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The The Christendom Christendom College College Update Update Instaurare (vt. to restore, strengthen, renew)
June 2003 Volume XI, Number II
an American Hero INSIDE THIS ISSUE... Recognizingpages 4-5 2003 President’s Charge – page 2
New Library Update page 7
Christendom Travels to Rome page 8
NDGS Patronal Feast – page 3 Hasson Defends Religious Freedom – page 6 Why Politics Matters to Kate O’Beirne – page 6 The Cause for a Virginia-Born Saint – page 7
College Graduates Largest Class in Twenty-Five Year History US Senator Rick Santorum and Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ, Honored at Commencement
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On May 17, Christendom College conferred 73 Bachelor of Arts and three Associate of Arts degrees on its graduating class of 2003. Joining the College for Commencement weekend were Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa) and Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ.
United States Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.)
Double Graduation for Candice and Amber Meza.
“Christendom College was honored to welcome both Cardinal Dulles and Senator Santorum to our campus for Commencement Weekend,” said President Timothy O’Donnell. “We all very much enjoyed spending time with these two distinguished guests. The wisdom and experience they so generously shared with the Class of 2003 will be long remembered by everyone privileged to
College Honors One Man Who Made a Difference
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In a show of affection and gratitude for the great good he has done, Christendom faculty, alumni, board members, and friends gathered on May 4 in the St. Lawrence Commons to honor College founder Warren H. Carroll. Chef Ron Steckman provided the excellent dinner, and alum-
nus Joseph Stuart ’81, the entertainment, acting as Master of Ceremonies with grace and dry wit. Many church and other public notables and college alumni not able to be present sent their appreciations and congratulations. Several of these were read during the program, including the following from Maria (Gaetano) O’Brien ’02: “I am who I am in
many ways because of my time at Christendom. From the spiritual opportunities and the incredible classes to the amazing friendships made during my time at Christendom, I have gained far more than I ever dreamed possible. I only hope that somehow in this life I will be able to give back a tenth of what I have received.”
have heard them.” An author and lecturer of internationally renown, Cardinal Dulles has written over 650 articles and has published 21 books on theological topics. He was made a Cardinal of the Catholic Church on February 21, 2001, by Pope John Paul II, thereby becoming the first American theologian named to the College of Cardinals. He is currently a consultor to the Committee on Doctrine of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and an associate fellow of the
see GRADUATION, page 4
Nellie Gray (March for Life) (left) speaks with Board member Joan Janaro and her husband Walter at the Appreciation Dinner on May 4.
As the very enjoyable evening drew to a close, Dr. Timothy O’Donnell presented a beautiful pocket watch to Dr. Carroll. On it was inscribed the phrase, “One man can make a difference.” Dr. Carroll’s own words thus became a most fitting tribute to him.
Dr. O’Donnell reads the inscription on the pocket watch: One man can make a difference.
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President’s Charge to Graduates of 2003
G.K. Chesterton once said, “The one perfectly divine thing, the one glimpse of God’s paradise given on earth is to fight a losing battle, and not lose it.” I think that sometimes we forget that we are involved in this life in a great war. This war is waged against three principal enemies identified in Catholic Tradition as the world, the flesh, and the devil. Your four years at this College have helped you to prepare for this battle and to go forth to become a leaven in our troubled society.
less. Courage must flow from a quiet strength and a reserve, which has its source in your union with Christ; your union with Christ in your soul and in the Church. Remember, your goal is not always to win an argument but to win a brother or sister for Christ, to be an instrument to bring them to the greatest, most beautiful thing in existence: Truth, in the person of the Lord Jesus. This is how you will fulfill your mission to restore all things in Christ.
A priest friend of mine up in New York City, several months after 9-11 related that while he was riding on a train he struck up a conversation with a college freshman concerning the police and firemen who went into the Twin Towers that day. The student in the course of the conversation said, “Those people must have been sick.” The priest asked him, “What do you mean?” And the student said, “You know, to go in there knowing that you’re probably going to die.” Now this poor young man had been taught evidently that there is nothing worth dying for, and consequently, as the priest observed sadly, Timothy T. O’Donnell, STD, KCeHS that there’s really nothing worth living for.
There’s a famous story about the British forces fleeing Dunkirk. As the last ship full of soldiers was pulling away, the Germans zeroed in on that ship and struck it a mortal blow. Most of the troops were below deck and were trapped. One could hear the agonizing screams of the sailors rising up through the broken hull as the ship took on water and started to go down. Those on deck jumped into lifeboats near at hand, others simply jumped into the sea, for the men below were trapped and the boat was going down and there was really nothing that could be done. On the deck were three chaplains who heard those cries of despair. They turned their backs on the lifeboats, saying: “We belong with those men.” And through a narrow crack they forced themselves down into the darkness of that sinking vessel, and, amazingly, in the time left those cries of despair were transformed by those three chaplains’ faith, courage and love into prayers as those men prepared to see the face of Christ.
