris was 89.
RESTORING
EDUCATION
IN CHRIST
CHRISTENDOM LAUNCHES CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND LEADERSHIP
“It is with fervent hope that I address this Document to all the men and women engaged in various ways in the significant mission of Catholic higher education. Beloved Brothers and Sisters, my encouragement and my trust go with you in your weighty daily task that becomes ever more important, more urgent, and necessary on behalf of Evangelization for the future of culture and of all cultures. The Church and the world have great need of your witness and of your capable, free, and responsible contribution.”
With these words, Pope St. John Paul II closed his landmark document Ex Corde Ecclesiae 35 years ago, calling Catholic educators and institutions to a higher standard. His exhortation remains just as urgent today, as the need for strong, well-formed Catholic educators continues to grow in an increasingly secular world.
How do we better prepare people to take on this increasingly important task? Christendom College is offering an answer through the Center for Educational Philosophy and Leadership, a new initiative designed to equip educators, administrators, and aspiring leaders with the tools to transform Catholic education through the traditional liberal arts and the Catholic intellectual tradition. The Center’s two flagship programs are the Master of Education (M.Ed.) and the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.).* Applications are now being accepted, with classes beginning in August 2025.
“The Center for Educational Philosophy and Leadership is the next step in Christendom College’s mission to restore all things in Christ,” says Dr. George A. Harne, President of Christendom College. “By forming educators and leaders who deeply understand human anthropology, the philosophy of Catholic education, and the true nature of leadership, we aim to ensure that schools and classrooms become beacons of truth, beauty, and goodness for generations to come.”
The Center will offer two distinct degree paths. The M.Ed. is a 30-credit, fully online program ideal for teachers, administrators, and anyone passionate about Catholic education. Courses will explore the history, principles, pedagogy, and methods of the traditional liberal arts. Christendom undergraduates will also have the opportunity to pursue a 5-Year B.A./M.Ed. degree, transitioning seamlessly into the M.Ed. program upon completing their undergraduate studies.
By forming educators and leaders who deeply understand human anthropology, the philosophy of Catholic education, and the true nature of leadership, we aim to ensure that schools and classrooms become beacons of truth, beauty, and goodness for generations to come.
For those seeking leadership roles in education, the Center’s Ed.D. program provides an advanced, 54-credit online curriculum. Designed for administrators and education professionals, the program covers administration, research methods, and applicable law, culminating in a dissertation that advances the field of Catholic education. Both programs offer flexible full-time and part-time options, allowing working professionals to further their education without stepping away from their current roles.
“The Catholic Church has long been a leader in education, but today’s schools and educators face unprecedented challenges,” says Harne. “The Center for Educational Philosophy and Leadership will prepare individuals to meet those challenges with confidence, ensuring that Catholic education flourishes in the 21st century.”
The Center will draw on Christendom’s nearly 50 years of expertise in Catholic liberal education. With a curriculum rooted in the timeless principles of the Catholic intellectual tradition, the Center will seek to form educators who will inspire and lead in the renewal of Catholic schools and institutions worldwide — just as Pope St. John Paul II envisioned. Visit christendom.edu/education to learn more.
While Christendom College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), this particular program is pending SACSCOC approval.
C HRIST, C ULTURE, & KAROL
AN INSIDE LOOK AT DANIEL MCINERNY’S PLAY ON POPE ST. JOHN PAUL THE
GREAT, WRITTEN FOR A CULTURE STARVING FOR TRUTH
BY JULIE WELLS
“How would a man so passionate for art and literature, drama and acting—through the crucible of war and Nazi occupation—discover a vocation to the priesthood?”
This burning question about Pope St. John Paul II lingered in the mind of Christendom professor Dr. Daniel McInerny for years. It ultimately became the inspiration for his play The Actor, an exploration of Karol Wojtyła’s early life and his journey from the stage to the altar.
Many know Pope St. John Paul II as “The People’s Pope,” the Holy Father who urged young people to “be not afraid.” His legacy is monumental: he canonized 51 saints, announced 1,338 blesseds, wrote 14 encyclicals, and penned Theology of the Body, a work that transformed contemporary Catholic thought on human love and sexuality. He was present at numerous World Youth Days, designated St. Thérèse of Lisieux a Doctor of the Church, and shepherded the Church from 1978 until his death in 2005.
But before he became a global spiritual leader, Karol Wojtyła was a young man in wartorn Poland, wrestling with the profound questions of faith, culture, and calling. The Actor brings this lesser-known period of his life to the stage, revealing how his love for the arts shaped his path to the priesthood.
Ho w does God transform our loves, using one love to open us up to a deeper calling? " "
The play was first presented in part at Christendom’s Summer Consortium, accompanied by a director’s commentary for an intimate audience. In November 2024, The Actor received its full performance in Christendom College’s Old Chapel Hall, brought to life by the Christendom Players. For cast, crew, and audience alike, the production deepened their appreciation for Pope St. John Paul II’s sacrifices and his mission to restore beauty, culture, and faith in a broken society.
Art as a Path to the Divine
(Top row, left to right) Patrick Ohotnicky '25 as "Lolek" and Padraic Deighan '26 as his friend "Juliusz"; The Christendom Players presented an emotional and compelling depiction of McInerny's play; Freshman Ignatius Birdsall '28 played the role of Cardinal Wojtyła later in his life; Dr. Daniel McInerny provided a director's commentary on his play for guests at Summer Consortium 2024; (Below) Director of Admissions Sam Phillips, Sarah Morales '24, Megan Meehan '24, and Aron Forthofer '25 performed select scenes at Summer Consortium.
“Besides bringing this lesser-known period of St. John Paul II’s life to the attention of audiences,” explains McInerny, “my goal in writing The Actor was to explore the way in which the young Karol Wojtyła discovered his vocation. While initially drawn to a life on the stage, in devotion to the classics of Polish dramatic literature, Wojtyła found that he was called to be a different sort of ‘actor’ on a different sort of ‘stage’ while serving God as a priest. So, the question that drove the writing of the play was: how does God transform our loves, using one love to open us up to a deeper
calling? More specifically: how is the art of drama a prefiguring of the drama of God’s love for us?”
McInerny highlights a pivotal moment in the play when young Karol, known to his friends as “Lolek,” wrestles with his passion for acting. As part of an underground “resistance theater,” he and his fellow actors risk their lives to perform Polish plays in secret, preserving their nation’s cultural heritage under Nazi rule.
He tells him:
Disheartened by the small audience at one performance, Lolek confesses to his friend Irena:
“I just want everyone to hear my voice. Not because it’s my voice, but because it’s theirs, really. [While we were on stage] …we were giving voice to every Pole who is oppressed, giving them a word of hope. That if they endure, their redemption will come.” (Act 2, Scene 3)
Later, his mentor, Jan Tyranowski, sees in Lolek a deeper calling.
