Instaurare The Christendom College Quarterly Magazine
Spring 2012
Students Lead March for Life A Kiplinger Top 10 Private College The Trouble with Stem Cells
President Meets with Pope Alumni Succeed at IT Company Spring 2012
1
From the President
I
I am sure that those of you who have been reading these pages for some time have become very aware that there is something special happening here at Christendom College, something that is very important for our Church and our beloved nation. Here we are pursuing an arduous good: the pursuit of wisdom, both natural and supernatural.
‘ Here we are swimming against the
secular tide and following the inspired leadership of our beloved Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI. ’
This is a difficult and time-consuming task, but it certainly is one that is essential for our Church and beloved nation. Here at Christendom, we are offering an education that will prepare our students, not only for this life but also for that life which is to come! The importance of this task was acknowledged by the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council, who in the document Gaudium et Spes, taught, “The future of the world stands in peril unless wiser men are forthcoming.” We all have a special part to play in this new evangelization and in our efforts to rebuild a new Christian civilization. This has been a remarkable year for our college. The Intercollegiate Studies Institute has recognized Christendom as one of the top ten colleges in the country. Kiplinger also has recognized our outstanding academic program, and has acknowledged the incredible value of our liberal arts education, ranking us as one of the “best buys” in the nation. All of this is being achieved without federal funds, including federal student loans. As all of you are well aware, these are troubling economic times. In many ways, despite our efforts, the College yet remains one of the best kept secrets in Catholic higher education. This year we will be graduating the largest class in our history. One hundred students will receive their academic degrees. Next year there will be yet a new slate of bright, devout young people who will be coming to us to pursue this outstanding education. I continue to be struck by the timeliness of the mission of
2
Instaurare
Timothy T. O’Donnell, STD, KGCHS
Christendom College. Pope Benedict XVI, at a recent address said: It is imperative that the entire community and United States come to realize the grave threats to the church’s public moral witness presented by a radical secularism . . . Here, once more we see the need for an engaged, articulate, and well-formed laity endowed with a strong critical sense vis-à-vis, the dominant culture, and with the courage to counter a reductive secularism . . . The preparation of committed lay leaders and the presentation of a convincing articulation of the Christian vision of men and society remains a primary task of the church in your country. [Emphasis added] In the light of this serious and challenging exhortation from our Holy Father, clearly the flourishing of the College’s mission and its effort to assist young men and women in consecrating their intellects and wills to Christ has never been timelier. This is one of the reasons why I am making a special appeal in this Instaurare for your support. I ask for your prayers, your help to get the word out to your family, relatives, friends, and parish (including Catholic high schools and homeschoolers), sharing with them the great things that are taking place here at Christendom. I am also asking for your financial support. Please take advantage of the envelope inside this issue and support our work in combating radical secularism with a timely donation. All of you, through your support for our work here, are involved in something that is truly noble and heroic. Here we are swimming against the secular tide and following the inspired leadership of our beloved Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. Working together, we will be able to achieve great things for
‘ Please take advantage of the envelope inside this issue and support our work in combating radical secularism with a timely donation. ’
our beloved nation and our Church, ensuring that the precious patrimony of an authentic liberal arts education and our Catholic faith will be handed on to a new generation of faithful, articulate, and committed Roman Catholic leaders.
Table of Contents 2 Leading the March for Life On January 23, Christendom’s entire student body, and members of the faculty and staff, led hundreds of thousands in protesting abortion at the 39th Annual March for Life in Washington, DC.
12 IT Company Welcomes Alumni
2
Employers are seeking employees that will make their company excel, even in a tough economy. One IT company has found an excellent source of exemplary personnel in Christendom alumni. 4 Embryonic Stem Cell Research is “Unjustifiable” 5 President meets Pope 6 Mission Trips
12
7 New Online Giving Page 8 Crusader Basketball in Tournaments 10 New Career Development Program to Launch 11 Top 10 Best Value 14 Professor’s Book Now in Paperback 15 Translating the Untranslated
8
5
16 Summer Graduate Studies 17 Great Minds on Campus
INSTAURARE Published quarterly by the Christendom College Admissions & Marketing Office. Executive Editor: Tom McFadden Managing Editor & Layout: Niall O’Donnell Christendom College 134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630 800.877.5456 ~ christendom.edu Copyright © 2012. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided the following credit line is used: “Reprinted by permission from INSTAURARE, the quarterly magazine of Christendom College (christendom.edu).” SUBSCRIPTION FREE UPON REQUEST. Instaurare magazine (pronounced “in-sta-rar-ay”) receives its name from the Latin in the college’s motto, “Instaurare Omnia In Christo” or “To Restore All Things in Christ.” Christendom College does not discriminate against any applicant or student on the basis of race, sex, color, or national origin.
18 Standing Against the HHS Mandate Celebrating the Saints 19 Photos: Campus Life 20 Where in the World is Tim Flagg? Rugby Victories 21 Bozell’s Fight Against Abortion
Want more news from Christendom?