On the day the terrorists hit the World Trade Center there was a panic in the subway below as many of you remember. People staggered out of the cars in the bowels of the city literally blinded by smoke, by dust, unable to find their way. A famous story is told that in that chaos one man cried out over the din and confusion. He got the passengers to line up one by one and led each person down there to safety that day. When they reached the upper air and safety they marveled at this man they had seen many times. Many whispered a prayer of gratitude to God as they recognized his white cane and the dog that was always with him, daily on the subway. These individuals came to a new vision of things. A woman once asked Helen Keller, “Is there anything worse than not having sight?” and she responded: “Oh yes. It would be much worse to have your sight, but not to have vision.” All of you today, each and every single one of you have been given vision, or rather, the vision, by embracing the supernatural truth of our Catholic Faith, and the natural truth of sound reason. During your time here you have developed a Catholic vision of things. You are called therefore to be leaders in our world. Aristotle, who St. Thomas calls the philosopher, emphasizes three essential elements in leadership: logos, pathos and ethos. Ethos refers to the integrity of your moral character, and in the Christian context, to your holiness of life. From that bedrock flows pathos, understood as the ability to move the people God puts into your lives. Again in the Christian context this is achieved by communicating the overwhelming beauty of the mysteries of our Faith. Lastly we come to logos, the solid, intellectual reasons for why we believe as we do. As St. Peter says in his first epistle: “Being always ready to give a reason for the hope that is within you.” (I Pet. 3:15) Our Holy Father cried out the night he was elected: “Non abbiata paura,” “Be not afraid.” You have Christ and therefore you have hope, a hope which the world does not know and cannot give. Have courage! As our Lord told all of us during the great storm on the lake, “Take courage, it is I.” And courage is a great word. Its root reminds us to act with the heart and to be brave and noble, as our great Pope has shown all of us. But at the same time remember, as St. Thomas tells us, that virtue lies in the middle, being neither deficient nor excessive in its reach but balanced and reasonable, in the full sense and strength of that word. There can be a temptation at times in youthful idealism to arrogant boasting. Remember that courage ceases to be a virtue if it overreaches itself, it can easily become rash and unnecessarily reck-
You have the vision! The vision which assures you that these chaplains were not sick. There will be numerous opportunities in your lives to be men and women of vision and of courage, perhaps as parents, teachers, priests, religious, whatever God in His providential design calls you to be. As St. Paul wrote to his beloved Timothy, “The Spirit God has given us is no cowardly spirit. Therefore never, never be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord.” (I Tim. 1:7) During an incredible moment at World Youth Day in Toronto, our great Holy Father said: “Although I have lived through much darkness, I have seen enough evidence to be unshakably convinced that no difficulty, no fear is so great that it can completely suffocate the hope that springs eternal in the hearts of the young. Do not let that hope die. Stake your lives on it. We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures, we are the sum of the Father’s love for us, and our real capacity to become the image of His Son.” The question before us is how do you maintain the vision, the courage, and the hope amidst the trials of life and the assault of our threefold enemy: the world, the flesh, and the devil? It has been mentioned throughout the talks today. Once again, we do so by staying close to Christ who is referred to in the beautiful Litany of the Sacred Heart as: “the abyss of all virtues.” He is the source of the living water. As J.R.R. Tolkien wrote to his son: Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament . . . There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth, and more than that: Death, by the divine paradox, that which ends life, and demands the surrender of all, and yet by the taste (or foretaste) of which alone can what you seek in your earthly relationships (love, faithfulness, joy) be maintained, or take on that complexion of reality, of eternal endurance, which every man’s heart desires. Remember as you go forth, there is no evil or challenge that you can face that Christ Himself has not faced. He is with us still, and He bids us to fear not, for He has overcome the world. “The one perfectly divine thing, the one glimpse of God’s paradise given on earth is to fight a losing battle and not lose it.” Good Friday taught us the truth of that statement. The victory is yours to share in. You can triumph over the world of the flesh and the devil, with Christ in your heart, with Christ at the helm of your ship.
My charge to you this day: follow the vision of hope and the true courage which you have been given at home and at this College. Take hold of the victory set before you in the great battle of life. In the words of St. Peter Chrysologos: “Do not forfeit what divine authority confers on you. Put on the garment of holiness. Gird yourself October 14 - October 21, 2003 with the belt of chastity. Let Christ be your guide. Let the cross Guided by Dr. & Mrs. Timothy O’Donnell and Chaplain Fr. John Heisler on your forehead be your unfailing protection. Your breastplate should be the knowledge of God that He Himself has given While in Rome, the Christendom pilgrims will celebrate with the entire Church: to you. Keep burning continually the sweet smelling incense of prayer. Take up the sword of the Spirit. Let your heart be The Beatification of Mother Teresa (Oct. 19) an altar. Then with full confidence in God present your body for the sacrifice. God desires not death, but faith. God thirsts The 25th Anniversary of the Election of John Paul II to Papacy and not for blood, but for self surrender. God is appeased not by the close of the Year of the Rosary (Oct. 16) slaughter, but by the offering of your free will.”
Christendom College Pilgrimage to Rome
$2490.00 Price includes: airfare, transfers, hotel accommodations, breakfast and dinner daily, all local transportation, all entrance fees (including the Catacombs, Basilicas, Colosseum, & more...) Daily Mass and Rosary ~ Tickets to Papal Events Optional excursion to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary, Pompeii Contact Christina Lundberg at 800-877-5456 ext. 211 for more information on this trip.
In imitation of our Lord and His courageous Vicar on earth, show the Catholic vision of true courage and one glorious and endless day you will reign with Him in that kingdom, “which alone yieldeth the true glory.”
