NSTAURARE
The Christendom College Update Instaurare (vt. to restore, strengthen, renew)
September 2003 Volume XI, Number III
INSIDE THIS ISSUE . . . The Mysteries of Light – page 2
High School Summer Program page 3
Library Project Overview page 4
Trip to Cameroon page 7
Cultural Traditions at Christendom – page 3 Dr. Cuddeback’s New Book – page 6 Financial Update – page 7 Alumni Give Anniversary Gift to College – page 8
Tenth Consecutive Record Enrollment at College
Students and faculty anticipate events and challenges during 2003-04 year
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Christendom College began its 27th academic year on August 24, with its tenth record enrollment in as many years. Undergraduate enrollment has grown astonishingly from 140 in 1993 to the current 370.
College President Timothy O’Donnell kneels at the Communion rail in Christendom’s Chapel of Christ the King as he leads his fellow faculty members in reciting the Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium. Bishop Paul Loverde celebrated the Mass and accepted the Oath on behalf of the Church.
Among the number of new students are several children of alumni (Monica Briggs, Thomas Hambleton, Clare O’Reilly, and Bryan Scrivener) and approximately 30 siblings of returning students. Also swelling the freshmen ranks are a number who attended last year’s High School Summer Program and are happy to be back in the Shenandoah Valley. The year to come for this promising class and the upperclassmen is full of the enlivening, the edifying, and the inspiring. A few highlights follow. Last year’s graduation ceremony, which honored Senator Rick Santorum, Avery Cardinal Dulles, SJ,
and the College’s largest-ever graduating class, cast a happy glow that extended even into the beginning of this year. The closing ceremonies of last year and the opening of this were equally joyful. As has been his custom, His Excellency Paul S. Loverde, Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, kindly visited the College to celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit and preside over the Christendom faculty’s oath of fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium. The celebration, festivity and business of opening weekend over, those students on campus began to settle into a routine as classes began on August 26. The group of juniors anticipating departure for the Christendom Semester in Rome Program had to wait another month for the beginning of their academic ventures. There has see TWENTY-SEVENTH, page 4
Notre Dame Graduate School Sends Forth Sixteen Graduates
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Sixteen students from Christendom’s Graduate School received their Master of Arts in Theological Studies degrees on Saturday, August 2, in a beautiful ceremony in the Chapel of Christ the King on the Front Royal campus. Like the NDGS student body as a whole, this year’s graduates come from near and far and represent a variety of careers and backgrounds. Californian Joseph Arias has worked as a catechist and substitute teacher in the parish school at Queen of Apostles in Alexandria, VA, while studying at NDGS. He hopes to continue studying in theology and philosophy for a doctorate in preparation for a teaching career. James Atkinson is a high school teacher at Tempe Preparatory Academy in Tempe, AZ. He teaches physics and a special English course that includes philosophy, theology, and Scripture studies. He also has plans for further study in Scripture and hopes for a career as a
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college professor. Geovani Flores, a native of El Salvador, is a Network Senior Specialist at US Inspect. He is very active in the Arlington Diocese Spanish Apostolate, where he teaches theology and directs the seven Spanish Leadership Schools in the diocese. He also plans on further philosophy and theology studies, and hopes for work in academia. Richard Gill is a retired Chief Warrant Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard. He is married with 5 children and 7 grandchildren, and is a long-time parish catechist who works with and teaches troubled youth at the Prince William County Group Home for Boys and Girls. Sister Mary Joseph Heisler is a Carmelite Sister of the Divine Heart of Jesus in St.
Louis, MO. For most of the years she was attending the NDGS Summer Program, Sr. Mary Joseph lived in Holland, where she was Novice Mistress and Vocations see NDGS GRADUATION, page 6
NDGS Class of 2003. Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 6445 Merrifield, VA 22081
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Shedding New Light on the Mysteries of the Rosary
Our Holy Father Pope John Paul II has given us a great gift in proclaiming this year to be the Year of the Rosary. The rosary has always been the Pope’s favorite prayer, after the Mass. His beautiful document, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, issued on October 16, 2002, the 24th anniversary of his pontificate, sets forth in a most profound way the Christological dimensions of this Marian prayer. The Holy Father invites us, “to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ,” and to focus on the beauty of His face, and the depth of His love. The Pope teaches us that Christ reveals His love to us in His life, passion and death, and in a special way this can be found in the beautiful, traditional prayer of the rosary. It is so important to remember that when we find Mary she always takes us to her Son Jesus. “When the Mother is honored, the Son... is duly known, loved and glorified.” (Lumen Gentium, #66)
