NSTAURARE
The Christendom College Update Instaurare (vt. to restore, strengthen, renew)
October 2006 Volume XIV, Number III
INSIDE THIS ISSUE . . . President’s Message – page 2
President’s Dinner Great Success page 4
High School Summer Program page 5
2006 NDGS Graduation page 7
Library Gets New Painted Frescoes – page 3 Audience Sings Praises of Chorus – page 4 New Employees for the College – page 6 Alumnus William Davulis RIP – page 8
Cardinal Arinze, Fr. Groeschel Address 400 at Summer Institute Speakers Provide In-Depth Analysis of the Thought and Writings of Pope Benedict XVI
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It was a blessed day in late July that saw over 400 people gather at the Christendom campus to reflect on the thought and writings of the Holy Father in this the beginning of his pontificate. Christendom’s 17th annual Summer Institute featured thoughtful lectures by Francis Cardinal Arinze, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, and several prominent Catholic authors and scholars. Cardinal Arinze, the Prefect for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, is a personal friend of Pope Benedict’s and thus has a particular insight into his thought. His keynote address entitled “Benedict XVI and the Spirit of the Liturgy” concentrated on the works of Joseph Ratzinger prior to his election as pope. “It is well known that the sacred liturgy figures much in the theological writings and addresses of Pope Benedict XVI as a theologian, Bishop, and Cardinal. He sees the liturgy as at the heart of the life of the Church. He even says that the Church subsists as liturgy and in the liturgy,” began His Eminence. “Christian liturgy is a liturgy of promise fulfilled, of a quest, the religious quest of human history, reaching its goal. And the high point is the Holy Eucharist,” he explained. “And the Pope places a great value on traditional Eucharistic piety
Francis Cardinal Arinze.
see SUMMER INSTITUTE, page 5
College Begins 30th Year
Reverend Benedict Groeschel, CFR.
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Three decades after its founding in 1977, Christendom College begins this milestone year with its largest student body ever and an assured place among America’s top liberal arts schools. The busy and successful summer that preceded the opening of the 2006-2007 academic year was just one more indication of the flourishing intellectual, spiritual, and cultural life at Christendom. The highlight of the opening weekend was the celebration of the Mass of the Holy Spirit by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde. As they do annually, every member of the Christendom College faculty here took an oath of fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church and the Holy Father.
Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde.
“Most Catholic universities make this a requirement for their theology departments only, but all the faculty at Christendom take this freely and willingly. Certainly this expresses our deep desire to maintain a strong Catholic identity,” College Chaplain Fr. John Heisler said. see 30th YEAR, page 6
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Our Lord is Depending on You
At this fall’s Faculty Forum, during a lively discussion, the College faculty expressed their deep desire that the academic culture here at Christendom College should continue to be strengthened and to flourish. This will be a topic of on-going discussion throughout the academic year. The need for such a culture is so great in our time. How important it is for you to recognize, my dear students, that there are so few who are really involved in this type of authentic Catholic education. This places a great obligation on all of us. All of us here, each and Timothy T. O’Donnell, STD, KGCHS every one, are invited to enter into our carefully crafted core curriculum. To have the opportunity to teach here is a great blessing and, my dear students, to have the opportunity to study with and under an outstanding group of mentors is also a great gift. To be able to pursue courses in Theology, Philosophy, History – that most metaphysical and theological of social sciences, Literature – with the great works of Western Christian civilization, Political Science, Classical Studies, Math and Science – this is truly a great opportunity. This is the beginning of a life-long journey. As the Seniors or Juniors realize, or at least should realize, there is so much to know and so much to learn! It is important to remember that the wise man knows how little he knows. A false pride or an “I know it all” attitude is the death of the intellectual life. Perhaps the life of prayer, cultivated in the humus of humility, is the best antidote to this attitude. Just the other day a professor told me of a student who actually asked him, “I’ve already read the Consolation of Philosophy, why do I need to read it again?” I must tell you that you will find that many of these great works have to be read again. You will find great profit when you read them again at the age of 30, again when you are 50 and even when you are 64. I can assure you that they will be re-read with greater profit and insight each time. For you see we are all on a journey together. In the evenings during this past summer, I began re-reading Saint Thomas’ Summa Contra Gentiles and am still working my way through it. This has taken me back to one of my first loves, when I began to study Saint Thomas seriously during my student days at the Angelicum. It is such a joy to be able to sit down and read Saint Thomas. What a pure font of clarity, knowledge and wisdom from which one can always drink anew!