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College Celebrates Notre Dame Graduate School’s Patronal Feast
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Many friends and benefactors joined faculty and staff to celebrate the Patronal Feast of the College’s Notre Dame Graduate School (NDGS) on March 9, 2003. (The actual feast day of the Graduate School is March 25th, the Feast of the Annunciation.) Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Bergan generously hosted the event at the Washington Golf and Country Club in Arlington, VA, and Rev. William Saunders, first Dean of NDGS, gave the keynote address. Fr. Saunders is Pastor of the twoyear old Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls, VA. Before entering the seminary, he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. In 1984, Fr. Saunders graduated from St. Charles Seminary with a Master of Arts in Sacred Theology, summa cum laude, and was ordained to the Holy priesthood on May 12, 1984. During his priesthood, Fr. Saunders pursued studies at Catholic University, receiving a Doctor of Philosophy in Education Administration in 1992.
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He spoke about the ten years he has given to the Graduate School of Christendom. “When [the late] Bishop Keating asked me to take over as president of the then-Notre Dame Institute (NDI) in May 1992, I remember him telling me that it would take very little of my time, only around one or two hours a week. So I agreed to do it. But it wasn’t until later that I found out that the Institute had no money and that I would be responsible for finding a new location for the Institute!” Fr. Saunders did all that he could to make NDI a viaNDGS Dean Dr. Kristin P. Burns (pictured above blowing out her birthday ble catechetical institute. candle) and Fr. William Saunders both had birthdays on March 9. By the grace of God, and and brought him a check for $40,000, as the final paythrough the financial support of many ment on the large debt the graduate school owed to the friends, the NDI was accredited by diocese. “Bishop Keating said to me, ‘Bill, I didn’t think the Southern Association of Colleges you’d be able to do this,’” Fr. Saunders recalled. “I said, and Schools (SACS) in 1994. Just a ‘Why didn’t you tell me this in the beginning?’” year earlier, Fr. Saunders had found an empty convent in Alexandria, After reminiscing about its history, Fr. Saunders went on VA, which was deemed an excelto talk about the great need for NDGS. He attributes lent and affordable location for the rampant immorality in today’s culture – abortion, the Institute. contraception, in vitro fertilization, clonging – in large part to the ignorance of many of the Catholic faithful in In 1997, when NDI merged with Christendom College our country, an ignorance NDGS exists to combat. Fr. Saunders’ title changed from president of NDI to dean of the NDGS. “When America is supposedly 80% Christian, with 20% of those Christians being Catholics, there should be more Before the merger, Fr. Saunders met with Bishop Keating opposition given to these topics. But many people are uneducated in the Truth; uneducated in the teachings of Catholic philosophy and theology. Because of this, the graduates of the Notre Dame Graduate School are Titled, A Slayin’ in the South, this year’s performance much needed today,” said Fr. Saunders. was the best yet. Directed by alumna Katie Krieger, the popular Mystery Dinner Theater raised over $5,000 in NDGS graduates are making a difference in society two performances. today, said Fr. Saunders. Many of the graduates have gone on to parish work as Directors of Religious Education, some even reaching the highest level and working as Directors of Catechetics for various dioceses. Others have joined the priesthood and religious life, while some have gone on to work as religion teachers at Catholic schools.
Mystery Dinner Theater: A Slayin’ in the South Christendom students directed and performed in their Third Annual Mystery Dinner Theater at the beginning of March. Proceeds benefitted the student activities fund.
“The Catholic Church needs a faithful graduate program like the one offered at the Notre Dame Graduate School. The Catholic Church needs our graduates,” concluded Fr. Saunders. Quinn Beekwilder, DJ Corey, and Zach Akers immerse themselves in their roles.
Jaime Berger and Niall O’Donnell give winning comedic performances during the Annual Mystery Dinner Theater.
St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations 2003
Professor William Fahey Writes About Fr. McNabb Dr. William Fahey, Chairman of the Classical & Early Christian Studies Department, recently published two works on Fr. Vincent McNabb, O.P. Fr. McNabb was the confessor and friend of Catholic authors G.K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc. The first work, titled “Georgic Sage of the Chestertonian Age,” appears in The St. Austin Review, vol. 3, no. 3. The second is an introduction to the new edition of Fr. McNabb’s The Church and the Land, recently published by IHS Press, a publishing house devoted to the social teaching of the Catholic Church. Additionally, Dr. Fahey will be lecturing in Michigan, Bavaria, and England over the summer holiday. Professor Raymund O’Herron belts out his now famous rendition of the Irish classic, Four Green Fields.
Freshman Allison Miller plays gracefully during Christendom’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
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GRADUATION...
from Page 1 Woodstock Theological Center in Washington, DC. On Saturday morning, Cardinal Dulles was celebrant and homilist for the Baccalaureate Mass in the Chapel of Christ the King. His Eminence spoke on Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It was an especially fitting topic, as these words appear in the College’s logo.
latter into two parts: the first ending in 1960 with the receipt of his doctorate in theology and the start of his teaching; the second continuing into the present day.”
Commenting on the Second Vatican Council, Cardinal Dulles said that he “had no difficulty accepting the teaching of the Council, which seemed to be legitimate and even necessary.” But he went on to explain that he does believe that there was a certain flaw, or as he put it, “an Achilles heel,” in the Council documents. “Out of a desire to please all parties, the Fathers were reluctant to reject or condemn anything or anyone. Thus the documents were left vague and open-ended, so that liberal reformers were later able to put a progressive spin on them, following what they saw as the spirit of the Graduate Molly Becker list Council. Whenever the Holy See has tried Santorum’s emotional stor who wasn’t aborted due to to restrain these exaggerated interpretations, it has been attacked as reactionary. But we must thank God that his popes have not allowed the substance of Catholicism to be eroded by irresponsible innovations,” said Cardinal Dulles.