GO TO
christendom.edu/news
OR FIND US ON Spring 2012
1
Christendom College Leads the 39th Annual March for Life
O
On January 23, Christendom’s entire student body, and members of the faculty and staff, led hundreds of thousands in protesting abortion at the 39th Annual March for Life in Washington, DC. Select students were given the honor of carrying the lead March for Life banner as well as the official March for Life flags. This was the fourth time in the College’s 34 year history that it had been selected to lead the walk down Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court. “It was an honor and so exciting,” said sophomore Rebecca Deucher, one of the students given the opportunity to carry the lead banner. “Marching at the beginning gave you a sense of the order and unity of the movement—you felt like you were the March for Life.” Deucher’s brother, Peter, a freshman who carried one of the official flags, felt the same sense of unity. “We felt like a phalanx of prayer,” he said. “We were praying the rosary or singing hymns and it really reinforced our unity and our mission. We’re all there for one thing. The challenge for us
2
Instaurare
now is to continue leading today and tomorrow in the fight for the unborn—march at the front of the line.” “It’s a story I’ll be telling my kids about,” banner-carrier sophomore Klarissa Blank said. Blank noted that everyone kept their spirits high, despite the cold and rain, by “singing and cheering.” Throughout the March, between prayer and hymns, students shouted the classic chant, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Roe V. Wade has got to go,” and other rallying cries.
“What a great joy and honor it was to be with so many other faith-filled citizens,” College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell said. “Standing up for the sanctity of human life by leading the March was a great moment for our students to manifest concretely, through their actions, what they have learned in the classroom and help fulfill the College’s motto, ‘to restore all things in Christ.’” The March for Life, which is held each year to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s divisive 1973 decision that legalized abortion across the land, is consistently the largest protest event held in the District of Columbia each year. Since its founding, Christendom has routinely canceled classes on the day of the March, and the student activities council charters as many buses as needed to transport the entire College community to the March. Christendom students are active in pro-life work year round, leading prayerful protests at a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Washington once a week, as well as taking part in sidewalk counseling and volunteering at a local crisis pregnancy center.
Spring 2012
3
Ethicist Fr. Tad Pacholczyk Exposes the Problems of Embryonic Stem Cell Research
I
“I am convinced that the true measure of the greatness of a society is not in terms of its gross national product or its military might, but will always be in terms of how it treats its weakest members,” bioethicist Fr. Tad Pacholczyk told the students and faculty of Christendom College during a talk delivered on January 30. Part of the College’s Major Speakers Program, the talk clarified much of the confusion surrounding embryonic stem (ES) cell research and how the research violates the natural law.
Showing a magnified picture of an embryo on the tip of a sewing needle, he said that you should not be asking yourself how small it is.
Fr. Pacholczyk, who earned his PhD in Neuroscience at Yale University, explained that all ES cell research destroys human embryos. Due to the apparent flexibility of ES cells, the mainstream media and celebrities have been outspoken in their support of the research, but, in reality, it has yielded no practical medical applications.
Fr. Pacholczyk also informed students and faculty of a 1940 federal law that protected the bald eagle and its egg, giving equal ramifications to the harming of both the bird and the egg.
“What you should ask yourself is: ‘Isn’t this exactly what a young human is supposed to look like?’ And once you grasp that, then we have the foundation for a meaningful ethical discussion,” he said.
“If these animals are valuable for the purposes of preservation, you’re going to see that you safeguard them at all stages of their lifecycle—from the very beginning to very end,” Fr. Pacholczyk said. “What is so special about that egg? “As a former embryo What is inside that egg? It myself, I have strong is an embryonic eagle— objections to how the very same creature embryos are being that soars through the air. treated,” he quipped. As a former embryo myself, I have strong Even a perfect and resolute He noted that very little atheist can appreciate objections to how embryos are being treated. is heard about adult the reasonableness and stem cells that are extracted ethically from sources such as cogency of a federal law like that. And yet sadly—and the umbilical cord, placenta, amniotic fluid, bone marrow, strangely—the moment we begin to talk about our own liposuction fat cells, olfactory tissue, and cadavers. Research embryonic origins we go through all these mental connections using these stem cells has been very successful in the treatment and somersaults to try to convince ourselves that we never were of ailments like leukemia, spinal injuries, and immune system embryos—or whatever the false argument is—trying to justify deficiencies. the unjustifiable.”
‘
He listed ten types of stem cells and said that nine out of the ten types could be extracted and researched ethically according to the Catholic Church. “Most forms of stem cell research are ethical,” he said. “It is only a very narrow slice of the pie that raises moral objections.”
4
Instaurare
’
Christendom’s Major Speakers Program is an important aspect of the academic life at the College, offering the students and community an opportunity for cultural, intellectual, and spiritual enrichment beyond the classroom. The program offers students the opportunity to gain greater insights and depth of understanding of important issues, and to interact personally with a wide range of men and women who are shapers and critics of our society.
O’Donnell Address Pontifical Council and Meets with Pope
C
College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell delivered an address during the 20th Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family in Rome, Italy. Held November 29 - December 1, the assembly examined Blessed Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio and the challenges facing the family today. O’Donnell’s address was well received by church hierarchy and members of the Council and on the final day he met with Pope Benedict XVI. “It was a great experience to once more encounter the Catholicity of the Church, with people gathered from so many different continents—all who are deeply concerned about the great human good which is marriage and the family,” O’Donnell said.
“We must also proclaim joyfully, yes, and prophetically, the Church’s teaching concerning the beauty of fatherhood, motherhood, and children as blessings, and the evil of contraception, which destroys this sacred bond,” he said. O’Donnell was thrilled to be with the Holy Father again. “I took his hands and said, ‘Greetings from Christendom College,’” O’Donnell recounted of his meeting with the Pope. “Ah, yes! God bless you,” was the Pontiff’s reply.