In his message for Mission Sunday this year, which will fall on October 19, 2003, the Pope Timothy T. O’Donnell, STD, KCeHS stated that he hoped that this year of the Holy Rosary would be for all believers an opportunity “to deepen the meaning of their Christian vocation.” The Holy Father acknowledges in this apostolic letter that the rosary has been used effectively for centuries by the Dominicans in their fights against heresy (RVM, #17). Today no less, with so many problems afflicting the Church, the Pope urges us again to make use of this contemplative prayer in all its richness to pray for peace and the strengthening of family life (RVM, #40,41). One specific part of this document which has received a great deal of attention is the Holy Father’s presentation of a new set of rosary mysteries, which he calls “Mysteries of Light,” or the “Luminous Mysteries.” These new additions to this beautiful prayer help to fill out the cycle of mysteries. A growing number of individuals have written beautiful meditations on the new Luminous Mysteries, grounding them in Sacred Scripture. This can be an excellent way to remind all of us that the rosary is primarily a prayer which focuses on the life of Jesus and Mary. It has always been traditional when reciting the rosary and meditating on the mysteries to seek a particular virtue or grace appropriate for the particular mystery being prayerfully considered. Those who remember the old St. Joseph Missal will recall this fact. Pope John Paul also confirmed this tradition. “It is worthwhile to note that the contemplation of the mysteries could better express their full spiritual fruitfulness if an effort were made to conclude each mystery with a prayer for the fruits specific to that particular mystery. In this way, the Rosary could better express its connection with the Christian life.” (RVM, #35) In the Joyful Mysteries: the Annunciation leads us to contemplate humility; the Visitation, charity toward one’s neighbor; the Nativity, a spirit of poverty; the Presentation in the Temple, obedience to God’s law; and the Finding of our Lord in the Temple, piety. In the Sorrowful Mysteries: the Agony in the Garden seeks for sorrow for our sins; the Scourging at the Pillar, for purity; the Crowning with Thorns, for moral courage; the Carrying of the Cross for patience; and the Crucifixion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross, for the grace of final perseverance. In the Glorious Mysteries: the Resurrection leads us to mediate on the virtue of faith; the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven, on hope; the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles, on charity; the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, on devotion to Mary; and the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth, on eternal happiness. It is easy to see how the Luminous Mysteries fill out the life of Christ and Mary, by providing the bridge between the Joyful and the Sorrowful Mysteries. I would like to propose for consideration an appropriate set of virtues or graces to be associated with these new Luminous Mysteries. The first Luminous Mystery: the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. The Pope, in this mystery, reminds us that we are all called to be sons of the Son, as the Holy Spirit invests Jesus with His mission in obedience to the Father. I propose that the virtue to be sought in the light of this mystery is fidelity to one’s Christian vocation. The second Luminous Mystery: Jesus’ self manifestation at the Wedding Feast at Cana. Our Holy Father, in this mystery, reflects that the great sign of turning water into wine was worked through Mary’s intercession. This sign opened the hearts of His disciples to believe in Jesus and His mission. I propose that the virtue for this mystery is the gift of discipleship. The third Luminous Mystery: the Proclamation of the Kingdom and Call to Conversion. The Holy Father, in this mystery, links the particular passage of the proclamation of the Kingdom specifically to repentance and the forgiveness of sins. We are called to reflect upon Jesus’ ministry of mercy. I propose that for this mystery one seek metanoia, a conversion of heart. This is particularly to be achieved through the frequent and devout reception of the Sacrament of Penance, in which we receive
the mercy of Christ as we are restored through His grace as healthy members of His body within His kingdom. The fourth Luminous Mystery: the Transfiguration. The Pope, in writing on this great mystery, tells us that the Divinity of Christ shines forth from His glorious face. We also are reminded of the Heavenly Father’s pleasure in His Son and we are commanded to “listen to Him.” I propose that for this mystery we ask for the gift of contemplation of Christ’s Divinity. This gift of the Father working through the Holy Spirit allows us to unite ourselves with the three apostles and recognize that Christ is a Divine Person whose Divine nature is hypostatically united to His human nature. The Divine approval coming from the Father will enable us to be strengthened like the apostles during times of difficulty and suffering. What a great consolation it is to know that in being faithful to Christ we are being faithful to God made man. And finally, the fifth Luminous Mystery: the gift of the Eucharist, the great Sacrament of His love. Our Holy Father in his recent encyclical on the Eucharist, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, tells us, “By giving the Eucharist the prominence It deserves and by being careful not to diminish any of Its dimensions or demands, we show that we are truly conscious of the greatness of the gift.” (EE, #61) He goes on to remind us all that “no one is permitted to undervalue the mystery entrusted to our hands: it is too great for anyone to feel free to treat it lightly and with disregard for its sacredness and its universality.” (EE, #52) I propose that the virtue for this mystery is reverence for the Blessed Sacrament, in light of the powerful teaching of the Church and our Holy Father. This is a time for all of us to reawaken a deeper appreciation for this Priceless Gift which Christ has given to His Church. Reverence for the Eucharist is always important, but especially in a time when the sacrificial character of the Mass has been downplayed, various forms of Eucharistic devotion have been abandoned in many areas, and the priesthood itself has been attacked. We have a tradition dating back to the College’s founding of reciting the rosary publicly every day as a community after the 4:45pm Mass. Early in the history of the College it was common for members of the College community to gather outside Madonna Hall (the Quad) to recite the rosary, which eventually evolved into another tradition, the recitation of the rosary in our dorms by groups of Christendom students. All of these traditions are important testimonies to the power of this great Marian prayer in the life of Christendom College. As we move closer to the end of this Year of the Rosary, which will conclude in October of 2003, I urge all the members of the Christendom College community to enter ever more deeply into contemplating with Mary the face of Christ through the devout recitation of the Holy Rosary. Then, in the midst of this apostate age, we will all move closer to that new springtime foreseen by the Holy Father, by contemplating “the beauty of that face and the depth of His love.”