“God is the Artist! And like any artist, He wants to make a masterpiece. You, Karol, have been invited to play a role in His drama, and to play it with excellence—indeed, unto sanctity.” (Act 2, Scene 5)
Through Tyranowski’s guidance, Lolek begins to see that his love for drama was never an end in itself—it was preparing him for a higher vocation. As McInerny explains, “The priest is the actor, and the priest, through very special words, makes the highest reality truly present, [our Lord’s] body, blood, soul, and divinity.”
A Performance that Inspired Transformation
For those involved in the production, The Actor was more than just a play—it was a transformative experience.
Patrick Ohotnicky '25, who played Lolek, described the immense responsibility he felt in bringing the young saint to life.
“When I was cast to play him in the fall play,” he says, “it was as if I was given the mission to bring him, as the teenager that he was, to my fellow students. As I read through it, I realized the incredible gift and task that had been given me. I made it my mission to portray Lolek not just as a young man on his way to sainthood, but as a young man just like us who was showing us the way to sainthood, inviting us to follow in his footsteps.”
Theresa Byers '25, who portrayed Irena Sobol, reflected on how the play made Pope St. John Paul II’s life more relatable:
“I think it’s inspiring to see someone young and talented give up what they thought they wanted for God. Often, we think about saints and their lives, and they seem far away and not relatable. But being able to see John Paul II’s life and his struggles in this way
makes him a little more real. I think he is a really great example of bringing Christ to everything you do. Lolek brought his Faith to everything and that’s why he was already so prepared to bring his whole self to God when he became a priest and later pope.”
Jillian Vincent '27, who played Stephanie Nowak, expressed her excitement:
“It felt like we were making history. The most impactful part of the story to me was seeing how John Paul II was once a typical young man, with friends and interests like any other young man, and yet his faith was so rich.” says Vincent. “It was inspirational to see how he integrated his life as a student and an actor, aspiring to great fame, with his deep love of God and his desire to glorify Him. The way he used his God-given talents is incredible. Young people today can learn a lot from John Paul II not only from what he taught, but also—very importantly—from the way he lived as a young man himself.”
For Aron Forthofer '25, who played both Lolek in the summer reading and Brother Albert Chmielowski in the fall performance, the experience was deeply personal:
Director Elizabeth Foeckler '12 and Ohotnicky '25 presented Dr. Daniel McInerny with a signed promotional poster of his play on behalf of the Christendom Players at the final production of The Actor this past fall.
" "
I t felt like we were making history. The most impactful part of the story to me was seeing how John Paul II was once a typical young man, with friends and interests like any other young man, and yet his faith was so rich.
“Being in this play helped me remember that John Paul II was also a college student once upon a time.” says Forthofer. “He had his vocational struggles, family problems, and friendships like young people have these days. And if he can have a life like that portrayed on stage in The Actor, it is possible for any one of us college students to become a great saint like him.”
Ohotnicky shared how playing Lolek helped him process his own suffering. During rehearsals, his mother was battling brain cancer. She was too ill to attend the performance, and she passed away a few months later.
“I was able to, in a sense, lean upon Lolek and his suffering to help comfort and support me and my family. Bringing Lolek to life allowed me to come closer to God, and it is my prayer and hope that it was as inspiring for everyone who watched it as it was for myself and the rest of the cast. When we encounter the saints not just as the mighty heroes of God but as regular
people who become the heroes, it can and should inspire us on our own path to holiness, following in their footsteps.”
A Call to Holiness
The life and teachings of Pope St. John Paul II remain profoundly relevant today. Just as God called young Lolek through his passion for the arts, He calls each of us through the desires He has placed in our hearts.
As seekers draw closer to the One who knows their deepest dreams, it is good to remember these words from Pope St. John Paul II's Crossing the Threshold of Hope:
“In prayer, then, the true protagonist is God.”
Pope St. John Paul II’s story reminds us that every love, every talent, and every challenge is part of the great drama of salvation. The question is: Will we play our role with excellence?
a GREAT WORK for the CHURCH
A HISTORIC ENCOUNTER BETWEEN CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE AND POPE ST. JOHN PAUL THE GREAT
BY LIANNA YOUNGMAN
In the summer of 1992, amidst the stately grandeur and breathtaking sights of the Eternal City, a group of Christendom pilgrims experienced a profound grace. That moment became an indelible part of each participant’s faith journey as they met face-to-face with their Holy Father, a man who is now honored as one of the greatest saints in recent history. On the 20th anniversary of his passing, Christendom reflects on the historic occasion when Pope St. John Paul II met privately with these pilgrims, including the college's founder, Dr. Warren Carroll, expressing his love and pride for each of his spiritual children and proclaiming Christendom a “great work for the Church!" The lasting effects of that gathering continue to inspire and uplift the Christendom community, resonating in the hearts and minds of those who bore witness to that incredible moment.
The historic moment when Pope St. John Paul II met Dr. Warren Carroll, drawn by alumna Agnese Janaro '21.
Prior to the establishment of the college’s Junior Semester in Rome, Carroll and future college president Dr. Timothy O’Donnell brought a group of students and college friends to the canonization of Claude La Colombière, thanks to college friend Cardinal Jan Schotte, who helped obtain tickets. Cardinal Schotte, who both consecrated the old Christ the King Chapel and gave to Christendom the papal chalice, was instrumental to the success of this event.
“It was an incredible gift,” O’Donnell reflects. “We had front-row seats, we were very joyful, and we all thought it was as great as it could get.” The group even got to see Pope St. John Paul II as he proceeded into the canonization. Thrilled by such a close encounter, the group declared the pilgrimage a complete success.
After such a fulfilling experience, the group of pilgrims felt surely that their trip had reached its peak. However, the adventure was far from over. Before this, O’Donnell had contacted the Vatican to inquire, as a hope, about an audience with the Holy Father. As he had not heard back, he had resigned himself to the idea that it would not be possible. However, during a tour with longtime friend of the college and former English Program
for Vatican Radio Sean-Patrick Lovett, O’Donnell received a phone call. The caller was Stanisław Dziwisz, the personal secretary of the Holy Father. He informed O’Donnell that a meeting would be possible the next day. O'Donnell hesitated, caught between excitement and practicality: while the offer of this meeting was extraordinary and generous, their flight home was scheduled for the same time frame. Putting the moment in the hands of God, O’Donnell responded that they only had today.
Silence.
After a prolonged moment, Dziwisz told O’Donnell to meet at the bronze doors at 11 A.M. This private audience was to be squeezed between two existing meetings, and with the Pope’s full schedule, the magnitude of the situation was not lost on the group.
The reason for this incredible generosity lies in an established friendship between Pope St. John Paul II and then-president Dr. Damien Fedoryka. Fedoryka had met with the Pope multiple times before, so the Holy Father was already acquainted with what Christendom College was and what it stood for. He truly wanted to meet with the students, and he was willing to make it happen.
Director
Pope St. John Paul II truly wanted to meet with the students, and he was willing to make it happen.
Opposite: Group picture of the Christendom students, faculty, and friends with Pope St. John Paul II in June 1992.
Top: Christendom College's second president, Dr. Damien Fedoryka, and Pope St. John Paul II. Middle: President Emeritus Dr. Timothy O'Donnell speaks with the Holy Father. Shortly after this meeting, Christendom would ask O'Donnell to serve as the college's third president.
