Instaurare The Christendom College Quarterly Magazine
Spring 2014
MISSION
POSSIBLE 25%
OF STUDENTS
spend spring break
ON MISSION TRIPS Preparing for the New Evangelization in Ireland | A Freshman Firefighter Spring 2014
The Grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica | Graduate School’s International Flavor
1
From the President Timothy T. O’Donnell, STD, KGCHS
C
Christendom College’s mission—our educational apostolate—is to inform students in the liberal arts and to prepare them for “a lifetime spent in pursuit of wisdom” the fruit of which finds fulfillment and seeking to restore the social order by “restoring all things in Christ.” Through our education and formation, together as a community we seek to reach out in truth, charity and joy to our family, friends, acquaintances, fellow workers—everyone we encounter. Of course, this effort must begin here and now.
All of this would not be possible without your support. Together we are fulfilling our mission and doing great things for Christ, the Church, and our country.
I can’t touch upon everything in our mission, but I would like to mention certain key characteristics which are part of our core identity. First, we have always emphasized academic and teaching excellence through our unique liberal arts core curriculum. Our integrated 86-credit hour core is always given pride of place and recognizes the sapiential role played by philosophy and theology. Second, Christendom was founded on an intense love and loyalty for the person of the Holy Father. Pope Francis is facing many challenges and is a saintly and inspired Pastor. We need to pray for him and, as his pontificate continues, he will increasingly be attacked, not only from the hostile secularists, but from within the Church as well. I urge all of you to read what he says and what he teaches, and not simply to read what the press says about him. Third, we have a daily devotion to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, as well as the special
beauty and grace of our common Sunday liturgy celebrated on Dies Domini (the Day of the Lord). Blessed John Paul II wrote in Ex Corde Ecclesia, the charter document on Catholic Higher Education, that “as a natural expression of the Catholic identity of the University, members of this community will be encouraged to participate in the celebration of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist as the most perfect act of community worship.” This is one of the reasons why, from the founding of the College, nothing was ever scheduled at the same time as our 11:30 a.m. daily Mass in an effort to encourage all the members of our community to attend. The last characteristic that I would like to mention is our commitment to education on a humane scale. Never has there been in the master plan that Christendom College grow to 1800 or even to 600 students. We intentionally have always sought to grow to approximately 450 students, creating an environment where faculty and students can know each other with a personal, not bureaucratic, interest - a personal interest in academic formation, moral formation, and spiritual formation. In other words, we were concerned with educating the whole person, to become deeply educated and active members of the Church and civil society. All of this would not be possible without your support. Together we are fulfilling our mission and doing great things for Christ, the Church, and our country. May our Lord shower His choicest blessings upon you! Praised be Jesus Christ.
Table of Contents VOLUME 22 | NUMBER 1 | SPRING 2014
7 Mission Possible
Planes and vans set off at the beginning of spring break, not headed to the beach, but to the poor and forgotten of Peru, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and New York City.
7
2 Preparing Leaders in Ireland Through the St. Columcille Institute, Christendom College has created a center of learning and evangelization in Ireland 3 Supporter Leaves Bequest to College 4 Liberal Arts in Action
2
5 Mr. Lego: A Student-Entrepreneur 6 Faculty Notes 10 From The Chronicler: Campus Life Photos 12 A Freshman Firefighter 14 Basketball Teams End Seasons with Wins 15 The Grandeur of St. Peter’s
12
15
Instaurare Published quarterly by the Christendom College 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 © 2014. 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.
16 International Flavor at Graduate School 17 Noteworthy 18 News in Brief 19 Advancement Office Notes 20 Classmates: Alumni News IBC Omnia in Christo: A Key to the New Evangelization
Want more news from Christendom? GO TO christendom.edu/news
OR FIND US ON
Spring 2014
1
Preparing
Leaders for the New Evangelization
Maribeth Kelly ’14 in Ireland.
St. Columcille Institute Energizes the Youth of Ireland and America
C
Centuries ago, missionary monks set sail from the great monasteries of St. Patrick’s Catholic Ireland to bring the light of Christ to a Europe that was dark in paganism. These monasteries, from which the monks came, stored the treasures of Western Civilization’s intellectual patrimony. They were beacons of light in a dark age. Today, like these legendary evangelist monks, Christendom College has created a center of learning and evangelization in Ireland. The St. Columcille Institute, named after one of the Isle’s great evangelists, is a three-week summer program for college students designed specifically for the formation of Catholic leaders. “History is always made by small minorities, who are clear in terms of their identity and what they wish to achieve,” Christendom President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell says. “We want to form the next generation of leaders in the new evangelization of Europe and America.” Open to both Irish and American students, the program enjoyed a successful launch last July, receiving a warm welcome from the Church’s local hierarchy.