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Culture, Festivity, and Traditions Alive and Well
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A distinguishing feature of Christendom College is its emphasis on Catholic culture, festivity, and tradition. Liturgical feasts and ethnic celebrations always have been integral to life at the College and have offered rest and refreshment from the arduous pursuit of wisdom that is the students’ daily work. Every month of the academic year has its celebrations and traditions. There are the feasts of St. Joseph, St. Francis, St. Patrick, St. Francis de Paola, and Divine Mercy Sunday. There are First Friday adoration, the May crowning, the Feast of Christ the King, and so many more. “Christendom does what it does like no other place with which I am familiar,” says Kirk Kuykendall, a 1990 Christendom graduate who now serves as chairman for the Dallas, TX, chapter of Catholics United for the Faith. “There’s an immediate air that this place is Catholic through and through and that the intellectual life, rooted in the faith and the mysterious legacy of the Fathers of the faith, is very important. Yet, there is a tremendous balancing of that with the cultural and social ethos that says we’re not pulling out of society. Rather, we will be leaven in the culture and in a way that
is primarily focused on what anyone can understand, not just academics.”
ture, Song, and Camaraderie, and these pillars support the life of all the students.”
Incoming students, having visited the college or heard about its traditions from a sibling or alumni parent, generally come eager and well-prepared for these celebrations. Many seek the College particularly for its happy combination of intellectual rigor and Catholic festivity. Every year the College attracts a large contingent from St. Gregory’s Academy, a Catholic boys boarding school in Pennsylvania itself known for encouraging Catholic festivity.
Sometimes the students even bring their own traditions and festivities to the attention of the College. The Greg’s boys have made juggling and song a part of Christendom. The annual St. Francis de Paola day, for example, celebrated in early April, was initiated by student Mike Schmitt ‘03, and will be carried on in the life of Christendom students in perpetuity. Brendan and Daniel McGuire, also of the Class of 2003, for four years brought their bagpipes and Scottish regalia to many College feasts and events. Their sometimes martial and sometimes melancholy sounds will be missed.
“The transition from St. Greg’s to Christendom was smooth,” says Fred Fraser, an alumnus of both St. Gregory’s and Christendom. “The St. Gregory’s Academy education is protected and nurtured at Christendom. The culture of both Christendom and St. Greg’s is founded on four pillars: Liturgy, Litera-
The mixture of liturgy, academics, camaraderie, culture, traditions, and festivity characterize the very essence of what it means to be a student at Christendom College, and what it means to be a Catholic. Daniel McGuire playing the Scottish bagpipes.
High School Summer Program Makes World of Difference to Juniors & Seniors
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Christendom College’s fifth High School Summer Program drew 74 juniors and seniors from across the United States and abroad to Front Royal in June and July. Interest in this program has been so high that the Admissions Office for the first time offered two twelveday sessions and filled them both with bright and eager students from 28 states. The “campers,” as they were affectionately called, spent their time at Christendom soaking up Catholic Faith and culture in study, prayer, and play. The daily schedule was full indeed. After morning classes students attended Mass and then went on a variety of afternoon and evening cultural and recreational events. These included hiking and canoeing excursions; a trip to the John Paul II Cultural Center and other Washington, DC, monuments and museums; an Orioles’ game in Baltimore’s Camden Yards; and exciting on-campus athletic events. Dr. and Mrs. O’Donnell once again hosted the very popular barn dance at their home. Shalon Spring, Admissions Counselor and Program Coordinator, could not have been more pleased with the program. “The expansion of the program this year meant that 40 more young students were impressed with Christendom and what we have to offer. Each session seemed to have its own character and feel to it. Regardless of which session they attended, all of the teenagers made a really good impression on the counselors and me. We can’t wait for them to be freshmen!”
The beautiful thing about the Summer Program is that the students are spending at least part of their summer vacation deepening their love and understanding of the Catholic Faith. And along the way they make friends of other young people who are pursuing Truth. An excerpt from a camper’s letter expresses what this can mean in a young person’s life. “The two weeks that I spent at Christendom were the best weeks of my life. I grew and learned so much, especially spiritually. Now I try to go to daily Mass, adoration, and pray the rosary daily. I had my faith before, but Christendom strengthened it so much. I guess that I used to take it for granted—now I have a new perspective on everything and my priorities have changed dramatically. I see the importance of my faith rather than what I had viewed as important before. It is so incredible to have such a new outlook on life. Of course I am grateful for all the friendships that I have made and the amazing professors that I have had, but as I see it now, my ultimate goal is to get to Heaven and the only way to do that is through Jesus. I can’t thank you enough for everything and I can’t wait to go to Christendom. I miss all of you and I pray for you everyday.” Next year’s sessions are scheduled for June 20July 2 and July 11 to July 23.
The Summer Program students enjoyed discussing literature, theology, political science, and philosophy with Christendom professors.
Christendom alumnus Fr. John Heisler (left) brought his tin whistle along to accompany Dr. O’Donnell’s guitar playing for the High School Program students.
Members of the second session of Christendom’s High School Summer Program at President O’Donnell’s house during the Barn Dance held on July 23.