My dear students, our troubled world needs you, the He, our life, shall appear and we too will appear with Church needs you and we need you to fulfill your duty Him in glory.” Sacrosanctum Concilium, 8. here! How important it is to remember that your youth is given to you not for self-indulgence but for heroism. In today’s culture, Our Lord is depending on you, on Your duty here is to use your time wisely to read, to all of us, for the need is so great, the task is so daunting. study, to ponder, to take time to reflect, to think; real What do we need to do? First of all, we need to contribute thinking is hard. It is not something that comes easily to to the reconnecting of faith with culture once again. us – we must seek to form a habitus of serious thought Secondly, we need to strengthen once again doctrinal if we are to enter into consciousness. In We have assembled here for you an outstanding faculty the great discussion our common task let about the permanent to serve as mentors in your search for wisdom and us take consolation things in our from our Holy knowledge. It is important to recall that it is not about classrooms, in our Father who teaches dormitories, in the grades, nor is it just about taking classes – it is about all of us to be open John Paul the Great to faith’s dynamism. discerning the times and developing a wisdom that will Despite our Catholic Student Center, in the Crusader enable you to read the signs of the times. identity, we too can Gymnasium – yes, lose the sense of even in the gymnasium. The goal is to make this part faith – it can be weakened in us. Let the words of our of what you are. This is so crucial for our modern world Holy Father give us inspiration and sink into our souls for, as the Second Vatican Council taught in Gaudiem et as he reflects upon the nature of faith, “Faith gives joy. Spes, “The future of the world lies in peril unless wiser When God is not there, the world becomes desolate and people are forthcoming.” We have assembled here for everything becomes boring and everything is completely you an outstanding faculty to serve as mentors in your unsatisfactory. It is easy to see today how a world empty search for wisdom and knowledge. It is important to of God has become a wholly joyless world. The great joy recall that it is not about grades, nor is it just about comes from the fact that there is a great love and that taking classes – it is about discerning the times and is the essential message of faith. You are unswervingly developing a wisdom that will enable you to read the loved.” It is interesting to note that within that love, the signs of the times. I firmly believe that we are in need Holy Father cries out that there is to be found “a great of a profound Christian discernment of spirits. This sense of humor for sometimes God gives you a nudge is what the Church wants of us and this is what Pope and says, ‘Don’t take yourself so seriously!’ Humor is Benedict is asking of us all. When my wife Cathy, Father in fact an essential element in the mirth of creation.” Heisler, and I met with the Holy Father in October of If any of you should be struggling with humor, I urge last year, the first thing he said to us was, “Thank you you to play Mozart. If you do this frequently, he will for all you are doing!” We all need to work together contribute greatly to your happiness. – faculty, students, staff and administrators to serve the mission of our College. History is ultimately shaped by a spiritual vision. Each of us as Catholics are called, as John Paul the Great said, Together we face a great challenge as the culture collapses “to the high standard of ordinary Christian living.” How all around us, and people no longer believe in truth and important it is to remember that authentic freedom is especially seem to deny the truth of rational argument. found only within the moral order and the confines of We are living in the age of the will – the age of “choice” truth. Let all of us pursue together this year our duties as – what Pope Benedict has called the anti-culture of death. faculty, staff and students. Let us read, study, and work Everywhere we turn there is nihilism, a forgetting of hard in pursuit of this arduous good of a true liberal the beauty and profound mystery of being and indeed education. Let us recognize that our work together is of God Himself. Your life here at Christendom can be truly an apostolate and in doing our duty we sanctify different if you let it. You can form real friendships based ourselves, our families and in some small way, our world. upon that which is true and good. Here you can breathe The performance of our duty, we must recall, is the first Catholic air in your studies. You can easily attend Mass step in the spiritual life. How important it is that we daily. The Mass is so important. As the Second Vatican do it with joy and gratitude and, like Pope Benedict, Council says, “In the earthly liturgy we take part in a recognize that we are not alone. foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem toward which we journey as Our Lord said, “Without me, you can do nothing.” pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, When man has tried to do it without Him, he makes a a minister of the holies and of the true tabernacle; we hell on earth – he fashions a culture of death. But we here sing a hymn to the Lord’s glory with all the warriors of have the God-given opportunity to stand against that the heavenly army; venerating the memory of the saints, culture. For we can stand with Christ and with his Vicar we hope for some part and fellowship with them; we and we can stand with His Church. The very name of eagerly await the Savior, Our Lord Jesus Christ, until our college, Christendom, stands in direct opposition to this misguided evil. To a world that screams “Anything! Anyone but Christ!” To a world that still screams for Barrabas, we humbly and confidently pray and proclaim, “Instaurare omnia in Christo! To restore all things in Christ!” And where do we begin with this noble task? We begin in our own hearts. Without Him, we can do nothing. But the converse is also true- with Him, we can do anything! Let us together enter fully into this noble mission and pursue the true, the good, and the beautiful, and let us have a great year together!