‘
“Ireland has a culture that is rich in traditions and profoundly influenced by the Faith,” O’Donnell says. “Whether we are exposing an American student to its culture for the first time History is always made by small or helping an Irish student rediscover his heritage, it is a minorities, who are clear in life-changing experience for the students.”
terms of their identity and what they wish to achieve. ’
“We’ve created a place where American and Irish students can come together for study, prayer, and Catholic festivity,” O’Donnell says, “with the goal to strengthen them in their knowledge and love of the Faith and help them, in the words of Pope Francis, ‘to encounter Jesus Christ in His Church.’” O’Donnell, who both teaches a course in theology and serves as dean for the Institute, says that the program’s location at Ards Friary in County Donegal is a 2
Instaurare
spectacular part of the northwest of Ireland where local traditions and Irish culture remain strong and vibrant.
Students are able to enjoy over 200 acres of lovely countryside and with a commanding view of the ocean, bay, and surrounding beaches, giving them ample opportunity to pray and reflect deeply upon the riches gleaned in the classroom. “Everyday, I would find myself going for walks up on the cliffs overlooking the bay, meditating on the lectures from class that morning and how to apply those lessons to my own life,” says Maribeth Kelly of Front Royal, Va., a Christendom senior who participated in last year’s program.
P, M, C, L L Supporter Leaves Bequest to College Prof. Brendan McGuire lectures on Ireland’s stirring history.
Students pray at the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock.
Kelly considers herself blessed to have been a part of the St. Columcille Institute last summer. “The academic classes were thought-provoking and definitely challenged me to discover my unique role in the New Evangelization,” she says. “I deeply appreciate the wisdom and guidance that the professors shared with me.” Students take courses in theology, literature, and history—all taught by distinguished members of Christendom’s faculty. This year, the Institute welcomes Sean Lovett, the Director of Programing for Vatican Radio, to the faculty. Lovett will offer a series of workshops on the “Art of Communication in the New Evangelization.” “Given the challenges which we are facing of secularization—it is essential that we do everything we can to energize our youth to be a part of the revival of Christian faith and culture,” O’Donnell says. “And given the historical significance of Ireland and its role in spreading the Gospel and saving Western Civilization, our location is an ideal spot for this program.”
Elizabeth Clancy lived life to the fullest while dedicating herself to what mattered most: her family and her faith. Elizabeth was a true patriot who understood the price and value of the freedom she enjoyed. Born in Germany, she and her family fled to America in the 1930’s to escape the Nazi regime. Her father, Mr. Goetz Briefs, was an economics teacher who became a marked man after courageously denouncing the Nazis in his classroom. He was able to smuggle his family out of the country under the pretext of vacationing in Italy. After escaping to America, the family joined in the war effort, with Elizabeth serving as a translator for the Office of Strategic Services, a wartime intelligence agency, and her two brothers serving in the Armed Forces. She met her husband, Martin J. Clancy, while he was working on his Ph.D. at Georgetown and together they had four children. A devout Catholic with a spirit of service, Elizabeth became one of the first volunteers at the Montgomery Hospice Care in Maryland in the 1980s. She volunteered at the Loudoun Term Care for several years after moving to Virginia in the 1990s. Elizabeth heard about Christendom College through a friend, Martin Ciskanik, (the recently deceased father of Vice President for Advancement John Ciskanik). She loved what she saw when she visited the College and ultimately decided to leave the College a generous bequest in her will. Christendom is grateful for her generosity. Since the College does not accept federal funding, it relies entirely on the generosity of its donors—like Elizabeth Clancy—to provide scholarships to qualified students, loans and grants to students with financial need, and salaries for its world-class faculty and dedicated staff. Spring 2014
3
ArtsinAction L i b e ra l
SEAN KAY (‘97) Partner PricewaterhouseCoopers
Christendom alumni are involved in just about every field possible and are making an impact on the culture. In the field of finance, our alumni are using their liberal arts educations to excel as investment specialists and consultants.
“A Christendom College education opens endless opportunities and confers enormous obligations. The time I spent at Christendom enabled me to earn a valuable liberal arts degree, taught me intellectual discipline and effective work habits, and helped me prioritize the important things in my life. Many students in American colleges and universities today acquire a narrow, overly specialized education, but employers and graduate schools are actively seeking well-rounded, liberal arts undergraduates. Following my graduation, I enrolled in Northeastern University’s Graduate School of Professional Accounting in Boston, where 90% of students have liberal arts, non-business backgrounds. A Christendom degree does not prohibit entry into the field of business; on the contrary, it facilitates success.”