His address discussed the cultural and social situation of the family in North America today. O’Donnell, who was appointed to the Council in 2002 by Blessed Pope John Paul II, presented a stark image of the family in America, highlighting many of the challenges facing it, including the radical homosexual movement, the pornography industry, and the general disrespect for human life. He concluded with a rallying cry to courageously proclaim the Truth. O’Donnell and his wife, Cathy, with the Council’s President, Ennio Cardinal Antonelli.
Spring 2012
5
Sixteen Percent of Students Go on Mission Trips
I
“I went expecting to be of service to the locals, but instead came home having received so much more from the people than I ever could have given them,” sophomore Theresa Francis said of her recent mission trip to the Dominican Republic. She was one of the 58 students (16% of the Front Royal campus’ student body) who went on four different mission trips across the globe during spring break. “The trip was incredible on so many different levels,” she said. Along with her, seventeen other students, two faculty members, and one alumna traveled to Banica in the Dominican Republic (DR). In Banica, students worked with the missionary efforts to the DR, said that his experience in the DR was one that cannot of the Arlington Diocese. Another group, comprised of thirteen be described in words and recommends that every student go students and one staff member, went to Peru and worked with on a mission trip at least once in their college career. the Missionary Servants of the Poor of the Third World. A third trip went to Honduras, where thirteen students and a “I promise it will be life-changing,” he said. “The work was hard staff member worked with the Missioners of Christ. Fourteen and draining at times, but so rewarding—seeing the smile on all the locals’ faces. You need to see it for students and a staff member travelled to You could see the face of yourself to really understand. Having the Bronx where they worked with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Christ in everyone you would an entire week of pure self-giving to the poor people in Banica helped me “Every year I am impressed with the meet—especially the children. to realize how lucky I am in everything that I have.” generosity of our students,” Mission Trips Program Director Mike Brown said. “It’s a testament to the quality Angelica Cintorino, a sophomore, said her experience was of students we have here. Most “amazing and unforgettable.” college students are worried about their week at the beach during “You could see the face of Christ in everyone you would meet— spring break, but these students especially the children,” she said. are worried how they can help others and be leaders for Christ.” Besides the missionary trips offered during academic breaks, students assist those in need on a local level through the student Each student was responsible for club Outreach. The club visits nursing homes, works at soup raising the funds to go on their kitchens, sponsors canned food drives, as well as volunteers at respective mission trips, which are Habitat for Humanity and the local Crisis Pregnancy Center. Throughout the year students respond to Christendom’s motto often life-changing experiences. of “restoring all things in Christ,” and sacrifice their free time Kirk Slocum, a senior who traveled for those in need.
‘
’
6
Instaurare
College Launches New Versatile Giving Webpage
C
Christendom College launched a new comprehensive giving webpage that makes online giving intuitive and easy. The new page provides a host of payment and giving options in one, user-friendly location. There is no need to create an account, and all the information is entered on one page in a secure form at: christendom.edu/gift “The new donation form is very versatile,” says Director of Development Operations Paul Jalsevac. “Donors now have the opportunity to increase the impact of their gifts by setting up recurring gifts, with payments that are regularly debited from a bank account or credit card on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis.”
steady and reliable stream of support that limits administrative costs,” Jalsevac says. The form also enables donors to support the College through simple ACH/direct debit transactions, in addition to all major credit cards. ACH/ direct debit transactions are made by selecting the “eCheck” payment option and entering a routing number and account number. All payments are processed through a webbased secure system. The system is a Level 1 PCI Compliant Payment Gateway that complies with The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
“The recurring gift option offers donors a convenient and flexible donation method while providing the College with a
Credit card and direct debits can also be made over the phone by calling the Advancement Office at 800.877.5456 ext. 1251.
Our Summer Programs Change Lives High School Programs
Graduate Programs
Experience Christendom Session 1: June 16-23 Session 2: June 24-July 1 Session 3: July 7-14 Session 4: July 15-22
Residential School June 25-August 4
Latin Immersion July 22-28
Vita Consecrata Institute Session 1: July 2-14 Session 2: July 16-28
Find out more and register at christendom.edu/summer
Spring 2012
7
Strong Finish TOUGH SEASON to a
Crusaders Snatch Victories in Tournaments
A
After the Lady Crusaders’ first winning season last year, the team sought to continue the success. Playing a rigorous 21 game schedule, which included seven Division III opponents and a grueling stretch of seven games in 13 days, the Lady Crusaders pulled through with an 11-10 record securing consecutive winning seasons under second year Head Coach Mike Brown.
8
Instaurare
“It was a tough schedule, from road trips to playing every-other day to tough opponents, but the team hung in there and, in fact, saved their best game for the last game of the season,” Brown says. “I couldn’t be more proud of their determination and resolve.” In the final game of the season, the Lady Crusaders hosted the Davis College Falcons who had beaten them by three points earlier in the season, not once, but twice. The third game would be far different, with the Lady Crusaders finishing with a 60-43 victory over the Falcons. Sophomore Klarissa Blank, along with seniors Jane Kokes and Emily Baldwin, were nominated for the USCAA National AllAcademic team. Sophomore’s Morgan Kavanagh and Mary Barbale finished in the top 15 in the USCAA national ranking for average points per game.
court, but the final game of the season saw a 29-point swing as the Crusaders won by 10 points. In the game, senior Dominic O’Donnell put his stamp on the game with a double-double performance of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Christian Kopeck added 10 important points off the bench and senior Brian Fox, who played limited minutes due to foul trouble, finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Fox joined an elite group of Crusader alumni by finishing with over 1,000 points in his 4-year career. The Crusaders say farewell to the graduating seniors Jane Kokes, Emily Baldwin, Dominic O’Donnell, Pat Stein, and Brian Fox and look forward with much excitement to next season.