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St. John the Evangelist Library Project At most colleges and universities, the library is the most important building on campus. As it does in so many ways, Christendom differs from them; the Chapel of Christ the King will ever be its most important edifice. But the library nonetheless has held a place of high honor. That library, collections and staff, soon will have a fitting home in the St. John the Evangelist Library building to be completed next year. Its hushed halls will contain tens of thousands of volumes that unlock the past and are guides and friends on the search for wisdom. In it a student will learn philosophy from Socrates, Aristotle, and Thomas Aquinas; Jewish history from Josephus; theology from Saints Athanasius and Augustine; or English literature from Shakespeare and Jane Austen. A remarkable piece of Virginia Architecture designed by the architects at O’Brien and Keane, the new library will be the academic center of campus. Here students, faculty, staff, and friends of the College will gather (particularly in the Coffee Bar on the first floor!) to exchange ideas and to share the joys of friendship. Classes will convene in first-floor classrooms, including two stateof-the-art computer rooms and an audio/visual viewing room. In anticipation of its opening next year, let us wander through the building plans. The building’s outward beauty and grandeur will reflect the beauty of the sublime truths found within. The grand dome (a metaphor for the Faith, according to Dr. O’Donnell—in the company of the Saints) will recall the domes of classical Rome. Artistic representations of Saints and religious figures will grace its halls, among them a statue of the “beloved disciple” St. John, and a bronze sculpture of John Paul II by renowned artist H. Reed Armstrong.
Continuing through this gateway one goes, as if through Faith, to Reason, and the library proper. Here one finds the circulation and reference and information desks flooded by sun from the skylights above. Next is the library’s information commons—the modern day Forum or Agora—where students and teachers can make use of electronic research tools. These will complement the traditional collection. The Reference, Periodicals, and Book collections will begin here and continue upstairs in the mezzanine floor. These will include a select Rare Books and Special Collections area that will house some treasures of early Catholic printing. Throughout these parts of the building is spacious and comfortable seating with lovely views of the tranquil forest outside. Also on the upper floor will be an elegant boardroom that will house a fine collection of prints from the collections of the late Ambassador Vernon Walters. This room will overlook the Shenandoah River. At the back of the building a beautifully manicured garden and patio will invite readers, dreamers, those wishing to stroll, and those wishing to rest. The College also plans to welcome friends and benefactors to receptions in the garden. From its beginning the College founders, especially Dr. Warren Carroll and his colleague Dr. Sean O’Reilly, recognized the central importance of a library in pursuing the College’s mission of “restoring all things in Christ.” The very seed of Christendom’s library came from Dr. Carroll — he donated a large percentage of the scholarly books. Many priestly souls and countless lay members of
Project Directory and Information u $6.6 million total cost of building & grounds u 40,000 square feet finished space u Designed to house 150,000 volume collection
Featuring: u Formal Domed Lobby u State-of-the-Art Computer Center u Additional Classroom Space u Coffee Shop & Executive Board Room Design/Build Team: Architect O’Brien & Keane Arlington, Virginia Contractor Petrine Construction Front Royal, Virginia Structural Meyer Consulting Engineers Rockville, Maryland Civil Bushman Engineering PC Toms Brook, Virginia PME Setty and Associates, Ltd. Fairfax, Virginia Consultant Aaron Cohen Associates, Ltd. Croton-on-Hudson, New York Dedication ceremony - September 2004
Christ’s Church also have contributed to forming the excellent collection. In the Library Director’s words, the new St. John the Evangelist Library clearly represents “the academic culmination — the proverbial ‘cherry on top’ — of Dr. Carroll’s achievement in founding Christendom College.”
The 40,000 sq. ft. St. John the Evangelist Library is due to be completed in the Fall of 2004.
TWENTY-SEVENTH... been a noteworthy change in that program. The College has taken new, more convenient and capacious housing in the Casa la Salle of the Lasallian Christian Brothers. This change will ensure that the enriching semester in Rome is even more pleasant this year. Near Michaelmas, representatives from over 30 religious orders will journey to Front Royal and participate in the annual Vocations Day. Christendom has helped over 50 men and 35 women answer the call to the priesthood or religious life and joyfully anticipates a continuing contribution to the Lord’s harvest. The life of prayer and fidelity the College seeks to foster will flower in a college-wide pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Mother Seton Shrine on October 2. The College thus responds ea-
Continued from Front Page gerly to the Holy Father’s call for special celebrations during this Year of the Rosary. Dr. O’Donnell will lead this and also a pilgrimage to Rome later in the month. That group of pilgrims will be present at the beatification of Mother Teresa on October 19 and at the October 16 ceremonies for the 25th anniversary of the election of Pope John Paul II and the closing of the Year of the Rosary. On October 6, Fr. Joseph Koterski, SJ, will launch the 2003-2004 College Major Speakers Program. The year looks very good; other speakers are Dr. John Haas, H.W. Crocker, Dr. Regis Martin, and Peggy Noonan. Although these lectures are primarily for Christendom students and faculty, the public is always cordially invited to attend.
Looking forward to the spring semester one sees Christendom students braving the cold and hecklers to join the March for Life on January 22. For the 28th time the College will cancel classes and charter buses so that the entire student body and faculty and staff may attend the March in Washington, DC. At Graduation this year, the College plans to honor the President of the March for Life, Miss Nellie Gray, with the Pro Deo et Patria Medal for service to God and Country. These, with many other endeavors and activities great and small, should keep Christendom students intellectually challenged and spiritually refreshed this year.