Bottom Left: Mo Woltering '92 kisses the Fisherman's ring. Bottom Right: Daniel Vander Woude '92 meets Pope St. John Paul II.
To see the historic video of this moment, visit https://tinyurl.com/mr83a8x3
Alumnus John Echaniz ’93 recalls lying in his hotel room when fellow student David Brown ’92 rushed in, shouting, “Get up! Get up! We’re going to see the Pope!” The incredible news spread like wildfire as the group rushed to get dressed in a manner befitting a meeting with the Pope, followed by a dash to the agreed meeting place.
Filled with excitement and disbelief, the group was brought through the bronze doors and along a series of grand halls and doorways into the office of Pope St. John Paul II. While waiting, and to cope with rising nerves, the group prayed the Rosary and sang. Alumna Anna Aronhime ’93 remembers an attendant entering the room to inform them that while the Holy Father loved their singing, it was loud enough to disrupt the meeting he was having, and therefore he must cordially ask them to quiet down. A little embarrased, the group shifted into anxious whispers as the moments ticked by. Just when their nerves seemed ready to snap, the doors opened, and in walked the white figure of the Holy Father. Aronhime recalls:
“He immediately smiled and said, ‘Ahh, you must be the Americans!’” In that instant, the atmosphere in the room transformed from nervousness to joy, as Aronhime describes, “He just completely relieved the anxiety.”
Pope St. John Paul II then went around the group gathered in a circle, speaking with each one as they knelt to venerate the Fisherman’s ring. Reflecting on this moment, Chairman Steve O’Keefe ’93 shares: “There are many profound memories from the day, but the one that I would like to share was St. John Paul II’s vivaciousness and the urgency of the Pope to speak with us. The Pope clearly was eager to hear our experiences at the college and convey our importance to the Church and the world.” As he moved down the line of students, the Pope mentioned Fedoryka several times, asking the students to send his greetings.
“Being in the presence of a person of profound holiness is hard to describe,” Echaniz says. “People say it is like a glow, radiating holiness. Suffice to say, we wanted to go where he would lead.”
Stained-glass window of Pope St. John Paul II in Christ the King Chapel.
The Holy Father's words, 'Christendom is a great work for the Church,' echo with enduring power, serving as both a blessing and a mandate for the college and its alumni to be builders of a legacy of love and unwavering faith.
"
At the end of the line, all eyes turned to Dr. Warren Carroll, the man who worked so tirelessly to establish Christendom and who dedicated his life to the college and the students. It felt as though the entire experience was culminating in this moment. As he fell to his knees and venerated the ring, many students began to cry as they witnessed the founder of their college share such an important moment.
“It was a true blessing to behold Dr. Carroll at what must have felt like the crowning moment of his life’s work,” Echaniz says. “At that moment, he was obviously bursting with joy.”
O’Donnell echoes this sentiment: “The joy of the students seeing the joy of Dr. Carroll—why, everyone thought they had died and gone to heaven.”
O’Donnell thanked Pope St. John Paul II for his time, but the Holy Father smiled and replied that, on the contrary, it was he who was thanking them. He then spoke a sentiment that would become the most historic endorsement the college has ever received: “Christendom is a great work for the Church!”
This meeting continues to linger in the minds of those who were there, with starry-eyed renditions of the story flowing in from alumni, many of whom are friends to this day, having shared something so precious that it continues to bond them.
Alumnus Mo Woltering agrees, saying that meeting the Holy Father inspired him throughout his life.
“Meeting the Holy Father had a major impact on me. So much so that I pursued graduate studies at the John Paul II Institute both in Washington, D.C., and Rome. Afterwards, I was able to kiss the Pope’s ring again, and this time I was able to thank him for being such an inspiration.”
O’Keefe concludes, “I believe the totality of the experience of Rome, culminating with the Holy Father, was a life-changing event for all involved.”
Life-changing indeed. This Rome pilgrimage was not merely a visit to a historic city or a remarkable series of events: it was the profound touch of grace that would resonate throughout the lives of those who participated. Meeting Pope St. John Paul II was not just a fleeting moment of joy: it was an endorsement of their mission and a galvanizing affirmation of their faith that would stay with them for the rest of their lives. The Holy Father's words, "Christendom is a great work for the Church," echo with enduring power, serving as both a blessing and a mandate for the college and its alumni to be builders of a legacy of love and unwavering faith. On the 20th anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II’s passing, Christendom College remembers the words of Dr. Warren Carroll: “One man can make a difference.” One summer in 1992, the college witnessed a remarkable encounter between two men who truly did make a difference.
Pope St. John Paul II, ora pro nobis!
THE GOSPEL AS BIRTH
OUR CALL TO LOVE, DEPENDENCY, AND PERSONAL CONVERSION
BY DR. CONOR SWEENEY
In this moment in the life of the Church, as we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of Pope St. John Paul II, it seems more important than ever to reflect anew on the missionary character of Christian faith. For against the backdrop of the crumbling structures of the age and a growing loss of confidence in faith, Pope St. John Paul II repeatedly stressed that the Gospel must be proclaimed as something irrevocably “new” (e.g. the “new evangelization”). New, not as novelty or at the expense of what is timeless and venerable, but in the sense that the Gospel must be continually incarnated as the real encounter of each person with Christ; the essential content of Christianity is not an “ethical choice” or a “lofty idea,” as Pope Benedict XVI expressed it, but “the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction” (Deus caritas est, 1).
BIRTH AND FACE
The Calling of Saint Matthew, Caravaggio, 1599-1600.
Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Gustave Dore, 1865.
But it’s always easier, perhaps, to subtly conceive of Christian faith in a less personally implicative way—let’s say as ethics, politics, or knowledge. Christianity reduced to ethics means that it can be more about extrinsic conformity to rules. In this case, as long as you meet the minimum legal requirement, avoiding mortal sin, you can count yourself as a Christian in good standing. Alternatively, we might pursue punctilious legal rectitude as a mark of membership in an elite club of the perfect.
Christianity reduced to politics means that it can be more about what we do “out there” by way of establishing temporally Christ’s kingdom on earth. In this case, being a Christian means being a good citizen. Or being a Christian means becoming an effective advocate of social justice.
Finally, Christianity reduced to knowledge conceives of faith as something correlative to a philosophy of life or a body of doctrine where the most important thing is orthodox belief. In this case, being a Christian means attaining metaphysical rectitude, knowing the “right things” about God. What is most important is possessing the secret “gnosis” (from gnosis, meaning knowledge) by which to attain salvation or enlightenment.
But when you get right down to it, none of the above expresses what is truly and uniquely Christian. After all, ethics, politics, and knowledge have always been regarded as paths to salvation and enlightenment. To be sure, there is a uniquely Christian way to do all these things; do them and in this way we must. But that is precisely the point. Ethics, politics, and knowledge, without that uniquely Christian element, become what Joseph Ratzinger broadly called “moralism,” and thus not Christian at all. Moralism can be described as the reduction of Christianity to the “dimensions of an ethical framework, or to equate faith with obeying a law,” as Dr. Tracey Rowland puts it (Ratzinger’s Faith, 66). Joseph Pieper speaks of Christianity reduced to a “pseudoreligious activism” (Faith—Hope—Love, 126). Antonio Lopez refers to moralism simply as “action deprived of adequate reasons” (“Growing Human,” 235).