“The World English Dictionary defines ‘Christendom’ as: ‘an obsolete word for Christianity.’ Those of us who attended know better. Christendom stays with you forever. It’s an acceptance—an embrace— of the kingship of Christ. Other schools may have helped me analyze charts or see patterns better. What Christendom did is help me realize that focusing on Truth is the most important aspect of doing any business well. Serving God by serving others is where business becomes more than a job—as Pope Francis recently taught us—business becomes a vocation.”
4
Instaurare
JIM KELLY(’97) Principal Paladin Financial Group
Student-Entrepreneur Ready for Career in Business
I
“I’ve seen firsthand that a liberal arts degree not only offers a well-rounded education and personal development, but it also offers the practical tools to succeed in the professional world,” says Jon Fioramonti, a senior majoring in philosophy at Christendom College. The summer after his sophomore year, Fioramonti embraced the spirit of entrepreneurship and joined with two high school friends in the launching of Block Party Bricks, a company that specializes in selling all things Lego—both new and refurbished. Fioramonti, a native of Manassas, Va., says that the company has taken off and that it is hard to keep up with the demand. Working part-time for the company during the school year, Fioramonti plans to go full-time after graduation. The company has already grown to several full time employees and Fioramonti says that Lego “has their eye on them.” Block Party Bricks sell only Lego products—no imitations. Every refurbished piece is thoroughly sanitized and cleaned before resale on their successful eBay and Amazon storefronts.
Fioramonti and his partners plan to keep Christ at the center of their business. “We all take our faith seriously, and understand how important its role is in our lives and our work,” he says. “We even start work at 9:30 a.m. so that everyone has the opportunity to go to daily Mass first.” He also says that living the College’s motto “to restore all things in Christ” is more than just prioritizing your prayer life. “It is applying it to everything in life, including business,” he says. “We like to think we are truly a people-first business. First and foremost, it is our goal to treat our business contacts, our employees, and customers with dignity, respect, and charity. So even when we’re just ‘restoring’ Lego bricks, I know we are living my alma mater’s motto.” Find out more about the power of a Christendom liberal arts education at christendom.edu/liberalarts.
He credits the success he has had as an entrepreneur to his Christendom education. “It teaches you how to ask the right questions, to better think through different situations, and how to make focused and thorough decisions,” he says. “I am well prepared for a business career with my philosophy degree from Christendom.”
Spring 2014
5
Faculty Notes Prof. Bracy Bersnak, Assistant Professor and Chair of Political Science & Economics, wrote an article that was published in Crisis Magazine, “The Magnanimity and Humility of St. Ignatius of Loyola.” Prof. Sebastian Carnazzo, Graduate Adjunct Lecturer in Sacred Scripture and Catechetics, ran a week long seminar at the University of South Africa for 50 Greek professors from all over the country on Biblical Greek as a Living Language. Prof. William Diem, Adjunct Instructor of Theology, wrote a book review of C. Stephen Evans’ “God and Moral Obligation” in American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 88:1. Prof. Douglas Flippen, Professor of Philosophy, delivered a paper entitled “Is It True that the Connatural Intuition of the Artist is both NonConceptual and Non-Abstractive?” at the American Maritain Association Annual Meeting.
6
Prof. William Luckey, Professor of Political Science and Economics, was interviewed on the question of the Catholic view of the common good on radio station WLCR. Prof. Kurt Poterack, Adjunct Professor of Music, delivered a lecture entitled “Artistic Patronage and the Common Good: The Case of J.S. Bach” at St. Thomas More College of the Liberal Arts in Merrimack, N.H. Prof. Brendan McGuire, Associate Professor of History, wrote a 9,000-word article, “Evidence for Religious Accommodation in Latin Constantinople,” which was published in the Journal of Medieval History, an international academic journal. Prof. Ben Reinhard, Assistant Professor of English Language and Literature, appeared in English Studies, with his article “Grendel and the Penitentials.”
Prof. Christopher Lane, Assistant Professor of History, continues to appear regularly in the “Standard Bearers” column at Crisis Magazine, most recently with a piece entitled “St. Paul Miki and the Rise of Japan’s Hidden Christians.”
Prof. Mark Wunsch, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, taught a live online course on Ancient Greek philosophy to 33 religious sisters in the U.S. and Canada for the Magdala Apostolate of the Institute of Catholic Culture.
Prof. Marcello Lippiello, Assistant Professor of Classical and Early Christian Studies, led several spoken Latin workshops at the University of Kentucky and North American Institute for Living Latin Studies, as well as a spoken classical Greek workshop at the Paideia Institute.