O’Donnell Visits With Friends Around the Country Over the summer months Dr. O’Donnell had an opportunity to travel around the country and spend some personal time with a number of Christendom’s friends and donors. In August, he traveled to California and visited with Sir Daniel Donohue of the Dan Murphy Foundation. Sir Daniel has been a friend of the College for over 20 years. Following his California trip, he headed up north to Minnesota where he spent some time with Mary Gilstrom of the Anderson Foundation which has been very generous to Christendom over the years. Lastly, his travels brought him to Boston where he met with College friends John McNeice, K. McAvoy, and John DeMatteo.
Sir Daniel Donohue with Dr. Timothy O’Donnell.
College President O’Donnell delivered the above address to the students at the beginning of this academic year.
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Annual President’s Dinner Brings Together New and Old Friends Alike
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Christendom held its annual “President’s Dinner” on Saturday, July 29, following the successful conclusion of its Summer Institute. The dinner was held in the lower level of the St. John the Evangelist library. As a special treat, the invited guests were given the opportunity to mingle with the Summer Institute speakers during the cocktail reception and the dinner itself. One of the highlights of the dinner was the presentation of a birthday cake to longtime friend and donor Mr. David Walkey. Mr. Walkey had recently celebrated his 91st birthday and was delighted to be surprised by one of the sons of Christendom’s Vice President of Advancement John Ciskanik with a birthday cake, a hug, and the singing of happy birthday by everyone, including Cardinal Arinze.
Joseph Ciskanik surprises longtime friend and donor Mr. David Walkey with a birthday cake for his 91st birthday.
On the prior evening, select friends and benefactors were also invited to attend a reception in the St. Kilian’s Café and to spend time with a number of the speakers and dignitaries involved with the Summer Institute, as well as enjoy time with others who are deeply committed to financially helping Christendom College on its mission of “restoring all things in Christ.”
Dan and Joan Gorman enjoy light conversation with the Cardinal.
Craig Richardson visits with Fr. John Heisler and James Eckstein.
Francis Cardinal Arinze does all he can to entertain the young son of Tom and Heather West.
Cardinal Arinze speaking with Judge Robert and Mary Ellen Bork.
Cardinal Arinze blesses the food at the Friday night reception in St. Kilian’s Cafe prior to the opening of the Summer Institute.
Board member Gene Zurlo has a laugh with the Cardinal.
Just prior to the start of the Summer Institute, the College unveiled the newest addition to its extraordinary St. John the Evangelist Library. In the Library’s rotunda are two acrylic “frescoes” depicting the central scenes of “La Disputa del Sacramento” (ca. A.D. 1508-1509) and “The School of Athens” (ca. A.D.15091512.) of the prolific and prominent Italian High Renaissance artist, Raphael (A.D.1483-1520).
Eternal City.
New Raphael Frescoes Grace the Library Rotunda and scholarship. And they will help draw students and visitors in to the life of learning and study at the College. Thus in the library’s rotunda reverberate echoes of the
Miss Caroline Clifford, a devout Catholic artist from neighboring Shenandoah County, VA, painted the excellent replicas. Miss Clifford received her artistic, fine arts and graphic education at the prestigious Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, and worked for many years as an animation artist at Walt Disney Feature Animation in Orlando, FL. Recently she has been exploring ways to give greater glory to God with her artistic talents. Raphael’s two works are “complex allegories” of both Sacred and secular knowledge; this made them most appropriate for the Stanza della Segnatura in the Vatican, the sixteenth century home of Pope Julius II’s extensive library, and for Christendom’s own library. As does the library building itself, the presence of the two paintings symbolizes the marriage of Faith and Reason in Catholic Theology New Frescoes have been painted on the walls in the rotunda of the Library: “La Disputa del Sacramento” and “The School of Athens.”
