Instaurare The Christendom College Quarterly Magazine
Summer 2012
Largest Why to be t n a w you L ARTS A R E B I aL in this major y econom
graduating
Class in College History
A Student’s Pro-Life Legal Victory Chairman of the Board Defends Vatican Va. Attorney General Cuccinelli Addresses Students Crusader Athletics’ Consecutive Wins1 Summer 2012
From the President
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Many in our modern day world take the notion of progress as an article of faith. Thomas Fox, the editor of the National Catholic Reporter recently wrote: “The Vatican is on the wrong side of history . . . not even the popes can hold out forever against the tides of history.” On the other hand, C. S. Lewis once observed, “We all want progress . . . but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” This past May, Christendom College graduated the largest class in her history, a joyous yet bittersweet farewell, as our graduates launch out into the next phase of life. I had the opportunity to speak with many of them in the exit interviews and discuss with many of them their senior thesis topics. In the light of these conversations and a common theme in their thesis topics, I thought I would focus this column on marriage and the family. In the United States right now, we are facing a slew of attacks on marriage and the family. In addition to judicial assaults, with certain courts seeking to force a change in fundamental public policy, our Catholic Vice President just recently spoke out in favor of so-called “gay marriage,” which is neither “gay” nor “marriage.” And now, our nation’s president has said that his “thinking has evolved,” and he also is in favor of “gay marriage.” One shudders to think what four more years of evolution might bring!
Timothy T. O’Donnell, STD, KGCHS
Institute for American Values, an institute which uses sociological data to judge the health of marriage in the United States. He states, Ever y single pathology, problem, or difficulty a child can experience, every single one—growing up outside of a married couple home elevates the risk. Clearly, we all know that outside the Holy Family there is no perfect family. All of us are wounded by sin. Nevertheless, statistics reveal clearly the importance of the traditional understanding of marriage as the union in which a man and woman bind themselves together for life, a union that is directed per se to the propagation and education of children. An especially crucial concern today is the absence of fathers. This absence of fathers in the home, whether physically or emotionally, was noted by John Paul II in Familiaris Consortio. The pontiff wrote: Above all where social and cultural conditions so easily encourage a father to be less concerned with his family . . . efforts must be made to restore socially the conviction that the place and task of the father in and for the family is of unique and irreplaceable importance. We live in an age in which it is important for us to restate the obvious. It is very clear that the parental presence of both mother and father in the home is essential for the child’s emotional health, self-esteem, educational attainment, and the fostering of virtuous behavior.
‘ In the United States right now,
we are facing a slew of attacks on marriage and the family. ’
What makes matters worse is the hostility that is found within the secular press on such issues as divorce, abortion, family life, and socalled “same-sex marriage,” which not only distorts Catholic teaching, but seeks to advance legal threats against the religious freedom of Catholics, Evangelicals, Jews, and many other religious believers. This should give us all cause for concern, especially in the light of John Paul II’s statement in Familiaris Consortio: “The future of humanity passes through the family.” Despite the pressures and growing chaos, there are reasons for hope. Within secular society itself, many are beginning to question this contemporary trend and its accompanying political pressure. There continues to be a growing body of sociological data, which has now become readily accessible (although it tends to be ignored by the media), which point very clearly to the objective truth and validity of the traditional understanding of marriage and family. For example, the social scientist David Blankenhorn founded the
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Our modern world clearly understands cause, effect, and even more importantly, design. The eye is made for seeing, the ear for hearing, but society rejects in its blind ideology the idea that there is a design in human sexuality. We must acknowledge that we as a Church, as a Christian people, in our failure to live in such a way as to be witnesses to the beauty and sanctity of marriage, bear much of the blame. This is a grave battle, and all of us are involved in it. St. Josemaría Escrivá wrote, just before his death: In national life . . . there are two things which are really essential: the laws concerning marriage and the laws concerning education. In these areas God’s sons have to stand firm . . . and fight with toughness and fairness . . . for the sake of all mankind. Thank you for your prayers and your support, your participation in the mission of Christendom College, in restoring truth into our culture, and fighting the good fight through educating our next generation. Together, may we unite and through our dedication, example, and faithfulness, fight to renew humanity.
Table of Contents 2 Largest Class in History Christendom College celebrated its commencement weekend on May 11-13 by awarding degrees to the 100 graduates of its largest class in history, as well as honoring Rev. Kenneth Baker, SJ, and Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, SV
8 Student Fights Pro-Life Legal Battle
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By Angela Swagler (‘12) On August 1, 2008, 17 others and myself were arrested and imprisoned on the basis of a law that does not exist and still does not exist to this day. 6 Chairman of the Board Defends the Vatican 7 Graduate Student Presents Paper
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11 Dramatic Talent in the Spotlight this Spring 12 Crusader Athletics’ Consecutive Wins 14 Attorney General Cuccinelli Exhorts Students 15 Professor Records Church History Series 16 Christendom Experience Fosters Vocations
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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 Study Shows Liberal Arts Grads in High Demand 19 From the Desk of the Advancement Office Where in the World is Tim Flagg? 20 Photos: Campus Life in the Spring 21 Henri de Lubac and the Four Senses of Scripture
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Christendom College celebrated its commencement weekend on May 11-13 by awarding degrees to the 100 graduates of its largest class in history, as well as honoring Rev. Kenneth Baker, SJ, editor emeritus of Homiletic & Pastoral Review, and Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, SV, Founder of the Sisters of Life. Rev. Baker celebrated the Baccalaureate Mass on Friday, May 11, and was awarded an honorary doctorate during the commencement exercises on Saturday, May 12. Mother Agnes Mary was awarded the College’s Pro Deo et Patria Medal for Distinguished Service to God and Country and delivered the commencement address.
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Mother Agnes Mary Donovan, SV, delivers the commencement address.