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Library Progress
President O’Donnell One of Few Catholic College Presidents with Doctorate in Theology The National Catholic Register recently reported on the dearth of theologically educated Catholic college presidents. Reporter Judy Roberts began her story by writing about Christendom President, Dr. Timothy O’Donnell.
October 7, 2001.
August 4, 2002.
“Dr. Timothy O’Donnell is an anomaly in the world of Catholic academia today. Like most of his counterparts at other American Catholic colleges and universities, the president of Christendom College in Front Royal, Va., is a layman. Unlike most, he holds a doctorate in sacred theology.” Roberts explained that as recently “as 35 years ago, a Catholic college president with such a degree or comparable religious training might have been the norm, not the exception. But a new study on lay Catholic college presidents confirms what many have suspected for a long time: that most of the people leading Catholic colleges and universities today are lay men and women who lack a thorough education in the faith.” This new study, titled “Leadership and the Age of the Laity: Emerging Patterns in Catholic Higher Education,” writes Roberts, relates some very surprising statistics. Only 4% of lay presidents have terminal degrees in theology; 43% have graduate education degrees; 55% have no religious training past high school; nearly 33% lack any kind of formal religious education; and a little over 25% have had some type of religious formation in seminaries or religious congregations.
September 18, 2002.
November 2, 2002.
The study was conducted by Father Dennis Holtschneider and Melanie Morey. According to Fr. Holtschneider, it is of the utmost importance that Catholic college presidents, either lay or religious, “be fluent and knowledgeable about the tradition they are charged with preserving because universities are intellectual enterprises.” According to the story, Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society, an organization that seeks to restore Catholic identity in Catholic colleges and universities believes that the “real problem is [that] Catholic universities are no longer centered [on] a real Catholic theology. The president needs to make that a priority regardless of what his background is.” Dr. O’Donnell thinks that his own doctorate in sacred theology has served him well but would not be neces-
sary if a president had a solid formation in the faith and recognized that the fundamental purpose of a Catholic university is to educate under the guiding light of faith, as Pope John Paul II made clear in his 1990 apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae. “The president is probably the most significant in setting the tone for a College,” says O’Donnell. “Formation is important, but even more important than formation is a deep faith commitment. That’s not something you go to school for.”
Published quarterly by the Christendom College Development Office. Managing Editor, Layout, Design: Tom McFadden Copy Editor: Kathleen Blum Christendom College 134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630 (800) 877-5456 ~ www.christendom.edu Copyright © 2003. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided the following credit line is used: “Reprinted by permission from INSTAURARE, the quarterly newsletter of Christendom College (www.christendom.edu).” SUBSCRIPTION FREE UPON REQUEST.
Planning for the Future Gifts made as part of your overall financial plan that benefit you now and Christendom later are known as planned gifts. Through planned giving, you can plan future support for those areas and programs at Christendom that are of the most interest to you–and often make a larger gift than you might have thought possible–while also benefitting yourself.
February 13, 2003.
Explore how you can help Christendom while making sound financial plans for yourself. The benefits to you: -Provide life-time income for you and, if you wish, another beneficiary -Receive a substantial federal income tax charitable deduction -Turn low-yielding assets into a higher income stream -Reduce or eliminate taxes on capital gains -Eliminate or reduce federal estate taxes -Ultimately provide a meaningful gift to Christendom. For further information please contact John Ciskanik, Vice President for Development, Planning & College Relations, at (800) 877-5456 or ciskanik@christendom.edu.
August 25, 2003.
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Dr. John Cuddeback Brings Friendship to Life in New Book Christendom Philosophy professor John Cuddeback always looks forward to the last few weeks of his Introduction to Philosophy course. It is then he has the joy of teaching Aristotle’s treatment of the nature of friendship, as laid out in the Nicomachean Ethics. Recently Cuddeback has taken the insights of Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas on friendship to a broader audience. This month his first book, Friendship: The Art of Happiness, is being released. Cuddeback had been considering writing a book on friendship when he received a phone call from the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). FOCUS wanted a book on friendship that would be accessible to the undergraduate students involved in its study programs at campuses across the country. Teaching the Introduction to Philosophy course at Christendom had prepared Cuddeback to write just such a book. According to Peter Kreeft, philosophy professor at Boston College, “Friendship has not ceased being one of life’s greatest goods – but it has ceased being one of modern philosophers favorite topics. John Cuddeback redresses that injustice with a book that
impressively combines ancient wisdom (Socrates, Aristotle, Aquinas) with modern experiences, faith with reason, and principles with practicality. It is wonderfully clear and concise, and ranges from topics as traditional as a map of the different kinds of friendships to topics as modern as advice about dating. This book is very wise, very practical, and very much needed.” And Catholic luminary Alice von Hildebrand highly recommends the book, commenting that “John Cuddeback shows convincingly that in a real friendship, man can have a taste of true happiness. Basing his rich analysis on the works of Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, he demonstrates that true friendship based on virtue benefits the individual, family life, and social life.” “The teaching of Aristotle and St. Thomas on friendship moved me more than anything else I have ever studied,” says Cuddeback. “It is a great joy for me to be able to share this treasure with a broader audience.” But Cuddeback has no intention of being distracted from the main focus of his intellectual work: teaching in the classroom. In his Acknowledgments he thanks his students in philosophy at Christendom College, “[whose] enthusiasm, insight, and questions are always an inspiration to me.” Friendship: The Art of Happiness costs $11.95 and can be obtained by calling (970) 336-9881 or by visiting www.focusonline.org.