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Feature Film Chorus Premieres on the Big Screen
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Some of the talented and ingenious members of the Christendom community recently formed an independent film company and produced a feature film. Chorus attracted regional media attention when it opened in Front Royal’s Royal Cinemas on August 27. This was the first premiere of a feature film in Front Royal in 56 years, and all those involved made it an elegant affair, dressing in evening attire and gliding down a red carpet into the theater. Mirandum Pictures produced the film. Christendom alumnus Mike Powell and the Mason brothers— alumnus Colin and current student Nick— founded Mirandum. Christendom Literature Professor Patrick Keats assisted them in all their efforts. Writer/Director Powell often employed his considerable dramatic talents during his undergraduate days, directing four major productions and writing and directing 21 short sketches. Colin Mason, the director of photography and composer/ producer of the soundtrack, was also busy as a student. He directed and edited
Discretion, a shorter film written by Powell and shown during the College’s annual “Pope John Paul II Film Festival” in 2004. Nick Mason, the younger of the two brothers, was the sound technician and the mastermind behind marketing for the movie. And Keats, moderator of the College’s theater group since 1992, served as executive producer for this film. The movie was shot primarily in Front Royal with a budget of about $10,000. It stars Christendom students Laura Shrader, Annie Clark, Anna Svendson, Sarah Schiller, Mark McShurley, Julian Ahlquist, and Joe Powell, with cameo appearances by Patrick Keats, Colin Mason, Nick Mason, and Mike Powell. Many other students and locals played minor parts in the film. To view the movie trailer or to learn more about Chorus or Mirandum Pictures, please look to www.mirandumpictures.com.
High School Summer Program Gives Students a Taste of a New Way of Life The 2006 High School Summer Program brought over 100 fresh and interesting faces to the campus this June and July. Hailing from as near as Northern Virginia and as far as Taiwan, the young people came to Christendom for what was in many cases a life-changing intellectual, spiritual, and cultural experience, and for some, time in a Catholic haven from a secular world.
Mary Baldau dances the Virginia Reel with Jimmy Parrish at College President O’Donnell’s house.
According to many of the students who came, they had “the best time of their lives at the Summer Camp.”
“They get a chance to step away from their X-Boxes and iPods to experience life to the fullest,” Program Coordinator Lesly Bratt said. “Many of them come here not knowing what to expect and leave with a better understanding of how joyful and freeing it can be to live in a truly Catholic culture. Participants often tells us that the Program has life-changing effects on them, and that they felt it was a type of ‘Catholic immersion program.’” The program has a tried and true formula for success. Christendom faculty offer courses in Theology, Philosophy, History, and Literature. The program takes advantage of the natural beauty of the Shenandoah Valley and the cultural and recreational opportunities available in the surrounding areas. Activities include trips to Washington, DC, to attend Mass at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and tour the various museums; an evening at the Kennedy Center; an Orioles game at Camden Yards in Baltimore; a lazy canoe trip down the Shenandoah River; and a hike in the Shenandoah National Park. Students are also introduced to some traditions very particular to Christendom, such as swing dancing, contra dancing, and, of course, learning the Virginia Reel at College President Timothy O’Donnell’s barn dance.
the Catholic faith permeated everything that we did. The Sacraments and the teachings of the Church didn’t take a back seat or accompany the camp, rather, they were lifted up, and the Catholic culture was present in every aspect of the college life.” Mary Kate Burke of Virginia agreed. Initially uneasy about going to daily Mass and Rosary, she was surprised to find that those are the things she now misses most. “I loved the fact that we had Mass and Rosary everyday as a community. At first I cringed at the thought of having to sit through Mass and Rosary every single day! But they became two of the activities I enjoyed most. Ironically, after leaving Christendom, I went on a mission trip and everyday there I felt so empty not having to go to Mass or say the Rosary as part of the daily routine.” Christendom’s 2007 High School Summer Program will be exclusively for rising high school seniors and is tentatively planned for two sessions: a one-week session to be held June 24-July 1, and a two-week from July 8-22. “Some parents have told me that they would like their children to take part in the program but that they are unable to afford, both financially and timewise, the two weeks,” says Director of Admissions Tom McFadden. “I think that by offering a one-week program at a reduced rate it might give more people an opportunity to take part in this exciting program. And those who would rather spend two-weeks on our campus will still have that opportunity during the second session.”
“The classes were extremely interesting,” said Ben Emmel of Wisconsin, “and the activities were entertaining. But the real reason why I left Front Royal with such a great feeling about Christendom was because I could tell that Emily Rainey and Katie Cruser listen intently as Dr. John Cuddeback explains the essence of a dog’s happiness.
Christendom’s Assistant Chaplain Fr. Seamus O’Kielty with his two nieces, Alyssa and Bridget Holmes.
High School students who took part in the second session of this year’s Program.
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SUMMER INSTITUTE...
Continued from Front Page
by extolling the tabernacle, adoration shown in genuflection and kneeling, proper vestments, and the like.” Cardinal Arinze explained that the Pope has much to say about the question of the formation of liturgical rites and of their change or reform. “Real liturgy implies that God responds and reveals to us how we are to worship him. Liturgy cannot spring from our imagination, from our own creativity, for then it would remain just a cry in the dark or mere self-affirmation. The pope’s authority regarding the liturgy is bound to the Tradition of Faith.” Rev. William Saunders.