“Young graduates, dare to dream dreams full of Truth and beauty and goodness. For the world needs your dreams,” Mother Agnes Mary said during her address on Saturday. “To you has been given the vision of the dignity of the human person, ratified in the Incarnation… to you has been given the true perception of human love as gift and a privileged participation in the lifegiving love of the Trinity, whose sublime beauty is manifested in self-sacrifice.” Mother Agnes Mary, who responded to the late Cardinal John O’Connor’s call for a religious order dedicated to the protection of the sacredness of human life, implored graduates to fight for the culture of life. “As graduates of this Catholic institution, you embrace the truth that every human person is a masterpiece of the Creator, made in God’s image to grow by grace in God’s likeness,” she said. “The ways in which you steward the gift of your life is the most fundamental contribution you can make to the building of a culture of life and a civilization of love.” Rev. Baker, who edited Homiletic & Pastoral Review for 40 years, warned graduates of the current hostility toward religion and particularly Catholicism during his homily on Friday, but told them that their education has prepared them to engage the culture.
the atheists and the secularists dominate the works of print and images as they seem to do at the present time.” Saturday’s ceremonies began with a bagpipe-led procession from Christ the King Chapel to St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium. Salutatorian Frances Allington of Hemel Hampstead, England, welcomed all the attendees and began her address by recalling the memory of recently deceased College founder Dr. Warren Carroll, who was not at the ceremonies for the first time in the College’s history. “This is the man without whom, none of us would be here today,” Allington said of Carroll, who died in July, 2011. “’Christendom.’ [Carroll] wrote: ‘The very word, once commonly used to designate our Western civilization, is going out of style
“Your education here at Christendom College has prepared you to live in the world—to survive in it—but not really be a part of it, in the sense of making your temporal life the ‘be all and end all’ of your existence, as it is with so many of Rev. Kenneth Baker, SJ, is awarded the honorary doctorate by College President our fellow Americans,” he said. Dr.Timothy O’Donnell.
Rev. Baker remarked that the graduates were taking with them “a Catholic view of the world and human life” that finds its expression in the tradition of the Church, Holy Scripture, the official teachings of the Church, and the liturgy. “For Christendom College stands for the reign of Christ the King in the heart of the individual person, and as a way of life that should be present in life and in civil society,” he said. Following Rev. Baker’s reception of the Honorary Doctorate, he encouraged the graduates to become writers. “Those of you who are inclined to write, I urge you to write and to start now,” he said. “We must not let
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and even out of knowledge. Many have never heard it, cannot pronounce it, much less explain and serve what it stands for.’ In many ways, the modern western world is a civilization that is suffering from amnesia, a civilization that has forgotten its history, its faith, even its identity.” Allington said that in founding Christendom College, Carroll worked to remedy a “cultural amnesia,” by educating students in their identity as Christians of the western world. “Over the past four years, we have not gained merely practical wisdom, applicable only to a certain profession, nor have we sought to create something new… we have studied the eternal truths that never grow old, those truths which once shaped our civilization and which can do so again,” she said. “Knowing these truths, and bringing them, once again, to be defining of our culture, we go out from this place not to create all things in Christ, not to change all things in Christ, but to restore all things in Christ.” Director of Admissions & Alumni Relations Tom McFadden presented the Student Achievement Award to Chris Foeckler of Manassas, VA, for his dedication to the community. Foeckler made great contributions to the academic life of the College and was active in varsity sports, school plays, clubs, and many other facets of student life. In all that he did, he remained “a shining example of Christian values to underclassmen and peers alike,” McFadden said. Following the presentation of awards to Rev. Baker and Mother Agnes Mary, Valedictorian Michael Strickland of Front Royal,
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VA, suggested to his classmates that what they do after graduation not be “fundamentally different” from what they did before graduation. “We ought to spend each day of our lives continuing to pursue wisdom and to live what we have learned,” Strickland said. “For us, college has not been merely a means to getting a job, but training in virtue and an initiation into the most important truths. Graduation should mark not so much the end of our learning, then, but the beginning.” Closing the ceremony, College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell delivered his charge to the graduates. He told them that the sanctity of marriage and the family is under attack and that they will have a role to play in this “great battle.” “Through your education here, dear graduates, you are uniquely prepared for this great battle and you will all be involved in the battle to defend the true nature of marriage and the family,” he said. He noted how he has seen great strength and goodness in each of the graduates. “With God’s help, you can win this battle in defense of the fundamental good, the very ground of society, the sanctity of marriage and the family,” he said. “We have to have confidence in God’s Word and courageously—even if it means martyrdom and ridicule—proclaim the fullness of the Church’s teaching on marriage and the family.”
1. Leah Merrill and Grace Bellow wave following the Baccalaureate Mass / 2. Erin Clark hugs a fellow graduate after Saturday’s ceremonies / 3. Engaged and Graduated: Meghan Kelly and Blaise Buckner / 4. Hats fly in the air on Saturday / 5. Tom McFadden presents the Student Achievement Award to Chris Foeckler / 6. The Pondo family / 7. Valedictorian Michael Strickland / 8. The Crnkovich family / 9. Salutatorian Frances Allington / 10. Cecilia O’Reilly, Johnny Ciskanik, and Dominic Vieira pose with their grandma, Mrs. Anne O’Reilly / 11. Kenyan Paul Nangurai with his father and Literature Professor Dr. Robert Rice / 12. The Francis-Hambleton clan / 13. Alumnus Peter McGuire leads the bagpipe procession / 14. The Class of 2012: Frances Allington, Brady Anderson, Catherine Antunes, Christine Ascik, Emily Baldwin, Anthony Barren, Mary Becher, Clare Behe, Daniel Beller, Grace Bellow, Melanie Bright, Anne Brock, Blaise Buckner, Michael Bugin, Ted Cantu, Andrew Ciskanik, Johnny Ciskanik, Erin Clark, Thomas Connolly, Denton Coyne, Katie Coyne, Elizabeth Crnkovich, Robin Curran, Vincent D’Agostino, Michael Davis, Caroline Deucher, Frances Dewey, Dominick Donahue, Jonathan Duerbeck, Robert Fetsko, Christopher Foeckler, Brian Fox, Katie Francis, David Frank, Timothy Ginski, Sarah Golden, Celia Gossin, Laura Grau, Lisa Holdsworth, Lisa Hoonhout, Emily Hurt, Jessica Inzeo, Christine Kelly, Meghan Kelly, Jacqueline Kenney, Brian Killackey, Theresa King, Jane Kokes, Dominic Krestyn, Mark La Fave, Patricia Lademan, Richard Lancaster, Eryn Landry, Mary Langan, Joseph Long, Catherine Marra, Rebecca Matthews, Kelsey McCrum, Joe McGlynn, John McGovern, Jane McGuire, Arlen McKeague, Colin McKeague, Peter McNeely, Anna McShurley, David McWhirter, Leah Merrill, Lindsey Mershon, Brianna Miller, Molly Morey, Kaitlyn Morgan, Paul Nangurai, Theresa Nelson, JP Niedzwiecki, Christine Nussio, Dominic O’Donnell, Philip O’Neill, Cecilia O’Reilly, Laura Osterhage, Mary Pondo, Brian Prater, Elizabeth Sartor, Martin Schmidt, Gabe Schuberg, Adele Smith, Andrea Smith, Megan Speer, Patrick Stein, Joseph Stephens, Michael Strickland, Summer 2012 Worley. 5 Angela Swagler, Christopher Tipton, Kevin Todd, Stephen Tomlinson, Dominic Vieira, Jeremy Vierling, Elizabeth Wagner, Tara Walsh, Jessica Ward, and Matthew
Chairman of the Board Defends the Vatican