What, then, is that unique Christian element that provides “adequate reasons” for anything we might do in the name of Christian faith? What is the perennial “newness” of the Gospel that must be constantly rediscovered in its unique singularity? The first thing we can observe about the various species of moralism above is that none of them require, in an absolute or essential way, our interior transformation or conversion. They can easily be premised on a kind of practical divorce between doing certain things and becoming a certain kind of person.
At every point of our existence, we need others. "
What is most important, in the above, is not becoming holy or attaining virtue on the inside, but rather being holy or displaying virtue or knowledge on the outside. It is entirely possible, as Christ repeatedly suggested in relation to the Pharisees, to do good things without being good oneself or to know the truth without actually living according to it. Ethics, politics, and knowledge might thus become ersatz surrogates that allow us to avoid what the message of the Gospel actually calls us to above all else: an encounter with Christ that prompts a genuine interior conversion of heart—“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10)—that transforms us into radiant icons “in Christ,” filling us with his Spirit, thus “personalizing” us by union in love with the triune God.
With this, then, the truly unique and distinctive element of the Gospel comes into view. At its heart, being a Christian means becoming oneself through the other. It means being constituted in relation to the other. It means an interior softening of the heart that disposes us to freely open ourselves to the other. With this in view, I would like to reflect on two perspectives to help to shed light on the idea that becoming oneself through the other defines what it means to be Christian: birth and face
At the heart of human existence is the fact of being born. Birth means coming from another. It thus means fundamental dependency. There is no person on the face of this earth who is self-generating, who by a sovereign act of freedom determined their own existence and identity or even consented to being born. It is a condition of creatureliness, then, to only become oneself by receiving oneself from the other. Moreover, it is a condition of creatureliness to remain perennially indebted to the other. At every point of our existence, we need others.
The question is whether this condition of dependent or “subsistent” being is a perfection or a deficiency. Is my indebtedness to the other something to be overcome, or is it in fact a condition through which I am able to most be myself? Human freedom has often regarded this condition of ontological
dependency or helplessness as a limitation that needs to be overcome. Surely, if man is to attain what is truly infinite and eternal it must be by way of eliminating what is limited in him, namely, the dependency implied by his finite and temporal nature. And so we have built towers, barns, and systems of all kinds to evade or overcome our ontological helplessness.
Adam and Eve sought salvation in knowledge, the Pharisees in ethics, the Zealots in politics. Closer to our own time, the same patterns hold. Immanuel Kant premised salvation on attaining “pure” knowledge beyond all forms of “tutelage” that indebt us to others. Karl Marx premised salvation on a political “struggle” against injustice that is conceived of in our day as the overcoming of all forms of natural and religious belonging and relationship. Friedrich Nietzsche premised salvation on going “beyond good and evil” or “creating one’s own values.” In each case, salvation is predicated on a Pelagian overcoming of ontological helplessness and its limits, eradicating the fundamental conditions of creatureliness by something we do.
But is it not the case that the most meaningful things in human life are the particular relationships that surround us? If we strip away the subsistent tapestry of our existence, do we not eliminate the very reasons why we might want something eternal and infinite in the first place? For example, if Heaven is conceived of simply as “pure act,” as the eradication of all “neediness” and as the erasure of the capacity to be “moved” by another, is this really somewhere anyone would want to go? The answer is no, at least if we perceive things like dependency and vulnerability as precisely the conditions for what gives us the most joy in life: being moved by and delighting in the beloved, sharing the intimacy of friendship with others. Must we really treat salvation or enlightenment as the gnostic transcending of these relationships? Or is not meaning to be found precisely within the condition of being dependent on the other?
Here is where the face of the other becomes important. Think of it this way. The child who is born and who experiences the warmth of its mother’s love (i.e. the radiant loving smile of her face) does not regard the “neediness” of this very particular relation to the other as an imperfection and thus something to be overcome. Rather, it is only through an embrace of the loving face of the other that the child comes to consciousness at all: comes to perceive life as true, good, beautiful, and thus worth living. It is the face of the other that lights up ontological helplessness as ingredient to the discovery of love and joy. It is the face of the other that prevents me from locking myself in
Rather, it is only through an embrace of the loving face of the other that the child comes to consciousness at all: comes to perceive life as true, good, beautiful, and thus worth living. "
the prison of my own egoism, narcissism, delusion, anxiety, and paranoia. The more we separate ourselves from others, trying to live as “rugged individuals,” the more we turn salvation and transcendence into something cold, impersonal, abstract, Pelagian, activist, gnostic.
The problem, of course, is that no human face can smile with an infinite and eternal power on us. Perhaps more often than not the face of the other is a violation and threat to the self. In any case, no merely human face can resolve the inevitable problem of my existence: that, as a consequence of my ontological helplessness, I will eventually die. And here is why, perhaps, human thought has historically never taken ontological helplessness—birth and face—seriously as clues to where meaning and salvation might be found.
But what if God himself was born for us? What if God himself addressed us through a human face? What if God revealed himself within and according to the human condition of ontological helplessness? What if on this basis we could be “born again” as sons of God, and so really encounter a face that invites us into an infinite and eternal form of love and dependency in the communion of God’s own triune life? As it
1800-1825.
turns out, the Gospel is not about overcoming relationships. It is not about eradicating the fundamental condition of ontological helplessness, but is precisely its infinite and eternal revaluation. The most real and important thing, says Christian faith, is abiding in love with the other.
The Gospel, then, is synonymous with being born and encountering the face of the other. It is about the ability, by grace, to “let be” in the face of the other, who in their otherness can never be controlled or pinned down by what I wish to impose on them. This is scary because human beings crave order and control. We are fearful of what we cannot fit into our preconceived frameworks, and so we want systems and processes to impose order on the face that eludes our control. And so defining reality in terms of moralism is always tempting, insofar as it absolves us from the much harder work of subordinating ourselves to the divine other as other, for letting Christ and his Spirit transform, redeem, sanctify, and convert our hearts so as to fit us for union.
But the one important thing, the one unique and singular thing is love, the mystery that only birth and face give us access to. What matters is that we allow the Face of Christ to work in us the mystery of divine rebirth. What matters is that we
embrace the Face of the Crucified who, in an unnerving and unsettling movement of kenosis (self-emptying) did not scorn experiencing the most radical form of helplessness for our sake. None of this makes ethics, politics, and knowledge unimportant. But it places them in the supernatural service of birth and face, in the mystery of love which only personal transformation in Christ can call forth.
And finally, it is precisely this uniquely Christian element that makes the Gospel attractive, that is capable of drawing persons into the joy and beauty of eternal love. With the great pope of evangelization, Pope St. John Paul II, then, we can conclude: “Christianity is born,” he said, “and continually draws new life from … contemplation of the glory of God shining on the Face of Christ” (Closing of the Holy Door homily, 2001).