The men’s basketball team battled through a tough season, but finished on a high note. Despite numerous injuries throughout the season and the loss of five juniors to the Rome program this spring, the Crusaders competed well throughout the season. After sitting out the fall season while recovering from an ACL injury, freshman Joe Walsh made his presence felt during the months of January and February. Walsh, who is the second recipient of the Thomas S. Vander Woude Memorial ScholarAthlete Scholarship, led the Crusaders in scoring during the spring semester games with just over 16 points a game. The last game of the season might have been the highlight of the year as the Crusaders defeated the host team, Mid-Atlantic Christian Mustangs to claim the third place in the Shenandoah Chesapeake Conference tournament. Just one week prior, the Mustangs had torched the Crusaders by 19 on Christendom’s
Spring 2012
9
Career Development Program Ready for Launch
F
For many, the idea of attending a liberal arts college may seem like a waste of time and money. These same people believe that, in order to achieve success in today’s ever-changing job market, it is imperative to earn a so-called “useful” degree, one that is narrowly focused and job specific. And then there are others who believe that earning a liberal arts degree, one that gives a student a broad education in a variety of areas, is, in fact, the answer to today’s problems, and that’s the mindset of those involved with Christendom College. In an effort to alleviate some of the many fears that parents and prospective students may have about earning a liberal arts degree and then their ability to land a decent job upon graduation, last year, Christendom introduced its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), “Education for a Lifetime: Christendom’s Academic and Professional Integration Program” (ELP). The goal of the “Education for a Lifetime” program is to enhance the students’ learning environment by integrating their career discernment into their liberal arts education. The program will achieve this through a series of courses set to launch in the fall of 2012. The courses, CCOL 101 and 301, worth one credit each and earned over a two-year period, will consist of both classroom sessions and mandatory workshops. Director of Career Development Mike Mochel believes that, through these courses, students will not only demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of a liberal arts education, but gain leadership skills and become more aware of their personality preferences. “All these will be incorporated into their plans for their personal growth here at Christendom,” Mochel says. “In the end, students will develop a personalized career portfolio through a program that fully respects Christendom’s mission and strong liberal arts tradition.”
those next steps may be. The first of the courses, CCOL 101, is designed for freshman and sophomores. The course covers topics such as the value of a liberal arts education, concepts of leadership and service, basic library research skills, the functions and attitudes of their personality, and how their interests may influence their future choice of major and career. Structured similarly to CCOL 101, CCOL 301 will begin to focus juniors and seniors more specifically on preparing for the transition from college into whatever comes next. Students will learn how to carry their liberal arts education into the world beyond college; how to apply what they’ve learned about leadership and service during their time at Christendom into their lives as members of Christ’s Church and society after graduation; and how to translate their personality preferences and interests into careers in which they can thrive, both personally and professionally. Students will also participate in workshops on writing effective resumes and interviewing skills. This program has come through a long and very thoughtful process to get to this point, and it forms the right blend of respect for Christendom’s mission and tradition with the desire to do more for its students in preparing them for success after graduation.
The program will establish a commitment to do more as a college in instilling a greater confidence in the students’ ability to take their next steps following graduation, whatever
10
Instaurare
Director of Career Development Mr. Mike Mochel goes over the ELP course work with Sophomores Peter McShurley and Maeve Gallagher.
College Ranked a National Top 10 Private College
C
Christendom has been included in Kiplinger’s exclusive list of the “Top 10 Private Colleges with the Lowest Sticker Price.” The magazine, which earlier ranked Christendom as a “best value” among the nation’s private institutions, ranked the College as third in the nation for its high-quality academics and affordable cost. “You don’t have to pay a fortune—or rely on financial aid—to attend a top-quality private college or university,” Kiplinger’s website states. The site features a photo of the College’s library on its homepage as well as a photo of students in a slideshow highlighting the ten institutions. The average cost of one year at a four-year private school has lately been about $37,000, according to the College Board. “Christendom’s cost, including room and board, comes in well below the average at $29,570,” says Christendom’s Director of Admissions Tom McFadden. “And many students are able to deduct up to $21,000 off that price through our robust financial aid program. Assistance will vary in size—based on need, merit, and other factors—but you’re not going to find our caliber of education and personal formation anywhere in the country— especially at a price like that.” Christendom, which does not accept federal funds, is able to maintain its affordability in this economic climate through the generosity of its many donors, who are committed to keeping Christendom affordable for the students. “Not taking Title IV federal funds puts us at a financial
disadvantage,” Vice President for Advancement John Ciskanik says. “But this leaves us uniquely free to be unwaveringly Catholic and to have a program that flourishes in true academic freedom. The support of our loyal donors allows us to keep our education accessible in the absence of federal funds.” Recently ranked one of the top ten colleges in the nation by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, Christendom appears in numerous other national secular and religious guides each year.