NDGS GRADUATION... Director for her order. She is now her community’s Provincial Superior. John Hill is a government statistician for the U.S. Commerce Department with an MA in economics. He is married with three young children and hopes to continue his theological studies. Mid-westerner Peter Kennedy has accepted a position teaching theology at Mount Carmel High School in Witchita, KS. While studying at NDGS, he taught at Paul VI High School in Fairfax, VA, and helped coach the men’s lacrosse team to the division championship. Christendom alumnus Eric Kingsepp (’98) is the Director of Course Development at the Catholic Distance University in Hamilton, VA. He plans to complete a doctorate in theology and teach at the college level. Brian Kranick is a contract specialist for the federal government who has almost finished work on two other Christendom undergraduate alums Eric Kingsepp, graduate degrees (International Affairs Chuck Shunk, and Alphonso Pinto all graduated and MBA) at The American University from NDGS on August 2. in Washington, DC. Brian helps teach in his parish RCIA program, and has established a Catholic Apologetics website. Margaret Margeton, another graduate with a prior master’s degree (in library science), is a Catalogue Librarian at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. She is a member of the St. Francis de Sales Association, for which she lectures, leads discussion classes, and writes articles on spirituality. She is married with two daughters. Charles Noll, a graduate of West Point, now has four master’s degrees and is considering another in philosophy since his studies at NDGS have whet his appetite for St.Thomas Aquinas. English-born Gordon Oliver enrolled at NDGS after converting to the Faith. He is Development Director and athletic coach at Flint Hill School in Vienna, VA. He is married with two sons.
Continued from Front Page of America. He retired as a computer systems analyst from the DuPont Company and has commuted to NDGS classes from his home in Seaford, DE. He serves as lector in his own parish and as choir director for a once-a-month Tridentine Mass in Dover. Each of these graduates received the Master of Arts Degree in Theological Studies. In addition, Peter Kennedy and Richard William Stoops receives his Master of Arts in Theological Gill were awarded the Advanced Studies from NDGS Dean Kristin P. Burns on August 2. Apostolic Catechetical Diploma. After the conferral of degrees, Margaret Margeton of Arlington, VA, addressed her classmates, speaking on the Church’s teaching on the universal call to holiness, and what this teaching obliges NDGS’ Class of 2003 to do. “Vatican Council II, in its document on the Church, Lumen Gentium, taught that ‘all Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love . . . Each one,’ the Council said, ‘according to his own gifts and duties must steadfastly advance along the way of a living faith, which arouses hope and works through love,’” she began. “So how do we, as graduates of this school of theology, put all of this into practice? It seems to me that we have made an excellent beginning. Thanks to our dedicated professors, we have been given a solid foundation in knowledge. We have studied the central mysteries of our faith—the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, the Redemption. We have pored over Sacred Scripture and the Catechism. We have studied creeds and councils, sacraments and morality, philosophy and the virtues. “Now we are called to take this knowledge and integrate it into the very fabric of our ordinary lives, using the gifts we have received—our personalities, our talents—to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. And, when we have contemplated the face of Christ in prayer, we will, in faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit, be prepared to contemplate Him in the face of our neighbor as well. What we will be doing, in other words, is striving to put into practice the beautiful truths we have received. In this way, I think, we will be responding to the call to holiness that is addressed to each one of us personally,” she concluded.
Another Christendom grad, Alphonso Lopez Pinto (’00), is off to Rome’s Santa Croce University this fall where he plans on studying for a Licentiate and Doctorate in theology. This Philippines-born Graduate Margaret Margeton. Following the commenceCanadian citizen plans a career as a theologian and professor. ment exercises, a luncheon was held at which the Class of 2003 presented a class A native of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Amy Sessa-Creque is beginning her fifth year gift in the amount of $1,000.00 to Dr. as religion teacher at Paul VI High School in Fairfax, VA. A young convert to the Kristin Burns for the purpose of buying Faith, Amy has a BA from Mt. St. Mary’s University. furniture and fixtures for the graduate school campus. Charles Shunk, another Christendom alumnus (’98), is an applications developer for the Prescience Systems Corporation. He is president of Our Lady of the Valley Curia of the Legion of Mary, and plans to pursue a doctorate in theology and teach at the college level. William Stoops was introduced to Christendom College in 1991 when he attended the first Sacred Music Colloquium sponsored by the Church Music Association
Gordon Oliver presents Dean Kris Burns with a $1000 gift from NDGS Class of ‘03.