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Mrs. Donna F. Bethell, Esq., Christendom College’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, has been making headlines for her staunch defense of the Vatican’s recent decision to make sweeping reforms of The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). Appearing on the “PBS Newshour” with Judy Woodruff on April 19, Bethell went head-tohead with Fordham University’s Jeannine Hill Fletcher, a selfdescribed “feminist theologian,” on the topic of the recent ruling from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that criticized some of the statements of the LCWR and called for a reform of the group. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith cited addresses at LCWR conferences that, it said, manifested a “rejection of faith,” protests of Church teaching on homosexuality and the ordination of women by officers of the group, and a “prevalence of certain radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith” in some of the conference’s events. Bethell very succinctly described the situation at hand by explaining that “the Leadership Conference of Women Religious is an entity established by the Vatican, approved by the Vatican, its statutes approved by the Vatican for the purpose of supporting the Women Religious in their life and work. And so it’s the responsibility of the Vatican to see that the conference is actually doing its job. And that’s what it’s done in this assessment.” She continued to explain that the Vatican is uneasy with some of the doctrinal positions the group holds and promotes, particularly on the issues of abortion, homosexuality, and women’s ordination to the priesthood. But according to Fletcher, there’s room to debate on these issues. “Well, there’s room for debate on some questions, but not on
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all questions,” said Bethell. “There are doctrines in the Church which are not open for debate. Everybody knows that. If that weren’t the case, there wouldn’t be a Catholic Church. And there are things that are open for debate, for discussion about how you apply this principle. There’s lots of room for prudential judgment, especially in the area of social justice, but there are things that are not open for debate.” Fletcher responded: “At Vatican II, in the 20th century, there’s a very different understanding of the relationship of the Catholic truth and the Catholic faith to the truths and faiths of people of the world. And so to suggest that there are some things that simply will not change, I’m not sure that that’s been the tradition of the Catholic Church.” Following the airing of this dialogue, a number of progressive news outlets, the National Catholic Reporter, specifically, went after Bethell for her views, and attacked her personally for her beliefs in Church teachings and her association with Christendom College. On April 23, Bethell was a guest on National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation,” hosted by Neal Conan, along with John Allen, senior correspondent of the National Catholic Reporter and Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of NETWORK. During that broadcast, Bethell once again reiterated the fact that the Catholic Church has the obligation to ensure that all official groups within the Church are on the same page and teaching the fullness of the faith to its membership, and that the Catholic Church has the final word on what is or is not to be taught as truth.
“The Church is Christ here on Earth, and the authorities in the Church who speak authentically for the Church are the voice of Christ,” she said. “We call the pope the vicar of Christ. So it’s not that you can - that’s why we say you cannot simply pick and choose among the essential teachings of the Church. You have to - if you accept one, rationally, you have to accept all of them because they all have the same source.”
Bethel has made further appearances in radio programing and newspapers, including the National Catholic Register, which published a column by her. To view and listen to this programing, or read transcripts, visit: christendom.edu/news.
more at christendom.edu/news
Graduate Student Presents Paper at Historical Conference
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Christendom graduate student Stephanie Pacheco presented a paper at the 2012 Conference of the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA) in March. Pacheco’s paper was entitled “Monasticism: A Salve for the Ills of Our Society as it was Once a Salve for Ancient Society” and was presented in the session on “Models of Christian Living.” The ACHA holds a spring conference every year; this one was in New Orleans, LA, at Tulane and Loyola Universities, and any topic related to Catholic history was considered.
O’Donnell and his wife, Cathy, with the Council’s President, Ennio Cardinal Antonelli.
“It’s a big honor to present,” said Pacheco, who also noted that it is important for graduate students and young professors to show that they are active in their fields and doing worthwhile research through conferences and presentations. Scholarly conferences are a way for graduate students and professors to share their research and get to know fellows working in similar areas.
educational chaos, the paper concluded by expressing hope that monasteries, religious life, and the Church in general could again be the means of preserving philosophical coherence and transmitting it to future generations. “It’s a controversial thing to make value judgments in academia nowadays, but that’s exactly what I wanted the paper to address. What I’ve learned at Christendom has given me the confidence to understand and present the history of the Church as a guide to Her future.”
‘ What I’ve learned at Christendom has given me
the confidence to understand and present the history of the Church as a guide to Her future.’
Pacheco’s paper was based on a term paper for her Church History course, and analyzed the rise of the Benedictine monastic order in the early 6th century amidst the cultural and socioeconomic shifts of the fallen Roman Empire. She described how the monasteries came to replace the towns as centers of trade and culture. Her unique angle on these events was her comparison of the gradual decline of Rome to the gradual philosophical decline of the modern West. Drawing on the work of moral philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre to show the current philosophical and
Pacheco said that while the paper received some healthy criticism, many people seemed t o a p p re c i a t e t h e perspective taken in the research. “A s e n i o r h i s t o r y professor and priest approached me afterwards to express how excited he was that a young person had such an optimistic view of the religious life,” she said.
Pacheco described presenting a paper at a conference for the first time as “nervewrecking,” but also that it was a wonderful learning experience as well. “I met a lot of people and had the opportunity to see what type of projects my colleagues at other universities tackled,” she said. “It was very insightful, and I hope to contribute more to Catholic scholarship in the future.”
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SeekinG Ju Student Fights on the Front Lines of a Pro-Life Legal Battle
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On August 1, 2008, 17 others and myself were arrested and imprisoned on the basis of a law that does not exist and still does not exist to this day. Our story starts around 4 pm. The others and I were participating in a peaceful protest against abortion. We were holding signs along at one of the selected road locations along Harford County, MD. We were part of the Defend Life Tour, which had used this particular stop for the past eight years, so we didn’t expect anything to happen. It was our final stop of the day and after it, we were going to have a picnic. We never made it to that picnic.
Trooper Bradley responded, “You need a permit. That’s the end of the story. If you don’t have a permit, you cannot stand here. That’s the end of it. It’s not what the law is, it’s what I’m telling you the law is.”
Shortly after our arrival, Trooper Bradley arrived on the scene and sought out our Director, Beth Walsh. The conversation went as follows:
Our group decided that we could go to the town of Bel Air without disobeying the Troopers, because in accordance with Trooper Bradley’s guidance, Bel Air was a different jurisdiction with different rules.