Dr. Conor Sweeney is a professor of theology at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. He earned his B.A. at Trinity Western University and his S.T.L. and S.T.D. at Pontificio Istituto Giovanni Paolo II per Studi su Matrimonio e Famiglia in Rome, Italy.
Madonna and Child, Unknown artist,
A NSWERING THE CALL
C HRISTENDOM
ALUMNI AND THE NEW EVANGELIZATION IN MODERN MEDIA
BY ZACH SMITH
Podcasts. Substacks. Social media. Magazines. These are just four of the ways people are barraged with information on a daily basis. Never before, in the history of human civilization, has it been so easy to find the answer to anything and to be up to date on everything. It has also never been easier to be filled with nothing.
Pope St. John Paul II saw these rapidly developing new means of communications during his time as Supreme Pontiff and recognized their danger, but also their value. By using these new, emerging technologies properly, the same people who waste their time on Facebook can begin wasting their time well, being filled not with nothing, but instead with the fullness of Truth.
Pope St. John Paul II looked to these new forms of communication as the means to promote his New Evangelization, first called for in 1983 and then proclaimed further throughout his pontificate. In 2005, in his pastoral letter The Rapid Development, Pope St. John Paul II wrote:
“The Church is not only called upon to use the mass media to spread the Gospel but, today more than ever, to integrate the message of salvation into the 'new culture' that these powerful means of communication create and amplify. It tells us that the use of the techniques and the technologies of contemporary communications is an integral part of its mission in the third millennium."
These words have only grown more important as even more new technologies have gripped modern society — technologies that Christendom alumni are now using to spread the Gospel far and wide.
Blogs: Engaging the Online Culture
Even though 2025 has only just begun, people are set to spend the most time ever streaming videos daily — giving upwards of four hours of their day just to watching videos, whether on their phone or on their television. People are taking in ever-increasing amounts of content, but how much of it is Good, True, and Beautiful? Alumni Samuel Morales ’20 and Joe Wilson ’19 asked that same question and decided to offer a solution to Catholics everywhere, creating the 100 Movies Every Catholic Should See Substack blog and accompanying podcast.
The blog is, in many ways, an expansion of the Vatican’s own Important Films list, which was released during Pope St. John Paul II’s pontificate. For Wilson, he sees the blog as a way to answer Pope St. John Paul II’s call for a New Evangelization, aiming to educate and inspire Catholics everywhere through the power of the moving image.
“Pope St. John Paul II released Novo Millennio Ineunte, his major encyclical on the New Evangelization, at the end of the Jubilee Year of 2000 on January 6, 2001. I was standing there in St. Peter's Square that day, and so I have always considered that to be a direct call from God to work on this great project of his,” says Wilson. “The New Evangelization is two-fold: first, to re-evangelize Christians and renew in them the life of the Holy Spirit, and then second for those same Christians
to spread the Gospel to every corner of the globe. As a lay endeavor, we are doing our best to accomplish both missions, by inspiring Catholics through great movies and drawing others to Catholicism by drawing out the Good, True, and Beautiful in these movies.”
Morales and Wilson started the blog in April of 2023, dropping weekly reviews of their curated list of 100 movies every Catholic should see, starting with A Man for All Seasons and finishing with Ben-Hur 100 weeks later in February of 2025. Along the way, they have published other movie reviews, deep dives, and hosted a number of podcast episodes featuring Catholic filmmakers, with over 1000 subscribers consuming their edifying content each week.
With their first two years under the belt, the two have big plans for the blog, podcast, and accompanying YouTube channel as well, as they hope to continue evangelizing and bringing positive Catholic content to the masses.
“We hope to convey to Catholics especially that cinema is an art form that merits as much study as painting and literature, and that there are a lot of great films out there that they should watch that might not necessarily fit the mold of what one would expect a Catholic to watch,” says Morales. “We have films like Ben-Hur and The Passion of the Christ on our list, but also The Godfather, Spider-Man 2, and No Country for Old Men. All of
Samuel Morales ’20
Joe Wilson ’19
A glimpse of the @100moviescatholic Instagram feed.
these are great films because of the craft that went into them, the themes present in the story, and their lasting place within cinema history.”
Podcasting: Changing the Culture Through Longform Conversations
In 2023 alone, over 450 million people listened to podcasts, with this number expected to reach nearly 620 million by 2026. It is essential to reach people via this new form of media, and alumni — like Anna (née Forst) McMahon ’17 — are working hard to bring edifying content to the masses.
McMahon launched The Woman Aesthetic podcast in 2024 — a show dedicated to elevating, inspiring, and restoring the true meaning of femininity through a blend of faith, culture, and exploring the multi-dimensional life of every woman. McMahon never imagined herself doing any sort of public speaking, let alone starting a podcast. However, after witnessing society’s struggle to define womanhood, she felt compelled to explore its true essence and reveal its relevance and purpose in today’s world.
“Every Christian has a duty in spreading the Gospel wherever they are and with the means in their possession,” says McMahon. “The mission of my podcast is to evangelize women and help them understand their God-given identity, dignity and purpose. It’s heartbreaking to see women widely misinformed about their identity and exploited online, either by their own doing or by others. I want my podcast to spark deeper conversations about the wonderful potential and goodness in women.”
Dropping episodes every other Friday on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Rumble, McMahon interviews guests on a variety of topics revolving around the idea of how the feminine genius and the beauty of being a woman are a necessity in modern times. Since launching the podcast, McMahon has seen a beautiful community grow around it, with listeners finding the encouragement to examine aspects of their lives, such as their
Trivium magazine's founding team (L to R): Maria Gerring '22, Rachel Gerring '18, Mikaela Bailey '20, and Emily (Bailey) DeVos '18. Below: a sample of issues of Trivium
Do not be afraid. Do not be
satisfied with mediocrity. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch….
– POPE ST. JOHN PAUL THE GREAT
health journey or recognizing their inherent worth. Others have expressed that it has been a great tool in their discernment process.
“I pray that this podcast will reach those who need it most and that the community of women will continue to grow,” says McMahon.
Magazines & Print Media: A Lasting Legacy
The digital media landscape can be vast — and overwhelming. Over the past decade especially, the internet has exploded with content, with this endless stream of noise leaving many feeling overwhelmed and sometimes out of touch with the surrounding world. It was this noise and disconnect that convinced alumni Rachel Gerring ‘18, Mikaela Bailey ‘20, Emily (née Bailey) DeVos ‘18, and Maria Gerring ‘22 to return to the lasting value of printed magazines, creating their own this past year: Trivium
“Though all four of us are classically educated, we also live in and work in the modern world,” says Rachel Gerring. “Our approach to creating a magazine with ‘old fashioned print media’ is to make something for readers of all ages and backgrounds that features timeless truths in a beautiful, ‘modern’ way. Growing up, my parents subscribed to many solid Catholic print publications, but none of them had the visual appeal of more artsy secular magazines. With Trivium, we hope to combine the solid written content with a look and feel that is relevant and appeals to readers who are used to viewing visually appealing content on digital platforms.”