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INSTAURARE, September 2003
NDGS’ Sr. Timothy Spends Time Teaching in Cameroon In late May and the month of June, Sister M. Timothy Prokes, FSE, Professor of Theology and Spirituality at Notre Dame Graduate School, taught a foundational theology course for the Tertiary Sisters of St. Francis in Cameroon, West Africa. Together with Sister Sarah Doser and Sister Barbara Cline, Sister M. Timothy formed a team of Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist responding to specific requests from the Tertiary Community in the Northwest Province of Cameroon, a mainly English-speaking sector, located in the fertile red-clay rolling hills and low mountains of the country.
disabilities, taught hands-on methods of therapy for children with cerebral palsy, and offered a course on brain development for the clinic staff in Bafut. Sister Sarah brought administrative and organizational assistance to the Sisters at their LaVera Retreat Center in Bamenda, and gave weekend retreats on the Tertiaries’ Directional
Sister Prokes’ morning classes were repeated in the afternoon to accommodate the schedules of 76 Tertiaries who participated in the course - those in various levels of formation or who are professed members of the Community. Vocations are burgeoning in this vibrant NDGS Professor of Theology and Spirituality Sr. M. Timothy Prokes, FSE, and members of her theology class in Cameroon, West Africa. community. Postulants, novices and junior professed represent a number of tribes, so the Tertiaries have the challenge Statement. Sister Prokes and Sister Sarah worked as a of integrating English with a variety of dialects along team in presentations in Bamenda and Shisong the final with Pidgin English and French. At a celebration of week of their service in Cameroon. the Eucharist in the Mother-house, various parts of the Mass may be sung in as many as five different dialects Generous hospitality, joy and gratitude are characteristics (in wonderful harmony, to the soft beat of drums). The of the Tertiaries. In the final session of the theology Tertiaries are a prayerful Community, meeting several course, Sister M. Timothy assured the young Camerootimes daily for the Divine Office and other prayers. nian Tertiaries that they are the future hope not only of the Church of Cameroon, but of the nation itself. The trio of FSEs invited to come and “companion” the Tertiaries worked mainly in three different places. Sister Barbara, an expert in treatment of children with
On Operations, Campaigns, and Annuities After three and one-half months of our new fiscal year, I am able to report that fund raising for operations at Christendom is basically on target. Thank you to all who have responded so generously to the College with gifts in the early months of this critical fiscal year! This early progress is very encouraging when compared to results from the same quarter one year ago. Last fiscal year saw a very slow start in the summer and autumn.
construction schedule allows for a planned dedication of this beautiful building on September 14, 2004.
While there is much yet to accomplish, hopeful signs abound. The rebuilding Dow Jones Industrial Average is undoubtedly the cause of the increase in stock gifts to the College; alumni initiatives, including the “Ten-Year Class Challenge” (see related story on page 8) made to the Class of 1993, indicate a new strength in the level of support from alumni; and finally, interest in annuities continues to grow among Christendom’s long-time benefactors.
Turning to other Development efforts, I am pleased to report significant growth in Christendom’s planned giving program. More and more donors recognize that in today’s economy, Christendom’s annuity plan is an attractive means of combining charitable giving and personal financial security.
John F. Ciskanik
Less encouraging, though, is the news on capital projects, principally the St. John the Evangelist Library. Although enough dollars were truly contributed in cash or pledged to enable the College to forge ahead with the library project, $3 million in Campaign pledges were recently renegotiated and/or cancelled due to reduced stock values. Already 15% of that $3 million has been recovered, and we are working diligently to raise the remaining funds necessary to complete the library without incurring a burdensome debt. In order to gain time for Dr. O’Donnell and the Board of Directors to recover lost funds and re-capitalize the library project, work at the library construction site has been slowed. The new
Please prayerfully consider how you might be able to support Christendom College with gifts or introductions to individuals who are disposed and able to assist Dr. O’Donnell in bringing this vital project to a successful conclusion.
Work has begun on an addition to our internet home page that will feature new information about Christendom’s planned giving program. As a growing component of our asset base, annuity program funds will play an increasingly prominent role in insuring the financial well-being of the College, particularly through its underwriting of Christendom’s fixed plant endowment. Please contact me if you are interested in a no-obligation annuity proposal. The more you let Christendom provide you with an excellent return on investments today, the more you will help Christendom provide an excellent Catholic liberal arts education to our young men and women in the future. Stay tuned for changes at www.christendom.edu. And as always, thank you for your generous support. John F. Ciskanik is Vice-President of Development, Planning & College Relations.
Professors Attend Notre Dame Conference Dr. Steven Snyder, Professor of Philosophy, and Dr. Greg Townsend, Professor of Mathematics and Natural Science, recently attended a conference on “A Cultural Renewal of Science” at the University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame’s Jacques Maritian Center and the Institute for Advanced Physics, located in Baton Rouge, LA, jointly sponsored the two-day event. Under discussion was the profound impact that scientism (the misuse of the scientific method and of its conclusions) has had on physics, medical ethics, the humanities, theology, the university curriculum, biology, philosophy and politics. It featured such well-known speakers as Dr. Ralph McInerny, Dr. Jude Dougherty, Fr. Benedict Ashley and the internationally-known physicist Dr. Anthony Rizzi.
College Revises Math Minor Requirements This past spring, the College approved a revision of the requirements for minoring in Mathematics. The new requirements allow all of the Calculus sequence to count towards the Math Minor and change the prerequisites for some of the more advanced Math courses so that they can be taken in a timely manner. “This brings Christendom’s requirements more in line with what is generally required nationwide,” said Dr. Greg Townsend, Professor of Mathematics and Natural Science, “and will allow interested students to complete the Math Minor within the first two years of their studies.” Studies in Mathematics and Physics serve the aims of a liberal arts education by helping to develop logical thought, skills in precise analysis, and an understanding of concepts used to describe the natural order. A projected $6,900 upgrade of the College’s existing Physics Lab equipment will give students in the Physics courses experience in computerized data collection and analysis as well as equipment for a greater variety of experiments. In the future there are plans to establish an Observatory on the campus to give students an introduction to a science as it is normally practiced as well as provide projects for those who are taking the Mathematics Minor.