He said, “Do you have a permit, ma’am?”
Joanie Walsh, our assistant director, picked up my video camera and caught this all on film.
‘ I didn’t feel like I was in the United States of
Behind the scenes, America, but rather in an oppressive regime, where a Sgt. Bohlen asked When she said that she troopers if they gave tyranny reigned and citizens’ rights didn’t exist. did not, his immediate us the dispersal order response was, “You need to and told us not to set pack up and go or you’re goin’ to jail, that’s it.” up again. After hearing the affirmative, she told them to go to the demonstration in Bel Air and said, “as many as you can catch Our supervisor, Jack Ames, asked him to contact his commanding will be under arrest.” officer, but he refused. He also would not identify the permit requirement other than to say that it was a county law and they Since the demonstrators “were advised to leave the county and could go to his headquarters, Barrack D, if they wanted more they’re back. The demonstrators can sit in a cell for an hour… information. Beth said that they would leave to avoid arrest, but or two or three or four and rot.” The troopers arrived shortly. she believed that it was a violation of our 1st Amendment Rights. Beth was the first person that they arrested. She asked the arresting officer over and over again, “Officer, why are you
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ustice
By Angela Swagler (‘12)
arresting me? Officer why are you arresting me?” But Trooper Neighoff refused to answer and she fell silent when he left her on the guard rail and began arresting others. When they took me away, I was holding a sign that said “Jesus Forgives and Heals.” The officers placed all of us along the guard rail and began handcuffing us. A helicopter flew above us and Joanie Walsh later said that one of her high school teachers saw her on the news. A number of pro-choicers jeered at us as they drove by and my friend Laura Beeson began crying because the handcuffs we’re on so tight that they cut off her circulation. Despite that, none of the officers loosened it for her at that point and time.
and he slammed the door shut. I turned around to see what the rest of the general prison population looked like and a saw one disheveled and tattooed woman before me. During our time in the cell, she pretty much confessed her entire life to me and said that she had been here awhile and she heard the police officers talking about us. She said that there was a group pro-lifers that they wanted to arrest, but they didn’t know under what charges. Eventually, we were joined by our group’s assistant Director, Joan Walsh, and Jessica Ward (‘12). Jess had tears in her eyes. When I met Joan and Beth at Christendom’s high school summer program the year before, I never could have imagined that we’d be in jail together a year later. I didn’t feel like I was in the United States of America, but rather in an oppressive regime, where tyranny reigned and citizens’ rights didn’t exist.
Now, it was around 2 am when Jess had entered. They called my name sometime afterward. I came out of the cell and a man that had previously mocked me and asked me if “God was with me,” led me and put shackles on my ankles. He put them on so tight. He said, “You’re so small, we’ll have to double it.” I From there the officers took us to the Police Barracks. They took said, “Officer, you’re hurting me.” He said, “Hah. You can’t run our mug shots and left us there, like Sgt. Bohlen said, to rot. They then.” So I dragged my feet across the floor. I believe that I had confiscated our cell phones bruises on my ankles because Angela with her friend Laura Beeson at the start of the Defend Life Tour. of it. It was so tight against and we were unsure how long we would be there. my skin and bones and hurt We kept up spirits though. so much—especially when I I took so much comfort moved. in the fact that it was the year of St. Paul – he is my He led me to the confirmation patron saint, commissioner. She was rude so I knew that he would and the officer sneered at me watch over us and intercede the entire time. She didn’t for us. In our time there, really explain anything we sang in prison like he and just told me to sign did and prayed together. at certain places. I made sure that I glanced over the At midnight, however, my papers before I penned my location was to change. I was the first girl from my group taken signature, but was unsure of how much I really gleaned. and after asking me some questions, they transferred me in the dead of night in an unmarked car to the Harford County She asked me where I lived. I had memorized my itinerary, so Detention Center. As I saw the barbed wire fence loom over me, I gave her the specific details. She told me that I shouldn’t have I asked the police officer if this is where they kept dangerous told her that. I asked her why. She mentioned because it was criminals. He said yes. I said, “Oh. Well, actually I’ve never so far away. She said that I would have to come to court on had detention or even been grounded before.” He was silent November 17th or be arrested again. My papers said that I would and took me inside. be given the maximum of 10 months – 60 days &/or $500.00 for DISORDERLY CONDUCT, 60 days &/or $500.00 for They confiscated my belongings again, took my fingerprints and FAIL OBEY RENBLE/LAWFL (Reasonable and Lawful Order), mug shot again, and continued with other procedures. After and 6 months &/or $1,000.00 for LOITERING. I found all that ordeal, the police officer began to lead me away. I asked the charges ridiculous but I kept my mouth shut in that regard. him if I was going to be placed with someone else. He laughed I told her that I would come. and said, “Oh you’ll be with someone else.” I was placed inside
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They decided to release me and took those terrible shackles off. So I was given back my belongings and I proceeded to the entrance and exited. When they opened the gate, I saw Benitez, Laura, and Luke waiting for me. Joan’s mom and a lawyer named Scott T. Whiteman were sitting on the sidewalk. After our greeting, I turned my phone on, and I saw a text from my dad. That surprised me. I didn’t even know that he could text. Anyway, the message said “call at any hour.” It was nearly 3 am. I made the call, my dad picked up right away and responded to the situation perfectly. He said, “Blessed are the persecuted,” (Matt 5:10-12) and told me to call another arrestee’s mother, who thought that we were kidnapped. I promised her that I would wait outside of the jail until her son was released. I paced in front of the jail and said the rosary and other prayers over and over again in Latin for 5 hours. Our group soon found out that the people who were still being held under bail were those that were out of town. I was the only exception to that. No one knows for sure why. When everyone who was from out of town was released, we dashed to the airport to catch our flights. When I finally got home, my dad took me aside and said, “It’s freshest in your mind right now, so write it all down.” My dad read it and became even more incensed when he found out how they treated us. He knew – like I did – that we needed to take action. Only one lawyer was willing to take the case, Kevin Theriot, a representative from Alliance Defense Fund, an organization that provides legal defense for issues relating to religious freedom, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.