Regarding music in the liturgy, Cardinal Arinze said that Pope Benedict believes that the Church “must maintain high standards in liturgical music: universality, catholicity, beauty, attention to the Logos, music as prayer and as a gesture that glorifies God.” In conclusion he explained that sacramental and liturgical theology cannot be separated. “Liturgy is not a science of norms and rubrics. It is not a type of juridical positivism. Liturgy is the adequate expression of the Sacraments in liturgical celebration, where development can take place according to the nature of the Sacraments, but not according to arbitrary rubrics.” Though it was the keynote, Cardinal Arinze’s was not the first Conference talk. On Friday night, after a holy hour and benediction in the College’s Chapel of Christ the King, Fr. Groeschel presented “Benedict XVI and Biblical Exegesis.” In it he decried modern biblical exegesis that does not treat Scripture on a theological plane but that uses mathematical and “scientific” methods, holding that only that which can be observed by the human senses and deduced by human reason is true. “This way of thinking entered the schools of biblical scholars, resulting in a widespread skepticism, creating a desire to get rid of the mythological. But Catholics did not fall prey to this very easily. The dogmas of the Catholic faith from tradition held that the Word of God, the Scriptures, are unerring substantially and they are given to us, no matter their origins, to guide us on our way to salvation. Many Protestant churches did not have that anchor, so skepticism came in,” he said. Mrs. Helen Hull Hitchcock.
“Scripture study grew further and further away from hermeneutics, which is the study of Scripture to make it an effective preaching and teaching tool,” Groeschel continued. “Contemporary Scripture studies are about as scientific as examining the entrails of a dead chicken by the full moon in order to predict the weather the next day. It’s not scientific! “This way of thinking is dead!” Fr. Groeschel exclaimed. “Theories of a historical Jesus and a Christ of faith are not being taught in schools anymore. It is mentioned only in the pulpit these days, because people are not ‘keeping up on things.’ If you hear it from the pulpit you should approach the preacher and ask him if he believes in alchemy as well.” Adoremus Bulletin Editor Helen Hull Hitchcock, in “Pope Benedict XVI and the Reform of the Reform,” stated that Pope Benedict is emphatic that the Council did not represent a rupture, but expressed continuity with the Church’s history. There is no pre- or post-Conciliar Church, the Holy Father writes; there is but one, unique Church that walks the path toward the Lord.
Cardinal Arinze concelebrated Mass with all the visiting priests during the conference.
She said that the Pope points out that “liturgy can only be liturgy to the extent that it is beyond the manipulation of those who celebrate it,” and that the new books “occasionally show far too many signs of being drawn up by academics and reinforce the notion that a liturgical book can be made like any other book.” Although the Holy Father admits that creativity with the new Ordo Missae has often gone too far, there can be a greater difference between liturgies celebrated in different places according to the new books than there is between an old liturgy and a new liturgy when both are celebrated as they ought Dr. Pia de Solenni. to be, in accordance with the prescribed liturgical texts, she explained. Dr. Pia de Solenni, who holds a doctorate in Sacred Theology from Holy Cross University in Rome, discussed “Benedict XVI and the Role of Women in the Church.” “The Church’s view on women transcends categories of liberal and conservative, left and right. Rather, it represents a dynamic reality to which John Paul II dedicated a good portion of his pontificate and which Benedict XVI shows every intention of continuing; particularly since he published a document as president of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the collaboration of women in which he asserted that ‘women have a role in every aspect of society,’” she began. Touching on the disputed topic of priestly ordination of women she said that persons who believe the Church should adapt to cultural changes and allow women to enter the priesthood just as they have entered other professional fields are gravely mistaken. “The problem with this argument is the premise that Christ maintained the cultural norms of his time. In fact, the Gospels indicate that he repeatedly broke with tradition particularly in his regard for and his rapport with women,” de Solenni said. Fr. William Saunders, author of Straight Answers and a priest in the Arlington Diocese, spoke on “Benedict XVI and the Compendium of the Catechism.” He said that the current pope was very much responsible for the success of both the Catechism and the newly released Compendium of the Catechism. “The Compendium is a beautiful summary, if you will, of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The truths of the Faith are laid out in the traditional question and answer format and each chapter begins with a beautiful painting which itself Dr. Timothy O’Donnell. teaches an important facet of the Faith,” he explained. “Pope Benedict knew that the Church needed a simple format for helping spread the Faith and to help catechize the ignorant. Everyone should read this little book and better understand, in a succinct and clear manner, the Roman Catholic Faith.” Christendom President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell analyzed the Pope’s first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. “The pope points out that the love of Christ is not only demonstrated in Scripture but also later in Church History where Our Lord is encountered in His Word, in the Sacraments, and especially ‘in the Eucharist, where in the Church’s liturgy and her prayer, the followers experience the love of God and His presence and recognize that He has loved us first.’ This enables us to respond to the love of God. What is of particular importance for the believer is that he realizes that God has already shown and proven His love. Loving our neighbor is certainly a path by which we come to encounter God and if we close our eyes to our neighbor, the Pope tells us that we will also be blinded towards God’s presence.”