N o t e w o r t h y College President Dr.Timothy O’Donnell received The Bowie Kuhn Special Award for Evangelization on February 4.The Award was presented during the 2012 Legatus Summit, which celebrated Legatus’ 25th Anniversary, by Tom Monaghan.
Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, Papal Nuncio to the United States, visited Christendom College on March 18. His first visit to the campus of a Catholic college, the archbishop celebrated Mass for the students and faculty and then joined them for brunch.
Spring 2012
11
A
GreatFit
Christendom Alumni Excel in Fast-Paced IT Company
U
Unemployment rates in the United States spiked to 10% in 2009 and have had a tough time coming back down.The current job market finds employers seeking the best—employees that will make their company excel, even in a tough economy. One IT company, immixGroup, has found an excellent source of exemplary personnel in Christendom alumni.
Five Christendom alumni are working in technology sales for immixGroup. Located in McLean, VA, immixGroup’s goal is to help companies grow and manage their public sector business while providing their government customers with reliable access to the technology products and services they demand. The company has had such a successful experience with Christendom’s alumni that they are looking for more to join their teams. “They are a ‘must interview,’” says Cindy Carci, Director of Sales at immixGroup. “They have a great work ethic which follows the ethics you teach at the school. They are bright with a penchant for continuous learning. I found that they have all the traits you want your own child to have – truthful, courteous, good
12
Instaurare
interpersonal skills, respectful, and grateful.” Alumni Steve Storey (’00), Daniel Corey (’03), Maureen Dalley (’10), Ryan Doughty (’10), and Peter McNeely (’12) are excelling in the work at immixGroup, thanks to their Christendom liberal arts education. Doughty is an account manager and has wanted to get into sales since he was in high school. At immixGroup, he works to build relationships with various government agency representatives and their channel partners in order to secure quotes and sales of company software and other products. He has found that within the business world, companies are looking outside the norm for future employees.
Alumni Steve Storey (’00), Daniel Corey (’03), Maureen Dalley (’10), Ryan Doughty (’10), and Peter McNeely (’12) are excelling in the work at immixGroup thanks to their Christendom liberal arts education.
“This benefits liberal arts majors,” Doughty says. “Not only are we getting a well rounded education, but we have the ability to train and the willingness to learn—and that’s what these technology business companies are looking for within future employees.” A history major, Doughty says that his education has also assisted in his business writing and gave him a drive to excel within the company.
‘ Not only are we getting a well rounded education, but we have the ability to train and the willingness to learn—and that’s what these technology business companies are looking for... ’ McNeely, who finished his coursework for a major in political science and economics this past December, is also an account manager with the company. Like Doughty, he believes his Christendom degree has given him an edge at the start of his career. McNeely describes skills like networking, communication, and the conveying of ideas as integral parts of the business. “Whether you are trying to argue supremacy of the Jewish religious culture in Dr. O’Donnell’s Ancient Biblical World class, or debating a bioethics topic in Dr. Mashner’s Apologetics, or attempting to market your product and services in sales—
being able to convey your ideas and express your thoughts well is an invaluable skill to have,” McNeely says. “That is one very visible way that those skills that you hone at Christendom are immediately transferable into the sales world.” McNeely says that Christendom did not just give him the skills needed to succeed, but also a mission for life: “to restore all things in Christ.” “We may not all do great things for the Church itself,” he says, “but many of us must ‘restore all things in Christ’ by the silent, unnoticed witness that we give to Christendom, to our Church, and our Faith.” Doughty recalls the words attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, “preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” “Most of the colleagues I work with are of different faiths and backgrounds,” Doughty says. “So I try to be an example of Christ to my fellow employees, while also respecting the workplace.” Storey, Dalley, and Corey work as account managers as well. The dedication and example of these alumni is witnessed by all–including their supervisors. “We appreciate the fact that they are present every day and are continuously focused on getting to the end of a job,” Carci says. “They all seem to have a unique quality—loyalty—which we value most of all.”
Spring 2012
13
History Professor’s Book Goes Paperback
A
Associate Professor of History Dr. Adam Schwartz has recently seen the publication of his book, The Third Spring: G.K. Chesterton, Graham Greene, Christopher Dawson, and David Jones in a paperback edition by The Catholic University of America Press. “It was a very pleasant surprise,” Schwartz says of the issuance of his study in paperback. “Most academic titles do not make it to paperback these days, so I am very flattered, and humbled, by the press’ regard for my work. I hope that its availability in this format will bring more readers to an appreciation of these authors and their achievement.” Originally published in 2005, The Third Spring profiles the spiritual journeys and religious and cultural beliefs of four seminal members of the Catholic literary revival in twentiethcentury Britain. Although British Catholics were a “rejected minority” for much of modern history, they saw remarkable renewal in the twentieth century, as a disproportionate numbers of the ages’ leading minds joined their ranks as converts. They did so at a time of growing secularization, regarding Roman Catholicism as a superior explanation of life’s meaning and direction than that proposed by the “confident agnosticism” ascendant among the literati. Each of Schwartz’s subjects was an acknowledged leader in his field of work—Chesterton as a man of letters, Greene a novelist, Dawson an historian, and Jones a poet—and together they made lasting contributions to British intellectual life while making Catholicism an indelible part of modern British culture. The Third Spring has been highly acclaimed since its publication. Stratford Caldecott of the Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture called it “a remarkable, indeed a staggering book…a
brilliant study.” Dr. Trevor Lipscombe, Director of the Catholic University of America Press, echoed this praise when announcing the paperback edition, terming Schwartz’s study a “notable work…of lasting influence.”