I was co-director of the same Tour the following summer and I had my deposition during my sophomore year at Christendom. I felt like I was under some sort of inquisition. It was such a stressful time for me too, with midterms for seven classes—the deposition was almost like preparing for an eighth class. Thencollege chaplain Fr. Daniel Gee gave me a special blessing and heard my confession beforehand, though, and in addition to the prayers of my classmates and the guidance of my parents, I was able to get through it. The case ended on a positive note. This past November, I and a few of the other plaintiffs had a press conference in front of the Maryland State Police Station, where we were originally detained. We publicly forgave the police officers involved and discussed the terms of the settlement; namely, the Maryland State Police has agreed to a $385,000 settlement and to have their officers retrained in the first and fourth amendment. I plan on using my portion of the settlement toward law school, so that I can one day join Alliance Defense Fund, and defend others like they have defended me. I am truly grateful for my time at Christendom. For aside from giving me a solid foundation in our Catholic faith, I don’t think that I could have asked for a better environment to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepare me for the deposition and other aspects of the case. “Truly, in Him all things are possible. For, as Scripture say, “This is the victory that has conquered the world – our faith.” (Jo 5:4). Angela Swagler is member of the class of 2012. Originally from Erie, PA, she majored in Classical and Early Christian Studies and hopes to attend Regent University in the Fall of 2012.
N o t e w o r t h y Literature Professor Dr. Patrick Keats traveled to Boston to testify in the cause of canonization for Fr. Joseph Muzquiz. Fr. Joseph was a friend of Keats when he lived in the Boston area in the 1980’s. Keats describes Muzquiz as “an incredibly kind, gentle, and hard working priest, with a marvelous sense of humor.”
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After one year of memorable and faithful service as the College’s Associate Chaplain, Fr. Joseph Fox, OP, returned to St. Dominic Priory in Washington, DC, in May. Fr. Fox played a vital role in the College’s rich spiritual and social life and will be greatly missed by the entire College community.
Christendom’s Dramatic Talent in the Spotlight this Spring
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The Christendom College Players performed Nicholas Nickleby on April 20-22. An adaptation of the beloved novel by Charles Dickens, the play featured a talented cast that entertained audiences with a complex plot filled with colorful characters. Dr. Patrick Keats, a professor of literature and experienced producer of plays at Christendom College, directed the production, his thirty-second at Christendom. Keats was ably assisted by a production team that included alumna Mary Harrington, Christendom seniors Brianna Miller and Erin Clark, junior Kelly Lawyer, and sophomore Sean LaRochelle. Freshman Peter Foeckler as Nicholas Nickleby captured the good spirit and compassion of the story’s hero well. Foeckler was supported by a very talented cast that recreated Dickens’ trademark hilarious comic scenes. The following weekend, April 27-28, the senior class raised over $7,000 for its class gift at the annual Mystery Dinner Theatre held on campus. The dinner and play production, entitled Lights! Camera! Murder!, was set in Hollywood and was written by seniors Molly Morey and Tim Ginski, and directed by senior Meghan Kelly. The play kept the audience laughing as it showcased Christendom’s dramatic and comedic talent. Students rehearsed for ten weeks, giving countless hours to develop their characters, memorize lines, and incorporate “improv” into the script. “Each year I am impressed with the talent and drive of our students,” Student Activities Director Caitlin Bowers said. “This was a 100% student- run event that takes a lot of leadership and organization—they did a great job.” This year’s senior class gift will enhance the patio located outside the Sacred Grounds Café in the lower level of the St. John the Evangelist Library.
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VICTORIES Crusader Athletics Continues Trend in Consecutive Wins
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This past year was the most successful year in the history of Christendom Athletics.
The success came in both varsity sports and intramurals. Five out of the seven varsity intercollegiate sports teams posted winning seasons. This year featured the fourth consecutive winning season for the men’ soccer team, third consecutive winning season for rugby, and second consecutive winning seasons for women’s basketball and women’s volleyball. The biggest surprise of the entire year was the men’s baseball team, which posted its first winning season in Christendom history and first Eastern States Baseball League Championship. Many memories have been forged throughout the past academic year in both intramurals and varsity sports. The fall belonged to the volleyball team as they brought skill, energy, and commitment to each and every game. In the winter, the basketball teams continued to forge ahead as the Lady Crusaders, despite playing eleven games in seven days, finished with an 11-10 record.
team, which took to the diamond in the middle of March for their first game. Despite graduating key players, including the entire starting outfield, this year’s team found strength in each other and along the way captured victory after victory.
Looking back on past seasons shows how much of a breakthrough year it was for the team. Having won just four games total since Rugby and baseball took to the the spring of 2008, the Crusaders Not enough can be said about the [rugby] committed themselves to hard fields during the spring. and doing the little things. team’s two huge victories over Catholic work Whether it was the error-free The rugby team, which featured play of the defense or the squeeze a tougher schedule, proved to University and American University. play to get that go-ahead run, be up for the challenge. Not this group was ready and willing to do it. Led by Coach John enough can be said about the team’s two huge victories over Mercandetti, the team went 9-4 for the season. Catholic University and American University. The Crusaders defeated Catholic University on St. Patrick’s Day, despite being outsized. In addition, a very memorable first home game for The highlight came with the Crusaders defeating rivals Williamthe Crusader ruggers featured another victory over Division I son Free Trade School 3 out of 4 times and Valley Forge Christian American University in front of many Christendom fans. These College to claim the Eastern States Baseball Championship and two victories over much larger colleges no doubt will live on for a notch in the Christendom history books. The memory of this years to come, but hopefully are only stepping stones for the breakthrough season and championship has been enshrined on Christendom rugby team. a banner hanging in Crusader Gymnasium.
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The unquestioned surprise story of the year was the men’s baseball
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The ever growing intramural program also marked an historical
level of participation by the student body, reaching 60%, with 250 participants. The intramural program has seen consistent growth over the years but this year claims the top spot. The volleyball season in the late fall earned the top spot in terms of participation with over 140 players. With the combination of the success in the intramural program and the varsity intercollegiate teams, this year was definitely one to remember. This victorious year was also the last year for two Crusader coaches. The beloved Mike Brown, who directed the women’s volleyball team to 2 winning seasons, stepped down to focus on coaching basketball and spend more time with his family. The efforts of Brown cannot go without enough praise as he poured his heart and soul into the development and growth of the women he coached, leading them to consecutive winning seasons. In his two years at the helm, Brown amassed an impressive 24-10 record. Joshua Petersen, who is the Director of Special Operations and served as the assistant this past season, will take over the program.
“We cannot express how much Mr. Brown has given to the volleyball team,” Athletic Director Chris Vander Woude said. “We have great confidence in Josh and know his energy and enthusiasm for the game will be a huge asset.” The women’s soccer program will also have a coaching change this coming season as Matt Nelson, who has directed the team for 3 years, will be moving on while Philosophy Professor Mark Wunsch will take over the program. Wunsch is very excited to begin coaching, after helping with the team this past season. “We sincerely thank everyone who had a part to play in the success of the past year, especially the coaches, parents, participants, and Christendom Crazies that make the home games truly unique and exciting experiences,” Vander Woude said. “We look forward to continuing the success in the upcoming year.”