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College Says Farewell to Three Longtime Employees and Welcomes New Ones
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It is with regret that the College announces the departure three of its long-time employees this fall. Fr. Anthony Mastroeni, College Chaplain, Professor of Theology, and the first Director of the College’s Junior Semester in Rome Program, steps down after 6 years of dedicated service. He was a spiritual guide and dear friend to many students who also presided over many alumni weddings. Fr. Mastroeni has returned Rev. Anthony Mastroeni. to his hometown in New Jersey to care for his ailing mother. After 10 years of service in both the Admissions and Student Life Offices, Mrs. Nancy (Lee) Bauer returns home to await with husband Guy the birth of their first child. She is a graduate of Christendom’s undergraduate and graduate programs who for the past five years served as Associate Dean of Student Life, changing the lives of many students. Additionally, she was the Head Coach of the Women’s Basketball team for much of her time at Christendom. Colleagues and students alike will miss her. Luther Niehoff, the Administrative Director of Christendom’s Graduate School for the past 10 years, is retiring to Florida with his wife Claire. He ably served the Notre Dame Institute before and during the merger with Christendom College, and continued his good
Theology Professor Eric Jenislawski.
work at NDGS. Heidi Kalian, the former Assistant to the Dean of NDGS, has taken over this position and will be trying her best to fill his shoes. Happily Christendom also has added some faculty and staff to its family of dedicated employees. P. Bracy Bersnak, who taught as an adjunct professor for the past two and a half years, has been promoted to a full-time Assistant Professor of Political Science. Bersnak is working toward his doctorate at The Catholic University of America, where he also received his MA in Modern European History and Political Theory. Eric Jenislawski, after three years as an adjunct professor of Theology, has begun teaching full-time. A graduate of Yale University and Yale Divinity School, he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Physics, Philosophy, and Philosophical Theology. He then began doctoral study in Systematic Theology at The Catholic University of America. In 2004, he was admitted to PhD candidacy with distinction for performance on his comprehensive exams. He is presently writing his doctoral dissertation on the role of tradition in Biblical hermeneutics. Fred Fraser, a Classics Major from Christendom’s Class of 2003, has joined the Classics Department on a oneyear appointment. He has an MA in Classics from the University of Dallas and returns to Front Royal with his wife, Nicole, and their newborn, Fred Daniel. Niall O’Donnell joined Tom McFadden and the Admissions team this July as Assistant Director of Admissions and Marketing. O’Donnell graduated
Political Science & History Professor Bracy Bersnak.
Classics Professor Fred Fraser.
Nancy Bauer and Luther Niehoff will be sorely missed.
from Christendom in 2003 as an English Major. He then completed a three-year program at The Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, earning a Licentiate in Social Institutional Communications. Tambi Spitz, a psychology major from Benedictine College, has been hired to replace Nancy Bauer as Associate Dean of Students. Spitz is very excited to be working at Christendom. She brings with her years of experience in student affairs, as well as degrees in theology and student personnel administration.
Assistant Director of Admissions and Marketing Niall O’Donnell.
30th YEAR... In his homily, Bishop Loverde urged students “to make time for prayer,” using the riches the Church has handed down to us in liturgy and devotions such as rosaries and novenas. “It is through hearing that we see,” said the bishop, quoting St. Bernard of Clairvaux. “Taking time to listen to God through prayer we will see God and come to know Him.” The Chapel of Christ the King was teeming with newly arrived freshmen, returning students, and many family members. Of the 398 students enrolled this fall, 96 are freshmen. Fourteen percent of these are from Virginia, while the rest come from 32 other states and Canada. Fifty percent of them are men, an unusually high rate for liberal arts colleges nationally, and 50 percent of the freshmen were home schooled. “We had a record number of applications this year and, as usual, a waiting list,” Director of Admissions Tom McFadden said. “This year is looking to be one of our best. The new students’ spirits seem to be very high and I have no doubt that it’s the result of the Catholic air that they are breathing here—some for the first time.” Students are already enjoying many of the fine improvements on campus, including re-painted, recarpeted, and generally rejuvenated dormitories, and a beautiful new courtyard for Regina Coeli Hall.