Save the Date October 5, 2012
Join us in kicking-o ff Homecom ing!
Thomas S. Vander Woude Memorial Golf Tournament at the Blue Ridge Shadows Golf Course 14 Instaurare
TTranslating the
untranslated
Graduate Students Working on Suárez Translation
S
Students of Latin at Christeendom’s Graduate School in Alexandria, VA, are collaborating with theology professor Dr. RJ Matava on a translation of Francisco Suárez’s Disputations 8 and 9, which have never been translated into English. These metaphysical disputations on truth and falsity are being translated as part of an elective Latin course requested by the students.
communicate the experiences that we all have. It’s a different code for structuring thoughts and expressing ideas, but the ideas and thoughts themselves are universal,” she says.
“The dedication and enthusiasm of these students is truly outstanding,” says Matava. “Seeing there was more to learn after their first course in Latin, they requested an intermediate course last semester. Now, they’re back for more.”
“A renewed Latin literacy among Catholic theologians,” he says, “would likely facilitate a sense of continuity in the Christian tradition.”
After completing their introduction to Latin grammar early this semester, the students—Stephanie Pacheco, Vladimir Rudenko, and Michael French—are spending the remaining ten weeks in a reading group where they practice reading the Latin text aloud, then rendering it into English in a live group setting. The progress of the reading group will assist Matava with a translation of Suárez’s Metaphysical Disputations 8-9 which he hopes to have drafted with an introduction and notes by next summer. “As master degree students, being able to translate philosophical texts from Latin allows us to touch directly the Doctors and teachers of the Church and hear their teachings in their own words,” says French.
All students hope to continue their theological studies beyond the master’s level after Christendom. Rudenko considers Latin “essential to the pursuit of serious study in Theology.”
Matava says that it has been an exciting experience to lead the class. “Besides the translation itself, one of our aims is to discover whether there are any connections between Suárez’s idea of truth and his theory of Divine providence.” Francisco Suárez, S.J. (1548-1617) is an important transitional figure in the history of Catholic thought, bridging medieval scholasticism and modernity. His Metaphysical Disputations are one of the most influential works in the history of philosophy.
For Pacheco, learning Latin has been “like opening the eyes of my mind in a different way.” “Human language is designed to
Spring 2012
15
Growing in Wisdom at Graduate Summer Program
W
While many graduate schools offer classes during the summer, the opportunity to obtain an MA in Theological Studies over the span of four summers sets Christendom apart. What makes the experience of this summer residential program unique is that it is both an academic program and a spiritual retreat. The studies are demanding, but the benefits of the fellowship and the availability of a rich liturgical and sacramental life exceed even the rigors of the work. At a time when many people would rather opt for the convenience of online or distance courses, Christendom’s graduate school summer program provides an environment that fosters true community, dialogue, and a culture of authentic leisure. While we are tempted in our “work-a-day world” to think of leisure simply as a “temporary break from work,” Christendom offers summer residents an opportunity to engage in the type of leisure described by the philosopher Josef Pieper: “an attitude of inner unpreoccupiedness; that form of being silent which is a prerequisite for attending to reality; an attitude involving a contemplative and celebratory gazing at the world.” This true leisure is at the very basis of graduate theology studies at Christendom’s summer program. Students spend six weeks each summer at the College’s Front Royal campus, in the picturesque Shenandoah River valley in Virginia. Each day, students can see the beautiful foothills as they walk across campus to the chapel, to class, to the library, or to meals. The Shenandoah River borders the campus, and students are able to drop a canoe or kayak in the water for some physical exercise and recreation. The graduate theology classes are held in the library—a building that is arguably one of the best of a small private college—and begin with prayer to remind students that one does not cease to pray as one studies and learns. The courses are rooted in the living tradition of the Church: Sacred Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, the perennial wisdom of Saint Thomas Aquinas,
16
Instaurare
ecumenical councils, papal writings, and the lived witness of the saints. Because the class size is small (12-18 students), there is plenty of time available for questions and discussion. It becomes evident that the graduate students seek wisdom with their professors and not simply from them. The professors generously make themselves available outside of class (even during meals) to clarify points and answer questions, to engage in discussions, or simply to “hang out” with the students. Students attend classes with lay people, priests, and consecrated religious dedicated to serving the Church as teachers, pastors, and directors of religious education. There are opportunities for conversations, libations, games, and other forms of recreation. Students eat, pray, play, talk, and study together. Students are able to meet other “workers in the vineyard” and to share insights regarding their respective apostolates, and above all, to experience the gift of true friendship rooted in love for Christ and His Church. This summer’s residential program will be held from June 25-August 4.
Great Minds on Campus Author and Professor Dr. Susan Hanssen delivered a lecture entitled Henry Adams on the Sanity or Suicide of America to the students and faculty on February 27. The lecture, part of the College’s Faith & Reason Lecture Series, examined the history of education in America and Henry Adams’ perception of it. Hanssen, an associate professor of history at the University of Dallas, was the 20102011 Garwood Fellow at the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, where she prepared her forthcoming book on The Education of Henry Adams and the role of education in maintaining cultural identity in America.