Sweet Victory: Crusaders celebrate after winning ESBL Championship.
Junior Nick Blank fires a fastball for the strikeout. Senior Ted Cantu flies past the opposition.
Ruggers pose for a photo as they celebrate their victory over Lord Fairfax Community College.
Summer 2012
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Attorney General Cuccinelli Exhorts Students to Get Involved
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Virginia’s Attorney General, Kenneth Cuccinelli II, spoke to the Christendom College community on the topic of “Living the Catholic Faith in Politics and Government” on April 2.
on freedom in America and that there are three ways that government decreases liberty: more spending, more taxes, and more regulation.
Before a crowd of about 400 college students, faculty, staff, and guests, Cuccinelli, who plans on running for the Governorship of Virginia next year, encouraged all present to be active in the political process and to be Catholic leaders in all areas, but particularly in the areas of science, media, and politics.
“The reduction of liberty will continue,” he said. “It is necessary for the effectuation of the policies in that health care bill. Assume the Supreme Court upholds it. This mandate is only the beginning. There will be more denials of your choice and options of how you live your life and how you die. Because your liberty has been taken from you in that piece of legislation.”
“Every single thing that government does to expand its power comes directly at the expense of your liberty,” he said. “It’s not enough to be a faithful Catholic and learn the tenets and precept of our faith. We have to be actively Catholic—engaging and leading the world around us.”
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Addressing the field of science and alluding to “alleged global warming,” Cuccinelli said that there are some scientists who are not even practicing science.
power comes directly at the expense of your liberty. ’
A key opponent to the HHS mandate, Cuccinelli said that the Obama administration has delayed many regulatory decisions until after the November elections, but in the case of this mandate, he thinks they made a fatal mistake. “There is an easy way—well a simple way—to get out from underneath that mandate, and that’s get a new president,” he said. “We need to elect people that will follow and uphold the Constitution.” Cuccinelli explained that the mandate is a great assault Many students lingered after the talk to meet the Attorney General and discuss the topic further.
“There are an enormous amount of scientists that start with a presumption and a conclusion and they drive everything they do to that conclusion,” he said. “If science is suppose to be a search for truth, that is backwards. Well, in fact, it isn’t backwards, it isn’t science—it might be political science—but isn’t actual science.” Turning to the media, Cuccinelli advised students to train themselves to read with a critical eye. “People in that industry can be decidedly antagonistic… to absolute truth and that there could be absolute truth,” he said. He asked students to get involved in the media, report the truth, and use it to spread God’s message of love. Concluding, he implored the students to get involved in the political process. “It’s not enough to just know the issues and vote right,” he said. “The world is changed by those who actively engage it... The world is a place where people of faith and character are needed now more than ever to be leaders in their fields and examples for others. “Our job is not to win, it is to fight.”
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Graduate School Professor Records Church History Series
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Church history Professor, Steven Weidenkopf, who teaches “Church History I & II” at Christendom’s graduate school is the creator and co-author of the Church history study, Epic: A Journey Through Church History, published by Ascension Press. This February, he added to the repertoire of the Epic series with a series of live lectures that were filmed for a special focus in the collection on the early Church. Weidenkopf recorded at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Annandale, VA, over a twoday, all-day filming session in front of a live studio audience. Christendom graduate students were specially invited to see their professor in action. Topics covered included how the early Church was the same Catholic Church we know today, the ‘back story’ of the persecutions against the Church by the Roman Empire, fascinating personal stories of early popes and saints, how the Church Fathers passed on and defended the sacred deposit of faith, and how the four marks of the Church have been present from the very beginning: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. “I hope that all those who participate in this study grow in their Catholic identity and, as a result of that, closer to Jesus and the Church,” Weidenkopf said. “The study of Church history is really a study of our family story. By knowing our family we know who we are and develop our identity.”
Just hours after the sessions, the professor was already successful in his mission. According to the DRE of St. Ambrose, Simone Rizkallah, an alumna of Christendom’s graduate school, her DRE Assistant, Laura, encountered a man who tried to convince her that the Council of Nicea was the way Constantine arbitrarily chose the Canon of Scripture—just hours after one of the sessions. “Thanks to the program she was able to correct his belief —probably an idea he got from Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code—and confidently stated that the Council had nothing to do with the Canon and that it dealt primarily with the Arian heresy,” Rizkallah said. Graduate student Andrew Olson said that though the two-day filming was “exhausting,” Prof. Weidenkopf is a great presenter who has an obvious passion for the history of the Church. “This program will help people by giving them a much better sense of God’s plan in history and of His providential care for His people through His Church,” Olson said. The materials for The Early Church, like those for the original Epic: A Journey through Church History, include DVD’s of the lectures, and study materials such as a leader’s guide, student workbook, and an innovative, color-coded timeline. The new Early Church materials can be ordered at ourcatholichistory.com.
You’re Invited! October 5, 2012
Join us in kicking-o ff Homecom ing!
Thomas S. Vander Woude Memorial Golf Tournament Registration opens August 1 at christendom.edu/golf Summer 2012 15
Journey to the Priesthood Alumnus Fr. Fadi Auro along with four other deacons prostrate themselves before the altar during their ordination on May 26 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.
The Christendom Experience Fosters Vocations
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One hundred and sixteen religious. That includes 66 priests, 47 sisters, one brother, and two deacons. Not bad for small college that will be celebrating its 35th anniversary this fall. This summer alone saw the ordination of three priests. With an average of almost two priests a year since its founding and 16 alumni currently in the seminary, the College is doing its part to fight the Church’s vocation crisis.
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“My experience at Christendom was intensely formative for me in my journey to the priesthood,” Fr. Fred Gruber says. A 2006 graduate, Fr. Gruber was ordained in June for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Fr. Gruber says that, at Christendom, through his friendships, his involvement in various apostolates, and his studies, he discovered more clearly his calling toward the diocesan priesthood. “Christendom taught me ‘to think with the Church’ and to love the Church,” he says. “As Georges Bernanos once wrote, ‘Joy is in the gift of the Church, the only joy possible for this sad world to share.’ Christendom taught me to discover that joy and to recognize the power of the Risen Christ at work in the Church today.” The College’s beautiful liturgies also aided Fr. Gruber, who says his love for the Church’s liturgy developed through his experience at Christendom. There, he learned how to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and had great experiences of the beauty of the liturgy as he participated as a server and lector at the community Mass. Fr. Gruber also cites his experiences with the student organizations Legion of Mary and Shield of Roses as life-changing.