“Treasure the fact that you have been given a Catholic education in which the truth of revelation was not severed from the truth of the human sciences,” exhorted Cardinal Dulles. “There are many rivers of truth, but in the end they merge into one undivided Young Master Peter McGuire, brother of graduating twins Daniel stream. When the perennial ques- and Brendan, leads the graduation tions are seriously asked, Christ can ceremony playing the pipes. be recognized as the encompassing Next to the rostrum was United States Senatruth. Truth in the end turns out to be a Pertor Rick Santorum, recipient of Christendom College’s Pro Deo son, a person whom we encounter both in the et Patria Medal for Distinguished Service to God and Country. proclamation of the Gospel and in the ministry Senator Santorum has served as one of Pennsylvania’s United of the sacraments.” States Senators since January 1995. He was elected in 2003 to a second term He concluded by saying that “at as Republican Conference Chairman, Christendom College you have... the party’s third ranking position in the learned to love the Eucharist. Take Senate. He is the youngest member of that love with you wherever you the leadership and the first Pennsylvago. The more your life is centered nian to hold such a prominent position on this sacrament of sacraments, in nearly 30 years. the more energized will it be in all its dimensions. Neither death The Senator’s most recent legislative nor life nor anything under heaven victory is the passage of the Partialwill be able to separate you from Laura Henderson receives her B.A. in Political Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, a bill Mike Blum and John Paul Him who is the Way, the Truth, Science and Economics. that marks a significant milestone in Wonderboy Paul Jalsevac with Dr. Timothy the effort to build a more compassionate society and a culture O’Donnell. Jalsevac, who served as Student and the Life.” Body President, will be attending Ave Maria that values every human life. School of Law this fall. After lunch began the Commencement Exercises. Christopher Lane, from Fishkill, NY, Dr. O’Donnell’s introduction of Senator Santorum was interrupted on three different delivered the Salutatory Address to his fellow classmates. In it, he spoke of the important occasions by the applause and standing ovations of an role the Mass and the Sacraments should play in their lives. enthusiastic audience. In his address, Santorum spoke about the recent controversy over statements about ho“It is the Mass that gives life and meaning to all of our studies, to all of our apostolic efforts, mosexuality that he had made in an interview. to all of our festivity, to all of the deep friend“Virtue is a word fraught with controversy ships we have made in today,” he said, referring to his interview our time here, to our which was distorted by activists both within whole earthly life, and and outside the press. “I tried to articulate to the death that will the nature of marriage, the good of marriage, mark our entrance into but making a defense of marriage is often eternity.” characterized as hate speech these days. He remarked that in a world which denies both the existence of objective truth and the historical reality of the Incarnation, the “Mass is a sign of contradiction, for it is there that we, united as one Body, attest that God has truly become Man, and that bread has truly become changed into His Flesh.”
“We need to summon the moral strength to create a civilization of peace and justice, and of course, of love,” he said. “This is where you come in. I believe of all the great gifts President Timothy O’Donnell emb God has given to the young, the greatest of son, Niall, as he gives him his dipl these are energy, idealism, and rebelliousChristopher Lane, Salutatorian ness. I want to challenge each and every one of you to be a radical, to be He concluded by exhorting his classmates to rally around the a rebel, to rebel against the popular culture. Your task will not be an easy Eucharist, for it is only through “this sign of one. You must overcome the temptation of silence.” contradiction that we can find consolation and joy, for Our Lord has told us, ‘Come to Santorum told the me, all you who labor, and are burdened, and graduates that as rebels I will refresh you.’” against modern culture, they may not be called After the salutatory address, Christendom by God to be successCollege President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell ful, but are called to be bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Humane faithful. He illustrated Letters on Cardinal Dulles. His Eminence his point with a story. again addressed the Class of 2003. Back in 1998, when “Let me congratulate all of you, my classmates, former President Bill who are receiving degrees today. I especially Clinton had vetoed the felicitate those who have earned their degrees,” Partial-Birth Abortion he quipped. Ban, the motion to override Clinton’s veto He then spoke of his own life, which has lost by two votes. Sanspanned 84 years, and career, dividing the torum had spent much