Historian Dr. Emmet Kennedy delivered a lecture entitled The Survival of a NonJuror: the Abbé Sicard and the Founding of the National Institute of Deaf-Mutes during the Reign of Terror to the students and faculty on March 12. The lecture was part of the College’s Faith & Reason Lecture Series. Kennedy, a professor emeritus a t G e o r g e Wa s h i n g t o n University, is currently an adjunct professor of history at Christendom College. He is a world-renowned expert on the French Revolution and author of many celebrated works on it, including A Cultural History of the French Revolution. Kennedy’s lecture examined the life of Roch-Ambroise Sicard, a priest who educated the deaf and mute during the Reign of Terror. Sicard avoided execution twice during the tumultuous times of the French Revolution. Kennedy examined whether Sicard was a “jilouette,” that is, a turncoat who changed with every regime and tailored himself to meet the new requirements. Author and Economist Dr. Andrew M. Yuengert delivered a lecture entitled Prudence and Economic Models of Choice on November 30. Yuengert explained that there are things in the Aristotelian account of human behavior that cannot be captured in the formulaic approach of economists. Yuengert, a Professor of Economics at Pepperdine University, is the author of The Boundaries of Technique: Ordering Positive and Normative Concerns in Economic Research. His lecture was based on a book he is currently working on.
Renowned scholar and author Dr. Russell Hittinger delivered the annual St. Thomas Aquinas Lecture to the students and faculty of Christendom College on January 27. The talk, which examined the nature of societies and marriage, was entitled, Are Societies Made Unto the Image and Likeness of God? A Thomistic Response to a Disputed Issue. Since 1996, Hittinger is the incumbent of the William K. Warren Chair of Catholic Studies at the University of Tulsa, where he is also a research professor in the School of Law. Specializing in issues of philosophy, theology, and law, he is a former Christendom College professor. In his lecture, Hittinger delved into the works of St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Leo XIII, and other popes to illustrate how the image of God is reflected in a society.
Spring Spring2012 2012
17 17
College Stands with Bishops Against HHS Mandate
I
In a statement made by Christendom College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, the College joins with the bishops and the many Catholic organizations in protesting the Obama Administration’s HHS Mandate, which forces individuals and organizations to violate their religious principles by providing drugs that cause abortion, as well as contraceptive and sterilization coverage to employees. “Christendom College is proud to lend its voice to the general outcry throughout our nation to this ugly assault on religious freedom, perpetrated by the Obama Administration,” O’Donnell says. “We are very grateful for the leadership by Cardinal-designate Archbishop Timothy Dolan, our own Bishop Paul Loverde, and the Virginia Catholic Conference in this crucial matter.” The College has been battling this issue on the state level in Virginia since 2009 and still has not received a satisfactory answer in its demand for religious exemption in the area of contraception coverage. O’Donnell says that the HHS Mandate is an issue that will affect not only Catholics, but also all Americans.
“Even an atheist can see that this is wrong,” he says. “This mandate is basically saying to Catholics in the United States, ‘you can no longer be a good American citizen and a practicing Roman Catholic.’” O'Donnell recalls the famous statement by Martin Niemöller who commented on the inactivity of German intellectuals during the persecutions in Nazi Germany: First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak out because I was Protestant. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me. “The American people need to be united against this attack on the very principles on which our great nation was founded,” O’Donnell says. “Our founding fathers came to America for this right to religious freedom. Their children should not be denied it.”
Celebrating the Saints
T
The Christendom College community celebrated the Feast of St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 with a traditional Irish dinner and a night of song and dance.
18
Instaurare
On March 19, in honor of St. Joseph, a procession was held along with an Italian feast of pastas, breads, and pastries.
Winter at Christendom
2
This 1
3
4
6
5
7
8
9
11
10
12
1. Swinging at Sadie Hawkins Dance / 2. Freshman Gabby Cintorino performs at Pub Night / 3. Fr. Brett Brannen speaks on “fraternal charity� / 4. Discerning at Discernment Weekend / 5. Deal Hudson speaks on prudence in politics / 6. Masquerade at Mardi Gras Dance / 7. Chester-Belloc Debate Society / 8. Spring 2012 Rome Program Students Enjoy Assisi / 9. Eagle Scout Sunday / 10. Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde Visits During Discernment Weekend / 11. Crusader Basketball / 12. Lady Crusader Spring 2012Basketball 19
Where in the World is Tim Flagg?
W
Hello, Florida!
While traveling in Florida recently, College Philanthropy Officer Tim Flagg had the pleasure of visiting Bob and Mimi Wiedert. Both are retired military—she from the Navy and he from the Marines. The Weiderts spent most of their careers in the DCNorthern Virginia area before transferring to Norfolk, VA, in 1997. After 2000, they moved to their current home in Florida. While traveling years ago, the Weiderts stopped to visit St. John the Baptist parish in Front Royal where they ran into longtime College benefactors Gene and Cathy Wurster. “We were talking to the Wursters and they said we should definitely visit Christendom while we were so nearby, so we did,” Mimi says. This happened at a time when the college was on break, but they were able to meet Admissions Director Tom McFadden who, after
learning of Mimi’s l ov e o f s a c r e d and liturgical music, gave her some albums by the Christendom College Choir and Schola. The Weiderts admire Choir Director Kurt Poterack’s talent and the significant brilliance he brings to the music program at Christendom. “I just love the beautiful music coming out of Christendom, and the beautiful minds,” she says. “We want to perpetuate Christendom and what it stands for. We believe in the College— more than ever, our culture needs what Christendom students are being equipped to share.”