Associate Dean of Student Life Tambi Spitz.
Continued from Front Page “These are just the start of a series of improvements that we are planning,” said Director of Operations Mike Foeckler. “There are plans for other quality enhancements and even the expansion of our Christ the King Chapel.” Students are also very enthusiastic about the new Pope John Paul II Student Center, which opened last spring. They can be found in the Center at many hours of the day and night, meeting with the deans or chaplains, collecting mail, relaxing in the game room, or conversing in St. Kilian’s Café. The growing success of the junior year semester abroad in Rome should be noted also. A total of 80 students are participating in the program this year and will spend an enriching three months in the Eternal City. Many will have the opportunity to greet Pope Benedict XVI in person. “I am delighted to see an increased interest in the semester abroad in Rome. It is so important in the formation of the Catholic mind to visit Rome—to see where we come from—our home away from home,” President Timothy O’Donnell said. “Encountering another culture, church history, and the roots of Western Civilization on such an intimate level is a beautiful experience that no one should miss.”
Published quarterly by the Christendom College Admissions & Marketing Office Managing Editor, Layout, Design: Tom McFadden Contributing Editor: Niall O’Donnell Copy Editor: Kathleen Blum Christendom College 134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630 (800) 877-5456 ~ www.christendom.edu Copyright © 2006. 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.
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Cardinal Arinze Presides Over Christendom’s 2006 NDGS Graduation
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There are not many commencements where the graduates are enjoined to assist at daily Mass because “the Mass is the most important and beautiful celebration which we have this side of heaven.” This is the charge Francis Cardinal Arinze gave to the 17 graduates of Christendom’s Notre Dame Graduate School, and there is little doubt that they will take it to heart. Cardinal Arinze further congratulated the graduates on reaching “a remarkable milestone as they conclude their rich years of education and formation in this dear college.” Each graduate earned a degree in Systematic Theology, Moral Theology, or Catechetics. Three of them also received the Advanced Apostolic Catechetical Diploma, a degree awarded by the Holy See.
Christendom alumna Mary McFadden Brand ‘98 received her MA in Theological Studies and the Advanced Apostolic Catechetical Diploma from Christendom’s NDGS on July 30.
NDGS graduate Dermot Winters greets His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze and kisses his ring after receiving his Master of Arts in Theological Studies.
In her address to the graduates, Valedictorian Jonna Dettlaff said, “We must ensure that the light of Truth reaches the ends of the earth. This is not an option for us, but an obligation, in accord with the very nature and vocation of the Church that Christ founded, beginning with the Apostles.” She concluded, “It is our duty to enlighten those who have not yet encountered Truth. To deprive our neighbors of Truth is an injustice to them, and in many cases, an insult to their intellectual and moral capacities. In living what we have come to know, we will, no doubt, bring light to the world.” Graduates hailed from varying backgrounds, such as, deacons, businessmen, teachers, and graduates of Christendom’s undergraduate programs.
NDGS Class of 2006 with Francis Cardinal Arinze and the faculty of NDGS.
NDGS Summer Program and VCI Merger Draws Record Numbers to Campus The successful merger of two very rich programs happened on campus this summer when Christendom’s Notre Dame Graduate School (NDGS) joined forces with the Institute on Religious Life’s (IRL) Vita Consecrata Institute (VCI) for the first time. The VCI is a summer program of spiritual renewal and
theological study focused on the consecrated life. The IRL has held the program at various retreat houses since 2001. Several of the Institute’s students have desired to work towards a master’s degree, and the IRL’s search for a graduate school whose mission was compatible with its own led to Christendom.
took a couple of day-long pilgrimages to the National Shrine Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and the Franciscan Monastery (Holy Land Shrine) in Washington, DC, and to Emmittsburg, MD.
Religious from two dozen orders took part in both the NDGS program and the VCI program over the six-week summer session held on the College’s Front Royal campus. This caused the Graduate School to post its largest ever summer session enrollment, with a total of 168 students (an increase of 97% over last year).
NDGS Student to Be New Diocesan Director of Religious Education
VCI professors included Fr. Thomas Dubay, SM, Fr. Thomas Nelson, O Praem, Fr. Brian Mullady, OP, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR, and Sr. Renee Mirkes, OSF. Four Nashville Dominicans enrolled in the NDGS Program.