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To conclude the ceremonies, Dr. Timothy O’Donnell gave his yearly “President’s Charge to the Graduates” (see page two of this issue). A week later, however, Santorum received In opening, he spoke of the an e-mail from a man who said he and his many different students, girlfriend had heard one of Santorum’s speeches who although quite diverse, against partial-birth abortion on television. The formed a unique bond and woman began to cry and said that she had unified class. In speaking of scheduled an abortion for the following students who made an imday. “There is now a little girl who pact on the college over the is 4 years old, who was adopted by past four years, he pointed two loving parents,” he said. “To to Paul Jalsevac and thanked this world, I failed. But God was him for showing us all “that faithful.” Dr. Timothy O’Donnell awards Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ, with miracles still do happen.” tens to Senator The conferral of degrees followed an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters on May 17, 2003. In fact, one of the surgeons y about a baby the Senator’s speech. Paul Jalsevac, from Inova Fairfax Hospital o his efforts. who had saved Paul’s life, Dr. Ronnie Benoit, Student Achievement Award winner Mike member of the class and Student Body President, received particularily susSchmitt with Senator Rick Santorum. was present, and he received a five-minute tained applause and cheers as he received his degree. Paul, referred to by many as “The standing ovation from the grateful audience. Wonderboy,” was injured in a very serious car accident in March of 2001. It was a miraculous recovery (which is still not 100% The 73 undergraduates who received B.A. decomplete) that allowed Paul to return to grees are: Matthew Akers, Stephen Akhurst, Christendom. Danielle Anderson, Megan Anderson, Fadi Auro, Michael Baron, Molly Following the conferral of degrees, Mike Becker, Jaime Berger, Michael Schmitt, from Rochester, NY, received the Blum, Dominic Bodoh, Mary Student Achievement Award from Joshua Boever, Gregory Burns, Petersen of the Alumni Association. The Elizabeth Butina, Elena award is given each year to a graduating Cardenas, Leah (Stephens) Senior who displays extraordinary enthuCoffey, Matthew Coffey, siasm for the College through involvement Heather Tansey, Megan McNeely, & Claire Jensen. Sr. Maria Corona, PCI, in school events. Amy Donahue, Kelly Drew, Susan Erwin, Theresa Fer, Daniel Fier, Theresa Ford, Fred Fraser, Meghan Brendan McGuire, from Rockaway, NY, then delivered the Gallante, Catherine Garrett, Donald Goodman, Valedictory Address. Anna Hatke, Laura Henderson, Alexandria (Thorn brugh) Hepler, Clinton Hepler, Paul Jalsevac, Joëlle Graduate Freddie Fraser takes a play“Why should lasting values tremble if transient things fall,” he Jansen, Claire Jensen, Elizabeth Kish, Ann Kugel, ful moment with fellow St. Greg’s boy questioned, quoting St. Prosper of Aquitaine. “These words reach l Schafer. Jan Kuznia, Christopher Lane, Lucia Leggio, Grant Freeman. right to the heart of what Sr. Maria Licea, PCI, Alyssa Lombardi, James Maldonado-Berry, Anne Martin, we have been engaged in at Christendom ColKathleen McGlynn, Brendan McGuire, Daniel McGuire, Michael McGuirk, lege. Guided by our beloved professors, we have Colleen McMahon, Amber Meza, Candice Meza, Anne Monette, Sean Murphy, been granted the grace of taking part in the great Andrea Nolan, Niall O’Donnell, Rebecca (Price) O’Herron, Kerri Polce, Caroline conversations that form the western tradition. In Pollock, Suzanne Quinson, Bethany Sargis, Patrick Scanlon, John Paul Schafer, an age that repudiates perennial truths Michael Schmitt, Gregory Settducati, Justin Smith, Melanie Smith, Mary Storck, of metaphysics and morality, preferring Emily Syski, Heather practical formulae for material success, Tansey, Christianne Van young men and women at Christendom Sant, Katherine Wathen, College devote themselves to wisdom Dane Weber, Sarah for its own sake. Have we thus been Webster, and Nicholas deprived of the means to lead fulfilling Wingate. lives in the modern age? In no way; we have, on the contrary, been given a Three Associate of Arts glimpse of that in which natural human degrees were conferred fulfillment consists: the contemplation on Sarah Antonio, Meof truth.” Seeing Double? Daniel and Brendan McGuire from NY are one of only five sets of twins to graduate gan McNeely, and Lori McGuire also urged his classmates from Christendom since its founding. Brendan Omann. to attend to their spiritual lives and was the Valedictorian of the class. (The texts of all of the remember all of the opportunities for braces his spiritual growth that they had received at Christendom. “We have all been above mentioned talks and Alyssa Lombardi, Theresa Fer, Joëlle Jansen, and Bethany Sargis. loma. speeches may be found on able to grow closer to Christ through the Sacraments; Eucharistic Adoration Christendom’s website - www.christendom.edu.) and contemplative prayer; the active ministries of Shield of Roses, the Legion of Mary, and sidewalk counseling at Planned Parenthood,” he said. of the night before trying to sway his fellow senators, only to realize that he could not change even one vote – a seeming failure.
“The centrality of the Liturgy in the life of the College meant that every activity, every moment of our time here, was ordained to the service of Christ our God, the Uncreated Source of all Wisdom. How blessed we have been! Why should lasting values tremble if transient things fall? Hold to what is lasting and eternal; your Christendom education has released you from being merely a child of the age,” concluded McGuire.