Trivium is a quarterly magazine, with new issues being released in July, October, January, and April. Each issue strives to feature a variety of content that “will edify, entertain, and educate,” just as Pope St. John Paul II called for, including long academic articles, poetry, artwork, photography, liturgical calendars, and more.
Since launching, the magazine has already garnered a dedicated subscriber base ranging from high-school students
to great-grandmothers, with readers of all backgrounds being impacted by the beauty and timeless truths highlighted in each issue — just as the editors always hoped for.
“Our writers are constantly engaging with classical questions and ideals that have been a part of the Christian life,” says DeVos. “We’re always trying to make sense of the life we’ve been given and the heavenly destiny towards which we aim. The magazine is a sort of microcosm of the Church in this way, and thus an encouragement for all our readers to continue on that path. To use our creativity to glorify God in a way that is communal and wholesome.”
Put Out into the Deep
In so many ways, people are more connected than ever — and yet more disconnected than ever at the same time. With so many new forms of communication now available, people can get lost in the endless noise and distractions. It can be a daunting task to look at today’s vast media landscape and wonder: “How can I hope to make an impact?”
And yet, Pope St. John Paul II provides a simple answer and a call: “Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch…. I plead with you — never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.”
Each of these alumni have answered that call, using both new forms of media and old to bring the New Evangelization to a culture in desperate need of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. They are not alone in this mission either, with numerous other alumni launching podcasts, writing books, writing for blogs, starting YouTube shows, and more.
The Church has been given a mandate to use today’s media to spread the Gospel to every corner of the earth. These alumni are answering that mandate, working hard to “restore all things in Christ,” one podcast, article, and social media post at a time.
PHOTO ALBUM
1. Residence Director Samuel Morales accompanied a group of male students on a mission trip to Mexico over Christmas Break.
2. Professor of Classical and Early Christian Studies Dr. Andrew Beer in the classroom.
3. Students reconnected with their classmates at the annual Welcome Back Dance hosted by the Student Activities Council.
4. The rugby team debuted their new jersey designs at the Peach Cup 7s tournament in March.
5. President George A. Harne, Ph.D., and his wife, Debbie, smiled for a photo with their daughter, Abigail, at the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.
6. Students in Dr. Aileen Foeckler’s Anatomy and Physiology lab got hands-on experience, exploring the complexities of the human body. This advanced course is part of Christendom’s new Natural Science major, designed to prepare students for careers in medicine, nursing, physical therapy, education, and other healthcare fields.
7. The Career & Professional Development Office welcomed alumni Tim Beer '13 and Stephen Pascoe '21 to campus for a Life on Tap event. They spoke to the students about their experiences in the field of finance.
8. The Arcadian Wild, an acoustic string band from Nashville, performed a concert for the Christendom community, drawing a huge crowd.
9. The men's basketball team finished their season strong, placing third in a tough conference and defeating two programs for the first time in program history.
10. The library hosted a quodlibet last month, featuring a panel of four professors who answered students' questions on a variety of topics. Pictured, left to right: Dr. William Hannegan, Professor Alex Taylor, Dr. Kathleen Sullivan, and Dr. William Farris.
11. Students of the Class of 2026 enjoyed their tour of St. Peter's Basilica during their Semester in Rome this spring.
12. The Chester-Belloc Debate Society celebrated its 250th debate.
13. Student Life welcomed Buchi Akpati for At the Well, a women's formation series on campus. Akpati, a former celebrity makeup artist and former cloistered Discalced Carmelite nun, spoke about the search for authentic beauty in a world often focused on the superficial.
14. Visiting priests Fr. George Elliot and Fr. Fred Gruber, along with college Chaplain Fr. Marcus Pollard, held a vocations retreat for students in Old Chapel Hall, offering discernment talks and finishing the day with a game night.
15. Christendom was honored to celebrate founding faculty member Dr. William Marshner and his translation of Cardinal Cajetan’s Commentary on St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae: Prima Pars. The event featured a special quodlibet for students and a book signing.
a legacy of faith how one man's generosity shapes students' lives in truth
BY JACOB STEVENS
In a world where Catholic education is needed more than ever before, it has become increasingly difficult for families to afford it. How can students ensure they receive the authentic Catholic formation they need? At Christendom College, a faithful Catholic education is a lifeline for families seeking solid spiritual and academic formation, but the college depends heavily on generous benefactors to make that possible. In times like these, that support is more vital than ever.
One way Christendom is addressing these challenges is through the Legacy Challenge—an initiative that allows donors to provide immediate financial assistance to students while leaving a lasting impact on the college’s future. Thanks to a generous benefactor, the Legacy Challenge matches 10% of a future legacy gift with an immediate gift to support financial aid for students today. This means donors can make a difference in the lives of students now while ensuring that Catholic education will continue to thrive for generations to come.
One such benefactor, David Zarri, understands the power of legacy, both in the moment and for the future. Raised in a devout Catholic family in the San Francisco Bay area, Zarri saw firsthand how important it is to use the blessings he had received to serve others. Through the example of his parents and others, Zarri learned early on that faithfulness is not just a personal matter—it’s a call to action, to give back and lift others up.
Zarri’s journey took him around the world, but after finishing high school and traveling, he returned to help his family run their Italian delicatessen. It was there that he learned the value of hard work, customer service, and community—skills that kept the family business running. But even in the day-to-day operations of the business, Zarri never lost sight of the bigger picture: the responsibility we all have to use our resources to help others, especially in the Catholic faith.
especially in an era when many colleges have strayed from the teachings of the Church.
“In this time, it is so crucial to understand the human person and to understand good relationships. While other colleges have gone astray, Christendom is fostering an excellent Catholic formation,” Zarri says.
When Zarri learned about the Legacy Challenge, he knew it was the perfect opportunity to make a tangible impact. He included Christendom as a beneficiary in his living trust, ensuring that his legacy would both support students in need today and provide for the college’s future.
"We should make the most of what God has given us, even after our lifetime. I provided a legacy for Catholic education to touch as many souls as possible,” Zarri explains.
“The surest way to get to heaven is to take someone’s hand and lead them there.”
When asked what inspired him to give, Zarri reflects on the words of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, who once said, “The surest way to get to heaven is to take someone’s hand and lead them there.” This quote resonates deeply with Zarri, who often asks himself, “How can I multiply the blessings God has given me? How can I impact more people?” The answer was clear: by supporting Catholic causes, including the mission of Christendom College.
Christendom stood out to Zarri as an institution unwavering in its commitment to faithful Catholic education. He saw the college as an example of what Catholic formation should be,
For students like Mary Fowler, a senior at Christendom College, benefactors like Zarri make all the difference.
"I am overcome with gratitude for their generous contributions to my education. I have made so many friendships and memories that will last a lifetime, and the fulfillment I’ve found here is incredible. How wonderful to be at a place where my relationship with Christ has flourished, and my mind has grown in incomparable ways,” Fowler says.