Alumnus Fr. Fred Gruber (’06) was sent by his bishop to Rome for studies in Mariology prior to his ordination.
Alumnus Fr. Fadi Auro (’03) kneels before the bishop during his priestly ordination.
“They gave me a vivid sense of the need to evangelize and opened my eyes to the need for the pro-life apostolate and taught me the value of persevering prayer,” he says. During his seminary days in Rome, Fr. Gruber remained active in the Legion of Mary, encountering and evangelizing pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square. Fr. Gruber is currently on assignment in his diocese, but will soon return to Rome to finish his License in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Faculty Marianum in Rome. Fr. Fadi Auro, from the class of 2003, was also ordained in May for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Similarly, he had an experience at Christendom that changed his relation ship with God. “I will always be grateful to Christendom for igniting in me the fire of love for our Lord, and for His Church,” Fr. Auro says. “As I learned to seek and love Truth—both natural and supernatural—I was surrounded by mentors and friends—life-long friends—who encouraged me to embrace the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. Needless to say, the spiritual and liturgical discipline fostered by the College was indispensable to my formation.” Fr. Auro says that he is most grateful to Christendom for giving him “the experience of a true Catholic culture.”
“That is a rare thing in the modern world,” he says. “The Blessed John Paul II once said that ‘faith which has not become culture, is not fully thought through, not fully received, and not faithfully lived out.’ Much of my work as a priest, I think, will entail cultivating the soil so that the supernatural seed of faith may be received in the hearts of Christ’s faithful. Christendom gave me a glimpse at the end—now it’s a matter of employing the means to reach it.” Fr. Auro has been assigned the Associate Pastor of Ascension Catholic Church in Chesterfield, MO, in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, where he hopes to nourish souls in the “soil of a true Catholic culture.” Fr. Auro and Fr. Gurber are Christendom priests—priests that have received Christendom’s liberal arts education, making them well-rounded individuals who love the Church and the Holy Father. They are faithful priests who understand what Catholic culture is and are seeking to “restore all things in Christ.” “In a word,” Fr. Gruber says. “At Christendom, I came to encounter Christ. And that has made all the difference in my journey to the priesthood.”
Summer 2012
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Study Shows Liberal Arts Grads in High Demand
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Success is no stranger to Christendom College graduates. They are well educated with a strong moral formation—exactly what every employer is looking for in an employee. Armed with a liberal arts degree, their communication and analytical skills are powerful tools in the many career fields that they enter. A recent study, published by Millennial Branding, has revealed that companies have discovered the strength of liberal arts majors and are targeting them almost as much as engineering students. The report states that 30% of companies are recruiting liberal arts majors—a close second to the 34% that are recruiting engineering and computer information systems majors. Finance and accounting majors combined come in last at 18%. The study also reveals that the skills that employers are looking for most are communication skills (98%), having a positive attitude (97%), and teamwork skills (92%). Christendom alumni have frequently cited these skills, which were honed at Christendom, as the source of their success.
At Christendom, Michele says she developed what she calls “core skills” that include how to think logically and theoretically, assess ideas, analyze, and communicate effectively.
“When I transitioned from the non-profit world into the commercial satellite industry, my new employer told me directly that I could learn the technical aspects of the industry on the job, but what he wanted was someone who could write well and edit. With core skills in place, it is easy to learn the particular requirements of a ...employers have always wanted someone who can certain position,” she think, analyze, and learn, as well as someone who has says.
David Hickin, an alumnus from the class of ’90, is a Vice President at KeyBank. He says that his employers have always wanted someone who can think, analyze, and learn, as well as someone who has the ability to communicate clearly, either verbally or in writing.
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“These are the strengths of a liberal arts degree,” he says. “In my experience the ability to communicate clearly, either verbally Last fall, the Social during the hiring process or in writing. Science Research two consistent themes have Council reported that always arisen—first, will this candidate be a quick study, adapting recent liberal arts graduates were far more likely to be better off to our system, and secondly, will this candidate get along with the financially than those who are lacking in their abilities to think, rest of the team. As a Christendom graduate I felt well prepared reason, and write. as a result of the demanding course work, while immersed in a campus life based on the principles of Christian living.” The truth about the often-maligned liberal arts education is that it is exactly where you want to be in this economy—particularly Michele Velasco, a member of the class of ’91 and Vice President at Christendom College, where they are set to launch a new for Finance at Sirius XM Radio, completely agrees. career development program this fall. The program, “Education for a Lifetime,” will further aid its students in the transition “By attending Christendom, I built a strong foundation allowing from college to employment by enhancing the students’ learning me to transition easily between various types of executive environment with an integration of their career discernment into positions and work environments,” she says. their liberal arts education.
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A dva n c e m e n t O f f i c e N o t e s C is ka n ik Fr o m th e D es k o f Jo h n
ased to report that y and uncertainty, I am ple ilit tab ins m fro ers suff my expectations. Though our econo s and looks forward with high ces suc of re asu me a h wit d sse Christendom has been ble target has h Fourth Quarter funding eac , 07 20 ce Sin s. ces suc s goal exceeded $675,000. Let me describe briefly thi , the College’s Fourth Quarter ver we ho r, yea is Th 0. ,00 95 nificant reasons the averaged $1 -of-year appeal is one of the sig end l cia spe s ell’ nn Do O’ Dr s writing), Your response to nth of June still to go (as of thi mo the h wit , and – 0 ,00 50 $4 ank you! College has raised over ich seemed out of reach. Th wh l, goa nd Fu al nu An an we are “in danger” of achieving dent invest in more temporary stu to ns pla ce Offi ent cem van Ad about which I hope to Building on this success, the t-driven financial initiatives den stu , new on rt effo r ou r interns to bolste e column. describe in a future Instaurar an enviable bled Christendom to maintain ena has r yea s thi rt po sup r l funds. One final note: only you ain free of all Title IV federa rem to and % 3.8 of io rat set debt-to-as mote l entanglements, so we can pro era fed of e fre us t kep has rt po rant Roman Catholic More to the point, your sup llenging and spiritually vib cha lly ica dem aca an in n rroll, today it is Faith and Reaso our founder, Dr. Warren Ca of am dre the s wa is Th . collegiate environment our common vision. hfulness om’s measure of success and fait end rist Ch . sity ero gen r you I am humbled and grateful for ch! benefactors. Thank you so mu is truly a tribute to you our
G re et in gs from Lo ng Is la nd , N ew Yo rk !