Ciresi Defends Scripture Prof. Sal Ciresi, lecturer in Catechetics at Christendom’s NDGS, recently spoke at the first conference for the International Catholic Council on Biblical Inerrancy in Scranton, PA. Ciresi delivered three presentations: “The Authenticity, Inspiration, and Inerrancy of Sacred Scripture;” “The Church Fathers and Biblical Inerrancy;” and “The Teaching of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas on Biblical Inerrancy.” The ICCBI, a growing organization of laity and clergy, was created to propagate the Catholic Church’s perennial doctrine on unrestricted Biblical inerrancy, that is, the truth that Sacred Scripture is free from all error. The ICCBI maintains this key doctrine with reference to the very text of Sacred Scripture, the applicable Magisterial pronouncements, the treatises of St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Patristic corpus within Sacred Tradition. The inaugural conference for the ICCBI drew approximately fifty people from around the US. A second conference is in the planning stages and will address the historicity of the infancy narratives of Saints Matthew and Luke.
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Class of 1993 Challenged by College to Give Ten-Year Anniversary Gift
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Christendom’s Class of 1993 was a particularly interesting and unique class in its day. When they entered as freshman, they were the smartest class the college had seen up to that point. When they graduated, they had raised the largest class gift until then — $9,055 — which they used to pave the road from Christendom’s south entrance to the front of the girls’ dorms.
new Senior Class Endowment fund. Beginning in July, Tom McGraw, himself a member of the Class of ‘93 and the
Now, ten years later, the members of the Class of ‘93 are striving to repeat that youthful industry and the success that crowned it. They hope to raise $35,000 as their TenYear Anniversary Gift to the College. If they do, they will once again have the coveted distinction of making the largest class gift donation to the College. Currently, the Class of 2003 holds that record with $30,000 in cash and pledges restricted to the
Alumna Writes Book as a Labor of Love Agnes Curley graduated from Christendom College in 1997. A couple of years later, she married convert to the Faith and Christendom classmate Daniel Penny. They were excited about raising a family and were well-versed in the Church’s teaching on the nature of marriage and the family. When they were expecting their first child, they realized that a Catholic perspective on the various trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows experienced during pregnancy merited treatment in a book. So, Agnes Penny, being the English Literature major that she is, decided to write that book for expectant mothers. She called it, Your Labor of Love: A Spiritual Companion for Expectant Mothers.
“I wanted to sort out for myself the seemingly endless morning sickness and discouragement of the previous nine months,” says Penny, “and the inexpressible joys I was experiencing in caring for a baby all my own at
last.”
In her book, Penny shares the very Catholic spiritual solutions she found to the problems and struggles of pregnancy. In 36 short chapters, she covers everything the expectant mother experiences, including, fatigue, mood swings, waiting, post partum, praying for your baby, marital difficulties, in-laws, and much more. The book is written for women who are trying to accept the joys and challenges of motherhood according to God’s Holy Will, rather than the “wisdom of the world” by avoiding children.
Development Officer at the College, sent out his TenYear Class Challenge gift idea to his fellow classmates. And they were up to the challenge. As of the beginning of September, the College has received $29,500 in cash or pledges from 75% of the Class of ‘93. Members of that class have gone on to be mothers (13 of them with lots of children!), a dentist in the Navy, an attorney for a Virginia law firm, two media/film producers, a Poor Clare cloistered nun, the Development Officer at Christendom, the Assistant Director of Operations at Christendom, an insurance professional with Erie insurance, a trainer for the American Red Cross, a speech writer for the White House Writers Group, a Human Resources director for Lord and Taylor, two founders of a computer consulting firm, three information technology operators, and a potential political candidate for local government in Front Royal.
CHRISTENDOM CALENDAR October 2
College Pilgrimage to Lourdes Shrine
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Major Speaker: Fr. Joseph Koterski, S.J.
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Homecoming
18-26 Fall Break
This young mother of three (so far!), has given the faithful a work of great insight into this most treasured time of a woman’s life: pregnancy and motherhood.
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All Saints Day (no classes)
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Major Speaker: Dr. John Haas
This book is available through Tan Books for $12.00.
26-30 Thanksgiving Break
November
Many alumni were married over the summer months: (clockwise from top left) Matt Akers ‘03 and Jan Kuznia ‘03, Aug. 16.; Ryan Callaghan ‘02 and Katherine Mirus ‘02, June 28; Tim Coffey ‘02 and Leah Stephens ‘03, June 7; Theresa Ford ‘03 and alumnus Ben Fisher, May 31; Clint Hepler ‘03 and Andria Thornbrugh ‘03, June 21; Nancy Lee ‘96 and Guy Bauer, May 24; Don Goodman ‘03 and Cathy Garrett ‘03, Aug. 2; alumnus Joe O’Herron and Rebecca Price ‘03, May 24.