Zarri’s generosity is an inspiring reminder that we can all make a difference, no matter where we are in life. By leaving a legacy of faith, he encourages others to think about their own impact and the example they can set. “Our work is inspired by the Holy Spirit. When I leave this legacy, I want to encourage others to think about their own legacy. Our example is so powerful,” Zarri concludes.
Through his selfless giving, Zarri is not only investing in the students of today but ensuring that future generations of Catholics will have access to the education and formation they need to live their faith boldly in a world that needs it more than ever.
In the Classroom
HIGHLIGHTING A COURSE FROM OUR RICH CURRICULUM
THEOLOGY 484: BIOETHICS
BY DR. ANDREW WHITMORE
the 20th and 21st centuries have witnessed an explosion of new medical technologies, and it can be difficult for one to easily determine their moral evaluations. While these technologies are novel, the field of bioethics, which evaluates them, is not. With principles dating back to the 16th (ordinary versus extraordinary care) and 13th (principle of totality, principle of double effect) centuries, and even back to the New Testament itself (Romans 3:8), the Church stands on stable ground when she evaluates these medical advances. While the principles are time-tested and sure, the application of them is not always immediately evident.
THEO 484: Bioethics is a class for students who want to learn the theological, philosophical, and magisterial bases for the Church’s teachings in the field of medicine. Covering both ethics and biology, this course is exciting in its immanently practical application contextualized in the Apostolic Tradition. The course is divided into four units. The first unit deals with
overarching themes in bioethics, including how to define “health,” the scope of medicine, and Catholic anthropology. It also looks at pagan and secular approaches to medicine, from the Hippocratic Oath to the modern age, so that students are able to engage with the secular world. Catholic principles are here presented in order to situate the ensuing analyses.
The second unit focuses on beginning-of-life issues, such as the developmental process of the human embryo, sexual ethics, assisted reproductive technologies, contraception, abortion, and sterilizations. The third unit turns to end-of-life issues, such as the tensions surrounding a determination of death, advance care directives, euthanasia, and consciousness disorders. The final unit covers modifications to the human body, including organ transplantations, genetic intervention, and experimentation and research. Finally, students practice not only their ability to analyze moral issues but also to publicly present these analyses.
Dr. Andrew Whitmore
CLASSMATES YOUR PAPER & INK
1980s & 1990s
Father Christopher Smith ’99 was installed as an Honorary Canon of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul, Turkey, in November, 2024, and as a Chaplain of Merit for the Royal Military Constantinian Order of St. George in September, 2024. He continues as Pastor of Prince of Peace in Taylors, South Carolina.
2000s
Madre Thérèse E. Dodge RSCJ ’06 holds nephew Paul Anthony Dodge, son of Damien A. D. Dodge and Christina M. (née Coy) Dodge ’05. In July, 2024, Madre Thérèse brought 23 Italian high school students from the Istituto del Sacro Cuore di Firenze to CUA on an educational tour. 1
Joan Watson McGoldrick ’06 had her first book published by Ave Maria Press in December. Opening the Holy Door: Hopefilled Reflections from St. Peter’s Basilica is a great way to grow in hope this Jubilee Year. Two other books by major publishers will be coming in the next year.
Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop of Philadelphia, ordained David Wallace ’05 (husband to Elizabeth ’05, and father of seven) to the minor orders of candle-bearer, reader, cantor, and subdeacon at SS Joachim and Anna Ukrainian Catholic Church in Front Royal, VA. 2
Tom Hambleton and Mary (née Akers) Hambleton ’07 welcomed Ruth Marie Therese on September 12, 2024. She was baptized by her uncle, Fr. Zachary Akers, FSSP ’05, chaplain for the FSSP Latin Mass community in Miami, Florida. 3
SOCIAL NETWORK
Emma (née Fritcher) Kenney ’07 and husband, Andrew, welcomed baby Agatha Mary on April 25, 2024. 4
Ben Hatke ’00 recently circumnavigated the globe by walking out the eastern door of his kitchen and never stopping until he reached the western door of his kitchen (thus completing his circumnavigation in his own house!) He is currently working on a graphic novel documenting the experience. Flatearthers, look out! 5
Beth (née Fettes) ’09 and Michael Collins ’07 welcomed Eileen Therese on December 22, 2024. 6
2010–15
Rebecca Martin ’15 released her debut novel, Love in the Eternal City: A Swiss Guard Romance from Chrism Press in August, 2024. A sweet but not-too-fluffy
rom-com, it’s a little bit of an homage to her experience of Rome through Christendom’s Semester in Rome. Available for purchase from Amazon, Bookshop.org, and Chrism Press. 7
Tim ’14 and Kinsey (née Benz) Johnston ’16 welcomed their second child, Liam Brendan, on August 22, 2024. His middle name is in honor of Dr. Brendan McGuire. 8
Requiescat in Pace
James Ringer Jr. '95
Sr. Mary Joseph Heisler M.A. '03
Patricia Mitchell M.A. '06
Ruth O'Neill M.A. '01
Conor ’14 and Elizabeth O'Donnell welcomed their 2nd child, John Paul Joseph, on January 13, 2025. 9
Caroline (née Deucher) Rodriguez ’12 and husband, Saulo, welcomed Genevieve Leilani Eloise on February 6, 2025. 10
Katie (née McCoy) ’14 and Dominic Gergen welcomed Roland Savio on December 10, 2024. 11
Katie Brizek ’15 and Mary Tillotson (wife of Luke Tillotson ’13) launched their brand-new podcast, Female He Created Them. The podcast is an exploration of texts on the concept of woman within the Church's tradition and provides a theological and philosophical analysis in light of the Church's holistic teaching on the dignity of the human person as imago dei. You can find FHCT on Substack, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
2016-19
Robert and Abigail Gripshover, both ’17, welcomed their second child, "Essie," Esther Caeli on May 31, 2023. She is pictured with big sister, Stella (6). 12
Sarah Greydanus ’16 published her third book, The Living Fiddle, a fantasy novel inspired by the Grimm fairy tale "Sweetheart Roland." Along with her two previous books, it is available from Amazon KDP. 13
Laura (née Cermak) Kumar ’19 and husband, Danny, welcomed Mary Margaret Teresa on January 26, 2025. 14
Peggy (née Daly) Snee ’18 and husband, David, welcomed their third son, John Lawrence Snee, on January 28, 2025. 15
Annie (née Golden) Barling ’19 and husband, Jake, welcomed first child, Alexander, on December 14, 2024. 16
Lisa (née Foos) Ruf ’19 and husband Christian welcomed Dionysius Pius Ruf on October 30, 2024. Bellamarie and Callixtus are thrilled to have a baby brother. 17
Kylie (née Feiring) Olohan ’18 and husband Tom welcomed Raphael Joseph on June 12, 2024. 18
Johanna (née Burke) Mark ’19 and husband, Matthew, were married on November 23, 2024 at St. Joseph Parish in Danville, Pennsylvania. 19
Colleen (née McCrum) ’17 and Cameron DeLaFleur ’17 welcomed Levin Joseph, on October 26, 2024. 20
Emily (née Brown) ’19 and Patrick Meier ’19 welcomed their second child, Thomas, on September 3, 2024. Ella loves being a big sister. 21
Stacie (née Wimmer) ’17 and Jacob Hiserman ’16 welcomed their third son, Dominic Xavier Hiserman, on November 5, 2024. 22