While traveling in New Yo rk recently Tim Flagg had the privilege of visiting wi loyal donor to Christendo th Bill Downey, a m for the past 15 years. He and his wife, Nancy, live in on the north shore of Long Port Washington Island where he is a comm odore at the Port Washing and is retired from his ow ton Yacht Club, n business in the financia l and investment industry. Downey perceives the Colleg e to be “energetically fighti ng the good fight.” He is esp of the College’s stance on ecially appreciative upholding Ex Corde Eccle sia e and not accepting Title federal funding. IV “Christendom is doing all the right things,” Downey says “It’s especially clear times we live in.” in the The Downeys are conside ring moving to Virginia, to be near their daughter, see an added bonus in mo and they ving south, “I’m enthusia sti c about having more oppo to engage in theological dis rtunities cussions with people whose point of view is truly Catho lic!” Downey is excited for the College as it gears up to cel ebrate its 35th anniversary . “Christendom is an examp le of the convergence of Tr uth and Beauty,” he says. things are rare enough on “These two their own but to have the m combined is rarer still.”
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1. Hiking the Appalachian Trail / 2. A Cappella Choir Competition / 3. Senior ladies present Our Lady with roses during May Crowning / 4. Student Art Show in Library / 5. Students perform at Coffee House talent show / 6. Senior Liz Sartor defends her thesis / 7. Banner procession at inaugural Dorm Wars Opening Ceremonies / 8. Acclaimed Soprano Rayanne Gonzales performs for20 students / 9. Pro-life missionaries engage a resident of Washington DC / 11. Crusader Rugby / 12. Crusader Baseball Instaurare
Omnia in Christo
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Henri de Lubac and the Four Senses of Scripture
Interpreting Scripture using the four senses is a Catholic method of Bible reading that comes to us from the early Church. Practiced continually for over a millennium, the method underwent many developments, and some significant aberrations, until its eventual erosion around the time of the Reformation and its near-abandonment by the mid-twentieth century. Understanding the theology of the four senses of Scripture permits us to see how this method was the mainspring of so many Patristic commentaries, saints’ homilies, and Medieval theological treatises. Simultaneously historical and devotional, the four senses of Scripture formerly constituted the ground upon which Biblical interpretation, systematic theology, spirituality, and the private prayerful reading of Scripture (lectio divina) were unified. As such, the method is part of the precious patrimony of Catholic culture that tradition offers us as a way to read the Sacred Pages. The French Jesuit scholar, Henri de Lubac, dedicated a major part of his scholarly work to the recovery of the theology of the spiritual senses. From his 1950 work, History and Spirit, to the landmark four-volume Medieval Exegesis, to his final twovolume Spiritual Posterity, de Lubac painstakingly traced the history of the spiritual senses from its Biblical foundations, to its development amongst the Church Fathers, to its Medieval zenith, and its eventual dissolution in the modern period. De Lubac found the near abandonment of the four senses of Scripture in favor of the exclusive use of the historical-critical method a perilous tendency of twentiethcentury Catholic theology. As the saying goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got, ‘till it’s gone.” Moreover, like some well-worn items of Catholic practice, familiarity sometimes breeds contempt, or at least presumptuousness. De Lubac found that eighteenth and nineteenth century usage of the spiritual senses had become impoverished, often perfunctory or vestigial, a hat-tip toward a tradition that had become poorly understood even by its Catholic practitioners, a mere caricature of its former glory. In this light, its abandonment was understandable, but de Lubac believed that ressourcement (a return to the sources of the tradition) could revitalize the method, and by extension, cure many of the aberrant ways of interpreting the Bible that had arisen since the Reformation. For de Lubac, the four senses also proffered the best way to prevent the many good findings of contemporary historical-critical interpretation from remaining spiritually sterile. The four senses of Scripture are the literal, allegorical, tropological, and anagogical. The literal sense is foundational to the latter three senses, which together are called the “spiritual senses” of Scripture. I’d like to begin by giving a brief overview of each sense, and how they work together as a whole.
Prof. Eric Jenislawski
The literal sense, sometimes called the historical sense, has seen tremendous development in the past 150 years of Catholic Biblical interpretation. It is perhaps the most complicated sense of the four, but our consolation here is that it is also the most familiar. In reading the literal sense of Scripture, we employ many of the same skills we bring to the reading of other ancient texts. The renewed study of ancient languages has greatly aided our insight into the grammatical meaning of the text. Archeology and comparative religion have advanced our understanding of the historical context of the text and its original audience. Form-criticism, which studies the many genres of Biblical writing, is also essential to avoiding misunderstanding what the text intends to convey. An historical account, a poem, a proverb, and an apostolic epistle cannot all be read in the same way, because their purposes and literary conventions of each genre are different. A good portion of Sacred Scripture consists of historical narrative, therefore, one major job of the literal sense is to exposit for us the narrative meaning of Scripture: what happened, and more importantly, why. No one writes history as an idle exposition of disconnected facts. The selection of what is told, and how it is told, is all part of the author’s attempt to describe the meaning of history: not only what happened but its relevance for the reader as well. The Biblical narrative of history is sometimes called “salvation history:” the record of how God has acted in history to redeem man from the sad legacy of sin and to restore him to an upright state fitting for eternal life with God in heaven. As Christian readers, we find the thesis statement to world history in the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of mankind. An important verse of Scripture interpreting Scripture in this regard is the beginning of the Letter to the Hebrews: In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. We find it echoed in many of Paul’s writings, such as Galatians 3 or Colossians 1. The historical sense of Sacred Scripture therefore has a Messianic trajectory: it prepares for the coming of Christ as the central moment of God’s salvation history. The historical sense prepares the way for Christ sometimes by promise, sometimes by prophecy, and sometimes by prefiguration. Some of these preparations are plainer in hindsight, which, as they say, is “20/20.” We may define the allegorical sense as the recognition that one historical event in Scripture prefigures that for which it prepares, such as when we say that David and his kingship prefigures that of Christ.... This excerpt is from a public lecture delivered by Prof. Jenislawski, and summarizes some of the research of his doctoral dissertation, A Comparative Study of the Hermeneutics of Henri de Lubac and Hans-Georg Gadamer. Jenislawski is the Chairman of Christendom’s Theology Department and teaches courses in Sacred Scripture, Revelation, and Christology. He recently completed his dissertation concerning Biblical interpretation at The Catholic University of America. He has earned degrees in Philosophy and Theology at Yale College and Yale Divinity School in New Haven, CT. Summer 2012
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Featuring
H. E. Card. Raymond Burke Chairman of Honorary Dinner Committee
Westfields Chantilly, Virginia
Returning to the Roots of Christendom
35th Anniversary Pilgrimage to Spain & Portugal
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October 11-21, 2012
christendom.edu/spain