Besides studying and praying, the students
Richard Armstrong, a current student at Christendom’s NDGS hoping to finish his graduate studies this fall and graduate next summer, has been hired by Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz as the new Director of the Diocesan Office of Religious Education in the Diocese of Knoxville, TN. A native of Virginia, Armstrong formerly served as Director of Religious Education at St. Benedict Parish and Chairman of the Theology Department at Benedictine High School, both in Richmond, VA. As a point of interest, Christendom graduate William Doran ‘99 has replaced Armstrong as Theology Department Chairman at Benedictine. According to a story in the East Tennessee Catholic, the newspaper of the Diocese of Knoxville, Armstrong’s vision for religious education is “centered on Christ.” “All catechetical efforts must be Christocentric in nature. Ultimately catechesis is about putting folks in communion with Jesus Christ. All efforts within a diocese, within a parish, also within a family should be geared toward that, putting them in touch with our Lord,” Armstrong said.
Religious from over 24 different orders took part in this year’s Vita Consecrata Institute held at Christendom’s Front Royal campus.
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INSTAURARE, October 2006
College Mourns Loss of Alumnus William Davulis Christendom College alumnus William Davulis ‘05 died of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident on August 8, 2006. William, a native of the Boston area, was 26 years old and the eldest of 10 children. Will was traveling home to visit his brother, Dominic, 17, who was dying from a brain tumor when the accident occurred. Dominic died 7 hours after William. Newspaper reporter Laura Crimaldi wrote a story on this tragic event, which appeared in the Boston Herald on August 10.
the Rev. Domenic Gentile, into the priesthood.
“William told him he would go with him. I said, ‘Why are you telling him that?’ And he said, ‘He wants to think someone’s going with him. Let him think what he wants to hear.’
“At about 9 pm, police came to the Davulis home to deliver the news that William, known to family as ‘Wonderful William,’ had died in the motorcycle accident while coming home from his job with the state Department of Education in Malden.
“The Davulis family got their first hint that William may have made good on his promise to Dominic, a longtime altar boy, when they heard about the motorcycle accident, which took place just minutes from their Oyster Bay Road home. They called around, but were unable to determine the identity of the victim at that point.
“Terina said her eldest daughter ‘brought it to my attention. She said, ‘Mom, do you remember William saying that he would go with Dominic?’ I said, ‘You’re right, he did.’”
“The family went forward with commendation of the soul for Dominic, who was unconscious “When Dominic got sicker, he and suffering from a 107-degree started asking people would they come with him,” said [his mother] William Davulis ‘05 died on August 8, 2006. temperature. Just before 7 pm, their father, William, ended the candlelit Terina, whose son was diagnosed prayers for the teen who had aspired to follow his uncle, with a terminal brain stem tumor on Dec. 20, 2005.
The story also states that Mrs. Davulis takes great comfort in the fact that both boys were wearing their brown scapulars when they died. Please keep the Davulis family in your prayers at this time. May the souls of William and Dominic rest in peace. Amen.
Christendom Gains Greater Notability Among College-Ranking Organizations As is the case each fall, various ranking organizations have published their annual college guides. Those published by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), Peterson’s, and US News and World Report list Christendom among the best liberal arts colleges in the nation.
Christendom appears in two Peterson’s college guides this year, Competitive Colleges and 440 Colleges for Top Students, and has already been notified that it will be included in the 2008 editions as well. The
In ISI’s All-American Colleges: Top Schools for Conservatives, OldFashioned Liberals, and People of Faith, Christendom joins an exclusive group of fifty colleges listed with an in-depth profile based on interviews with students, faculty, and administrators. In US News and World Report’s America’s Best Colleges, Christendom’s freshman retention rate (84%), alumnigiving rate (32%) and average SAT scores (1130-1330) are listed as the highest in its tier.
competitiveness of the admissions environment and the profile of students accepted resulted in Christendom’s presence in these guides, which “are limited to those schools that routinely attract and admit the greatest share of the nation’s best students,” Peterson’s Executive
Director Jeannette File-Lamb said. “It’s great to be featured in all of these college guides,” Director of Admissions Tom McFadden said. “I’m certain that next year many of our rankings will increase even more as a greater number of applications come in and Christendom’s strong liberal arts program continues to flourish.” Christendom’s numbers of applications received, visits to campus, and entering students all increased this year, due in part to the national recognition given to the College in these various guides.
Christendom Alumni Weddings
Alumni Weddings (clockwise from top left): Alaina Wozniak ‘04 and Ken Furlong ‘05; Michael Cerny and Bunny Martell ‘04; Nick Oligny ‘06 and Heidi Eubanks ‘06; Mary Hack ‘05 and Jeremy Sheiko ‘05; Jessica Carrano ‘00 and Marc-Pierre Jansen ‘02; Garrett Van Beek and Claire Jensen ‘03; Damian Dodge and Christy Coy ‘05; and Michael Marstall and Maria Brake ‘04.