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Seamus Hasson Defends Religious Freedom
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Kevin “Seamus” Hasson delivered a lecture on “Religious Freedom and the Dignity of the Human Person” at Christendom College on March 3. Speaking as part of the College’s Major Speakers Program, Hasson, the founder and President of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, began by explaining that every culture has a certain philosophy, a “public philosophy.” There are certain common assumptions and principles that everyone holds true, for example, the fact that “everything is relative” or “all men are created equal.” And part of that public philosophy is the assumption that politics and religion should be separate. As a result, there tends to be a culture war over religion and its place in public life. In its ten-year history, The Becket Fund has won all 42 of the cases it has taken up. True to Pope John Paul II’s teaching that religious liberty is based on human dignity, The Becket Fund has successfully defended clients from a wide variety of faith traditions. “And why do we defend the religious freedom of people from all religious faiths?” asked Hasson, a graduate of Notre Dame Law School with a master’s degree in theology also from the University of Notre Dame. “Because no matter how profoundly disparate their beliefs, each and every person shares the same common humanity, an essential part of which is a yearning for truth, a thirst for the transcendent; and that aspect of human nature is so valuable that it deserves the strongest possible protection in law.” Hasson holds that governments at all levels should acknowledge human religious potential, avoid interference with its full expression, and actively promote
its voluntary cultivation. “In light of this conclusion, the answer to my initial question becomes clear: The Becket Fund defends the religious expression of all people, not for political advantage, and not as an evangelistic tactic, but because religious freedom is a basic human right.” He stated that the the institutional separation of church and state becomes the unworkable separation of anything religious from anything political. Thus, religious values must not inform any public moral debate. Though the state may not specifically target religion for suppression, the state remains free to act in callous disregard of it. The “neutrality” of the state may be called into question if the state accommodates religious expression. Seamus Hasson speaks with students after delivering a lecture on Religious
“The problem with this approach is anthro- Freedom at Christendom on March 3. pological: ‘neutrality’ is understood to require humans come with a built-in thirst for transcendence, the state to ignore the religious nature of humanity, to an innate desire to seek and embrace an ultimate truth pretend it does not exist, rather than to acknowledge, that lies far beyond the horizon of ourselves. Truth is accommodate, and promote it,” said Hasson. “But the knowable but it can only be embraced authentically human desire to seek the truth, and especially religious when it is embraced freely. The truth about man is that truth, cannot be overlooked, much less eliminated.” man is born to seek freely the truth about God. It is this truth that bestows on us the dignity that guarantees For much of its history, Catholic thought included the our freedom. While error may have no rights, erring notion that error has no rights, said Hasson. Today, as people truly do.” Pope John Paul II puts it, the church recognizes “religious freedom as an inviolable right of the human person.” “What happened? Has the pope become a relativist,” asked Hasson. “No, the pope has been reading Vatican II. The Council’s Declaration on Religious Freedom, Dignitatis Humanae, refused to divorce truth and freedom. Instead, it grounded freedom in a great truth: that we
Kate O’Beirne Explains Why Politics Matters
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“In 1988, our Holy Father issued his encyclical on the vocation and mission of the lay faithful. In it we were reminded that the vocation of the laity is personal sanctity. The mission of the laity is the sanctification of the world, and given the state of affairs in the world, the Pope told us ‘it is not permissible for anyone to remain idle. We are laborers in the vineyard who must work to transform the world.’ We are all called upon to evangelize popular culture.” Thus began Kate O’Beirne in her lecture on “Why Politics Matters,” delivered at Christendom College on April 7. O’Beirne is National Review’s Washington Editor, a regular on CNN’s Capital Gang, a substitute host on CNN’s Crossfire, and a featured contributor to CNN’s Inside Politics. She writes principally about Congress, politics, and domestic policy. Before joining National Review, O’Beirne was vice president of government relations at the Heritage Foundation, responsible for keeping Washington policy-makers abreast of Heritage proposals and research findings in all areas of the foundation’s study, while serving as a contributing editor for the magazine. A native of New York, O’Beirne began her political career working on James Buckley’s successful U.S. Senate campaign in 1970 and later served as his staff assistant. She also worked for the New York Senate. “A recent re-reading of the encyclical was encouraging,” said O’Beirne. “I found it ennobling. With respect to my own activities, I now realize that I am not merely arguing with thick liberals in soundbites for the benefit of people who have nothing better to do at 7pm on Saturday nights. I am actually engaging public debates – attempting to defend what’s true and just – laboring in the vineyard of the Lord!”
She spoke of a number of individuals who are making a difference in the world with their pro-life, pro-family advocacy groups. “They are not just engaging in politics – they are literally ‘keeping a watchful eye on the world’ as the Pope’s encyclical exhorted all of us to do,” she said. Quoting William F. Buckley, Jr., O’Beirne said that “you can ignore the Great Society, but the Great Society won’t ignore you.” In short, people who lose interest in government will still have one. “This is a terribly important reminder because conservatives in particular frequently denigrate the importance of politics,” continued O’Beirne. “When they hear that half of the population doesn’t vote – many of them think that this reflects sound priorities. They seem to think that the citizens who aren’t paying attention to politics are doing more important things, like running businesses, creating jobs, raising families. All very important – but who is determining what kind of business environment they will face, and most importantly, who is going to impact for good or ill the environment in which they are raising children?” She continued by explaining that everyone, including our children, is swimming in the same cultural waters. “Are we going to share a society that respects the rights of the most vulnerable among us, that respects traditional notions of right and wrong, that upholds parental prerogatives, and honors the principle of subsidiarity?” she asked. “Politics is not just a matter of who’s up and who’s down – that merely reflects a fight over power by two political parties without a dime’s worth of difference between them. The issues that will be decided through politics
include war and peace, life and death,” said O’Beirne. “Abortion policies have been so decided over the past thirty years, and now we are on the verge of the brave new world of cloning human beings. Politics will decide whether this great country will engage in the creation of human life to serve utilitarian ends.” If ever there was a definition of working to ensure the common good, it must be to join the fight to prevent human cloning. “To ensure that on our watch – and as the Holy Father reminds us – it is our watch, we don’t witness the utter collapse of our nation into a culture of death. War and peace, the very definition of life, the defense of human dignity and religious liberty – this is the stuff of politics. It is one of the tools we are obliged to use as Catholic laymen to, as the Pope reminds us, ‘transform the world,’” concluded O’Beirne.