Eliana (née Nurenberg) ’20 and Zachary Doll ’18 welcomed their 3rd child, Nicholas Augustine, on November 24, 2024. 23
2020’s
Erin (née Ginter) ’22 and Ben Marsh ’19 were married on May 26, 2024, in Christ the King Chapel. 24
Karla Martinez ’24, now Maria Mater Viventium (Mary Mother of the Living), received her novice religious habit on November 21, 2024, from the Institute Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará. 25
Lauren and Parker Feiring ’20 were married on November 22, 2024, in Beaufort, South Carolina. 26
Monica Kaul ’20 and Jack Schwartz were married on November 9, 2024 at St. Francis Catholic Church in Wichita, Kansas. 27
Bridget (née Schneider) ’21 and Anthony Storey ’20 welcomed Albert Anthony on January 5, 2025. 28
Katelyn (née Stafki) ’26 and Anthony Piazza ’26 were married on January 25, 2025 at Sacred Heart Church in Flensburg, Minnesota. 29
Elizabeth (née Eller) ’21 and Peter Santorum ’21welcomed their second baby, Lucia Thérèse, just in time for the new year on December 31, 2024. 30
Mary (née McDonough) ’23 and John Pelczar ’23 welcomed Robert James Pelczar on January 29, 2025. 31
Dori (née Dewey) ’24 and Jack Hofbauer ’22 were married on August 17, 2024, at the Christ the King Chapel. 32
Jillian (née Jenkins) ’21 and Caleb Heffern ’22 welcomed twin girls, Maria and Cecilia Heffern, on October 30, 2024. The twins join two older brothers, William and James. 33
Angela (née Goddard) ’21 and Caleb Wilson ’21 welcomed their second child, Francis Michael, on December 14, 2024. 34
Lilliana (née Johnson) ’22 and Stephen Simpson ’24 were married on February 15, 2025, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Lake Charles, Louisiana. 35
Anna (née Stachyra) ‘24 and John David Lane ‘22 welcomed their daughter, Magdalena Rose Lane, on October 1, 2024. 36
Colette (née Hazinski) ’20 and Spencer Gregoire were married on December 28, 2024, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 37
Lucie (née Lagarde) ‘22 and Thomas Dunphy ‘22 welcomed their son, Brendan Joseph, on October 11, 2024. 38
Compiled by the Alumni Relations Office.
OMNIA IN CHRISTO
THE MEANING AND PURPOSE OF MUSIC
BY DR. KURT POTERACK
How should we understand the meaning and purpose of music? In an essay in The Routledge Companion to Aesthetics, three views on music and meaning are described by Mark DeBellis, professor of music and philosophy at Columbia University. The first view is what is often called, “Expressionism.” This is the position that music is about the expression of emotion. It is the view instinctively held by most ordinary people today. It comes naturally to most contemporary folk and, due to its current majoritarian status, deserves respectful consideration. It is definitely onto something but is, in my opinion, ultimately inadequate to the task of explaining all music (let alone all of even any one piece of music) and is, in fact, historically time-bound. We happen to live in an era in Western Civilization in which this view has predominated for the past 300-400 years.
A second and related view, “Referentialism,” holds that the point of music is to refer to nonmusical things, including emotions. The difference between this view and that of expressionism is that in referentialism, music does not arouse emotion, while expressionism holds that music does indeed arouse emotions. Thus, the expressionist would say that a particular piece of music makes him feel sad, while the referentialist would say, in Platonic fashion, that a piece of music imitates or “mimics” sadness. In other words, the listener understands the musical reference to sadness, but he doesn’t necessarily feel sad. Now it is possible that these two positions could be combined and that a piece of music could be said to both mimic and arouse sadness – or any other emotion.
This “mimetic” view was most famously expressed by both Plato and Aristotle and enjoyed a major revival among 16th century Renaissance humanists. In fact, it had a major influence on
Western music after about the year 1600, ultimately leading to the creation of a new genre of music in the West (opera), and changed the way composers, performers, and listeners conceived of music in Western culture. This view of music is quite different from the Medieval view which, arguably, gets revived in nineteenth century aesthetics under the term “formalism.”
The term “formalism” is largely associated with the Viennese music critic Eduard Hanslick, who is known for his caustic criticisms of Richard Wagner’s music dramas. According to Mark DeBellis, formalism “focuses on the cognitive grasp of musical properties and relationships such as repetition and contrast, formal structure (sonata, rondo, ABA form), motivic relationships, harmonic structure, and so on.” Music professors, understandably, especially composers, theorists and musicologists, automatically gravitate to this point of view, while some of the general population can find this approach to music overly “formal,” “unpoetic,” lacking in feeling, even heartless. However, Hanslick’s formalism, if not Thomistic, at least can be reconciled with Medieval Thomistic thought.
Taken from the college’s motto, “Instaurare Omnia in Christo,” this section features an essay or excerpt from a recent paper or talk by one of Christendom’s distinguished faculty.
As St. Augustine wrote many centuries earlier, “Musica est scientia bene modulandi,” that is, “Music is the art of good measurement” – i.e., the putting together of proportioned pitches and rhythms. St. Augustine, along with Boethius and others, are responsible for what becomes the Medieval proto-formalist view of music. To the Medievals, music was not about human drama or rhetoric (as with Plato and Aristotle); it was more about a reflection of the divine ordering of creation, as in Boethius’ Music of the Spheres. Music, to the Medieval thinker, could in its ordering be beautiful, which might stir up an emotion of delight. However, that was secondary. The purpose of the music was not meant to stir up any emotion – whether delight or something else.
After taking all of this into account, I propose that the meaning of music and its purpose be understood as follows: “The art of the beautiful combination of pitches and rhythms into comprehensible forms as they move virtually through time. Music can be allied with explicitly storytelling arts such as poetry in the form of song, and drama in the form of opera. It can, and has been, associated with the art of dance which has a similar nature (i.e., there is some sort of movement in each art form). Music can even be bent into a more dramatic shape meant to induce strong emotions aside from the assistance of the storytelling arts. However, music always must make sense according to its own inner musical logic and nature (its form) – or else it is not music.” With this understanding, the true meaning of music is inextricably related to order and beauty, signs of God’s own beautiful ordering of His creation.
currently serves as the director for the Christendom College Choir and Schola Gregoriana.
Dr. Kurt Poterack
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JUNE 7, 2025
Conference with Optional 3-Day VIP Experience
Explore the wonders of sacred music, literature, theology, and philosophy with renowned experts. Together let us rediscover beauty and its salvific power.
Including a performance of the acclaimed Mass of the Americas at Holy Mass in Christ the King Chapel.
134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630
FEATURING JAMES MATTHEW WILSON, DALE AHLQUIST, MSGR. CHARLES POPE, FRANK LA ROCCA, GEORGE HARNE, AND MORE