Crusader Rugby Crushes American University, Beats Catholic U
I
In its first-ever home game, the Christendom College rugby team defeated the American University Eagles by a score of 40-7 on February 25. Playing on the former Warren County Middle School football field, the Crusaders played one of their best games ever, bringing home a win against a very seasoned and tough team. Tries were scored by Seniors Gabe Schuberg, Paddy Norton, Matthew Worley, and Junior John Schofield. On St. Patrick’s Day, the Crusaders travelled to DC to play Catholic University of America, where they pulled out a narrow victory over the Cardinals, winning 18-17. Paddy Norton, Bobby Crnkovich, and Larry Urgo scored the tries for the team.
20
Instaurare
Omnia in Christo L. Brent Bozell’s Fight Against Abortion
N
No issue set L. Brent Bozell against America more than abortion. If Bozell’s views on war and capitalism seemed to place him at the left end of the political spectrum of the time, his opposition to abortion left no doubt that he had moved well beyond the conventional spectrum of American politics. For Bozell, the growing acceptance of abortion in the late 1960’s convinced him that America lacked the moral, religious, and cultural resources to save itself. In two 1968 Triumph essays, “The Death of the Constitution” and “The Autumn of Our Country,” he renounced his earlier argument that the disarray in contemporary America stemmed from a betrayal of the principles of the Founders. Extending his earlier critique of libertarianism to the whole American political tradition, Bozell argued that the American Constitutional system had not only failed, but that it had to fail. Rejecting the distinction between liberal and conservative, Bozell insisted that America had been liberal right from the start. The American Creed—that is, any philosophy one could derive from the Constitution—had been from the start a revolt against God, an affirmation of the human power to shape the world apart from divine guidance. What was implicit in “Freedom or Virtue?” became explicit in these later articles: without belief in God (more specifically, Jesus Christ) it makes no sense to talk about values or the “permanent things” or any of the other warm fuzzy words traditionalist conservatives threw around in ecumenical settings. Americans had always placed freedom first, and that demonic impulse was now bearing its bitterest fruit in the affirmation of the freedom to destroy human life in the womb. At the peak of his alienation from America, Bozell remained enough of a “movement” conservative to believe that this problem could be addressed through some form of political action. In 1970, Bozell and a group of anti-abortion activists who dubbed themselves the “Sons of Thunder” staged an event they called “Action for Life,” a protest outside an abortion clinic at the George Washington University hospital. The National Review was appalled. First, Buckley and his editorial board had long been skittish on the issue of abortion; then as now, it was an issue mainstream conservatives preferred to avoid. Second, the tactics the “Sons of Thunder” employed smacked of the black power and anti-war protests conservatives had railed against for years. Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, the National Review objected to the introduction
Christopher Shannon, PhD
of foreign symbols and slogans into American politics—Bozell and his fellow protestors wore red Carlist berets and shouted Spanish Catholic slogans such as “Viva Christo Rey!” This last criticism, seemingly the most petty, actually speaks most directly to the vision of cultural politics emerging in Bozell’s struggle with America. The editors at the National Review were in effect accusing the anti-abortion protesters of being un-American. Bozell himself was beginning to see that the conservative tendency to make some notion of America as the ultimate arbiter of all moral and political issues was part of the problem. Anticipating some of John Paul II’s thinking, Bozell realized that positive, meaningful change on the abortion issue would not come simply by changing abortion laws. Unlike the contemporary Christian Right, Bozell rejected the idea of advancing legislation to restore a Christian America. Instead, he proposed a politics that would work toward building up communities that made it possible to be Christian in America. Bozell called this t h e p o l i t i c s o f “t h e L. Brent Bozell and William F. Confessional Tribe.” His Buckley, Jr., with a copy of their book, own tribe was Catholicism, McCarthy and His Enemies. but his political vision could apply to any traditionalist community: “If Christians wished to offer a program to America, it would be spiritual lebensraum (breathing space). It would be freedom to work a soil, to breed a culture in which the Christian seed could grow. It would be the opportunity to build a city hospitable to Christian living.” This city, or really tribe, would have the Church as its foundational institution, followed by the family and then the school. The tribe would be a community of persons first and laws second. It would be based on affinity rather than coercion; exclusive, it would nonetheless be open to new members. It would, moreover, be a movement in, but not of, America: “Its purpose is not to reform the American system. It is not to destroy the American system. The movement’s purpose is to be the Christian system.” A graduate of Yale, Dr. Christopher Shannon is a professor of history at Christendom College and author of the highly acclaimed Bowery to Broadway: The American Irish in Classic Hollywood Cinema. The above is an excerpt from his a talk given at the Annual Senior Dinner.
Non-Profit U.S. POSTAGE PAID Huntington, IN Permit # 832
35 134 Christendom Drive Front Royal, VA 22630
Return Service Requested
S av e t he Dat e s Returning to the Roots of Christendom
35th Anniversary Pilgrimage to Spain & Portugal
For more information contact oruhl@christendom.edu.
22
Instaurare
GA
October 12-21, 2012
ANNIVERSARY th
LA
APRIL 6, 2013
Featuring
H. E. Card. Raymond Burke Chairman of Honorary Dinner Committee
Westfields Chantilly, Virginia