Published quarterly by the Christendom College Development Office. Managing Editor, Layout, Design: Tom McFadden Copy Editor: Kathleen Blum Photos: Tom McFadden, Cindy Rodney, John Ciskanik Christendom College 134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630 (800) 877-5456 ~ www.christendom.edu
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INSTAURARE, June 2003
Ending the Fiscal Year 2002-2003: The Year in Review May 31 ended Christendom College’s 2002-2003 fiscal year. Each year at this time, I like to look back over the past year and inform our friends and benefactors about our financial situation. “At the dawn of this third millennium, we, the children of the Church, are called to undertake with renewed enthusiasm the journey of Christian living” (John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharista).
The Saint John the Evangelist Library as of the end of May.
Since late 2001, America has contended with human suffering from terrorist attacks, the political tremors of war, and the uncertainty of unstable financial markets. Christendom College — about to enter its twenty-seventh academic year in its “journey of Christian living” — has embraced its share of economic challenges. While The Campaign for Christendom staff and volunteers worked hard between 2000 and 2003 to conclude successfully a much-needed $12 million capital campaign, the College was confronted with a serious and continuing operations fund raising shortfall. Though campaign consultants predicted a normal measure of “deflection” of gifts away from operations and towards The Campaign for Christendom, no one could have predicted
Dr. O’Donnell Appointed Theological Expert in Sainthood Cause of Frank Parater Bishop Walter Sullivan of the Diocese of Richmond, VA, has appointed Dr. Timothy O’Donnell a theological expert for the Cause of the first Virginia-born Catholic to be nominated for recognition as a saint. Francis Joseph Parater was born in Richmond, VA, in 1897, and grew up in that city’s Church Hill neighborhood. He died in 1920 while studying in Rome to be a priest for the Richmond Diocese. In a formal decree, Bishop Sullivan declared Frank Parater to be a “Servant of God” and established a Tribunal to examine his reputation for holiness, the first step toward sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. In singling out this Catholic youth, Bishop Sullivan is recognizing the remarkable impression that Frank Parater made on so many people during his brief life. Parater died before reaching his 23rd birthday. Yet, despite his young age, he demonstrated a spiritual maturity, a dedication to lofty values, and moral leadership among his peers that captured the attention of civic and church authorities alike.
The canonization process brings special recognition to the Boy Scouts of America, with whom Frank Parater achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, and to the Knights of Columbus, with whom he was also associated. He was distinguished for leadership and for his work with youth. According to the norms enacted by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, a bishop who intends to initiate a cause is to “seek the vote of two theological censors on the published writings of the Servant of God. These censors are to report whether anything is found in these same writings contrary to faith and good morals.” O’Donnell will be joined in his role as theological censor by Reverend Brian T. Mullady, O.P., Chairman of the Department of Dogmatic Theology at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Connecticut.
Professor John Janaro Publishes New Theological Work Professor John Janaro, Christendom alumnus and Chairman of the Theology Department, recently published The Created Person and the Mystery of God: The Significance of Religion in Human Life (Bloomington, IN: 1stBooks, 2003), 256 pp. This is Prof. Janaro’s second book; his first was, Fishers of Men: Apostles of the Modern Age. The book addresses important issues in the philosophy of religion and Catholic apologetics. It presents and analyzes classical and contemporary arguments for the existence of God, the mystery of creation, the necessity of a vital relationship with God for human happiness,
and the corresponding violence of secularist culture against the human person. The book also explores the foundations of Catholic apologetics by presenting the glorious, compelling, and inescapable claim of Jesus Christ, God incarnate, the Divine answer to man’s search for meaning and purpose in life. (You are able to purchase this book at 15% off the retail price by ordering directly from the publisher’s website -$11.50 + shipping. Order from http://www.1stBooks.com/ bookview/14624)
that this deflection would impact the College just as the economy soured and just when operational funds
John F. Ciskanik
were most needed. This operational fund raising drought seemed to accelerate over three fiscal years, with the stock market falling over 33% in the same period. By February 2003, only 63% of our operations goal for the year had been achieved; nearly 90% is typically achieved by February. President O’Donnell has emphasized this particular challenge in his monthly updates. During this most recent fiscal year, Christendom had to respond to another challenge: a handful of substantial campaign pledges required either a renegotiation into the future or, in some cases, a write off. This impact has been felt most keenly at the St. John the Evangelist Library building site, but the project is going forward at a more measured pace. Finally, the College has had to resort to drawing from its first level of rainy-day reserve funds, which are at the lowest level in years. Fortunately, and as our audited annual reports indicate, Christendom still maintains a healthy balance sheet for an institution of its size. The College administration has responded vigorously to the challenges by scaling back its expenditures and sharpening its budget calculations for the upcoming fiscal year. For example, the popular annual Summer Institute, which was to focus on the pontificate of John Paul II, has been postponed until 2004. The Campaign for Christendom enabled Christendom to achieve new milestones, including a record level of student recruitment, construction of a new residence hall and library, and a strengthening of the College’s privately funded Financial Aid program. These successes make the current operational contraction no less painful, however. But things may be looking up. Even though I write this column with weeks remaining in our fourth quarter, I am pleased to report that Christendom has already realized its best operational fund raising quarter in the history of the College — a great finish to a difficult year! On behalf of the students who will benefit from your generosity to the College, I thank all of those who helped make this success possible. Again, Pope John Paul II explains how this can be: “Every commitment to holiness, every activity aimed at carrying out the Church’s mission, every work of pastoral planning, must draw the strength it needs from the Eucharistic mystery and in turn be directed to that mystery as its culmination.” (Ecclesia de Eucharista) As long as Christendom continues to pursue the path of Christian living through our educational mission, God will continue to bless us with even more faithful supporters who seek the same path. We are not out of the woods by a long shot but, being Catholic, we continue to hope. Come journey with us (and don’t forget your checkbook!).
John F. Ciskanik is Vice-President of Development, Planning & College Relations.
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INSTAURARE, June 2003
Christendom College Among Nation’s Best
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Christendom’s ranking in the 2003 edition of US News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” issue comes as no surprise, but some of the details of that ranking may. Christendom College ranks among the top Catholic colleges and universities according to the SAT range of the middle 50% of its students (1110-1350). Some of the more notable colleges topping the list with Christendom are Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Boston College.
Additionally, out of the top 40 of these Catholic colleges and universities with the highest SAT scores, Christendom has the lowest tuition/room and board, coming in at a little under $17,500. Christendom’s total cost is less than half that of Georgetown University and Boston College, and a little more than half of the University of Notre Dame’s!
Christendom Graduates Pursue Graduate Degrees
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This fall, a number of graduates will begin the higher studies for which their Christendom education is so fine a preparation. They thus join the ever-growing group of College alumni who have attained or are pursuing masters degrees or doctorates in the humanities, sciences, and the law. Raymond Hain ’02 will leave his post in the Christendom Admissions Office and go West. Hain, who earned nearly perfect scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), received a full tuition scholarship and living stipend from the Philosophy Department of the University of Notre Dame, where he will pursue his PhD. Donald Goodman ’03 also considered settling in South Bend as he made the difficult choice between offers of admission from Notre Dame Law School, where he won a significant tuition scholarship, and the College of William and Mary Law School in Virginia. As he intends to practice in Virginia, he eventually chose William and Mary. This summer he will intern with the Virginia
Christendom Spring Sports
Christendom’s Women’s Softball Team: (back from left) Cathy Angelo, Emily Rose, Trish Metzger, Alyssa Lombardi, Dawnmarie Pecoraro, Jessica Ciesla; (front from left) Cara Whitaker, Elizabeth Henderson, Sharon Scanlon, Ashley Filiault, and Coach Nancy (Lee) Bauer.
Attorney General’s Office in preparation for the legal studies on which he will embark in August. Several other members of the Class of 2003 also plan to become attorneys. Justin Smith won Oklahoma City University Law School’s Hatton W. Sumners Scolarship, which includes tuition, books, fees, and a $5000 per year living stipend. Smith will concentrate in constitutional law. Paul Jalsevac will join twelve Christendom alumni already studying there when he enters Ave Maria Law School this fall. And Laura Henderson has chosen to attend the Catholic University of America School of Law. This interesting and engaged class produced many scholars. Fred Fraser, who spent last summer in Fr. Reginald Foster’s peripatetic Latin course in Rome, will begin graduate work in Classics at the University of Dallas. Dan Fier enrolls in the University of Minnesota’s School of Engineering this fall. Finally, proving himself his father’s son, Niall O’Donnell heads for Rome; there he will begin work towards a Licentiate in Social
Sophomore Tim Storey from Kirkland, WA, crushes a double to left center field in a late inning rally to tie the game. Storey has played on the Men’s Baseball team for the past two seasons.
Communications at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce. Expect to hear more of this class next year, as some other of its members mean to begin graduate studies after a year of work.
Christendom Group Makes Pilgrimage to Rome; Meets Pope and Dignitaries
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Members of the Christendom College community made a nine-day Lenten pilgrimage to Rome at the end of March. Led by College President Timothy O’Donnell, the group stayed just minutes from Vatican City at the College’s Rome Campus, where 25 Christendom juniors were already in residence for the semester. It was a trip full of glorious moments, but the high point certainly was a meeting with His Holiness Pope John Paul II.
“He is truly a beautiful man, and holiness just radiates from him,” said Lori Omann, a Christendom College student who received her Associate of Arts this May. “To be able to see the Vicar of Christ on earth from only a few feet away was such an enormous blessing and honor. Several in our group were able to greet him and kiss his ring. It was very emotional, a feeling that words cannot express.”
Additionally, the group had audiences with J. Francis Cardinal Stafford, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and Jan Cardinal Schotte, Secretary General to the World Synod of Bishops. They attended a Mass celebrated by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, at which His Eminence expressed a warm welcome to Christendom College. Dr. and Mrs. O’Donnell will lead another pilgrimage to Rome from Oct. 14-21. This trip will include attendance at the beatification of Mother Teresa on Oct. 19, and at the 25th Anniversary of the election of John Paul II as pope and the closing of the Year of the Rosary, both on Oct. 16. See the advertisement on page 2 of this issue of Instaurare for more information.
College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell extends greetings on behalf of Christendom College to the Holy Father on March 28, 2003.
Dr. O’Donnell, J. Francis Cardinal Stafford, Fr. Anthony Mastroeni (Director of Rome Program) and VP for Development John Ciskanik.