Prof. Christopher Shannon, Associate Professor of History, delivered several public lectures on topics ranging from L. Brent Bozell to early Hollywood. He also wrote an article entitled “Stuck in the Middle with Lasch,” for the Society for U.S. Intellectual History.
Instaurare
MISSION POSSIBLE 25% of Students Spend Spring Break on Mission Trips
P
Planes and vans set off at the beginning of spring break, not headed to the beach, but to the poor and forgotten of Peru, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and New York City. As part of the College’s robust annual mission trips program, twenty-five percent of the students studying on the College’s Front Royal campus—a record 90 students—dedicated themselves to a week of missionary work. Thirty-four students and four staff members traveled to Guatemala. There, Christendom’s head chaplain, Fr. Donald Planty, led students as they worked to bring the sacraments to remote villages. The missionaries also installed a water pump in a remote mountain village, El Terrero. Now, thanks to their efforts, the inhabitants of the village no longer need to walk for hours down a mountain to fetch their water for the day. Twenty-four students and two staff members went to the Dominican Republic to work at the Diocese of
Arlington’s mission there. Students worked in the small village of Hato Viejo where they installed concrete floors in houses. The concrete floors will keep houses much cooler than the dirt floors did, and also give the families more dignity in their dwellings. The group completed 14 houses over the course of the trip and also repainted the village’s small chapel. After work each day, the missionaries played sports with the local youth and attended Mass with the people of Hato Viejo.
Spring 2014
7
A L A M E T A U G
a village in Guatemal s or po a ed lp he we h wa While ter supply, my fait obtain a regular wa w how passionate the set on fire as I sawere about our common Guatemalan people s incredible to talk to wa Catholic faith. It and immediately engage s complete stranger our faith. Conversations t ou ab ich in excitement eir way to that wh more th d un fo ly te ia ed a imm The trip gave me matters the most. the world, because now I complete view of most of our brothers w have witnessed ho t live. I have seen the is and sisters in Chr rience, both in our world common human expe roughout time. today and th ’17 - John Paul Heisler
Fr. Planty blesses the completed water pump.
Trenches for the pump’s pipes were dug across fields and up steep hills.
Thirteen students and one staff member traveled to Peru to work with the Missionary Servants of the Poor of the Third World. They worked at their school for young women and their house for abandoned and disabled children. During the week, they lived at the convent and orphanage of the Missionary Servants in Cuzco. After Mass each morning, they assisted at the school with cooking or other various jobs, and then returned to the orphanage in the afternoon to help feed, bathe, and dress the children. Each day ended with Eucharistic Adoration with the sisters. Fourteen students went to the Bronx to work with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal at their homeless shelter for men. The missionaries assisted the friars in their daily
8
Instaurare
work around the shelter as well as various maintenance projects. The students also visited the homeless in the streets and subways, bringing them food and reaching out to them with conversations about the mercy and love of God. Besides the missionary trips offered during academic break, students assist those in need on a local level through the student club Outreach. The club visits nursing homes, works at soup kitchens, sponsors canned food drives, as well as volunteers at the local Crisis Pregnancy Center. Throughout the year students respond to their school’s motto, “to restore all things in Christ,” and sacrifice their free time for those in need.
The tr experien ip was one of th expecte ces of my life. e most amazing happy th d going in, but I imI’m not sure wha little. As e people of Hat mediately saw t I most lovin a community t o Viejo were wit how getting g people I have hey were some h so I’m so th to know them wa ever encounte of the ankf red, s su this tripul that I had the ch a great bles and sing op and grow from thisportunity to go . on ex - Lindsay perience. Harmon ’1 6
Concrete floors keep houses much cooler than dirt floors, and also give. families more dignity in their dwelling
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
PERU It was painful, and some times intimidating, to wo rk wit were deformed or ment ally handicapped; I had ne h those who experience of such disab ver had close ilities before. But havin g a chance to show them love, to treat thos e to whom the world offe rs the respect and kindnes s that are their due, wa nothing with s a powerful and precious experience. Th e best gift we gave to thos was not so much any pa rticular task that we did e we served presence in their lives as simply our —that we came thousa nd s of miles to their poor, remote world to sh ow th to show God’s love for th at we loved them, or perhaps rather, em. This is the hunger of which Mother Teresa spoke, the hung er not for bread but fo r received a great deal, too, not only from the sw love. But we eet and gracious Sisters who hosted us, but from encountering th e beautiful simplicity and goodness of the poor for whom we came. - Sarah Greydanus ’17
Spring 2014
9
FROM
The Chronicler
1
{christendom.edu/chronicler}
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
10
9
11
1. Dorm Wars Opening Ceremonies / 2. Dorm Wars Team Flag Competition / 3. Seminarian Nick Peterson (’10) chats with students at Discernment Weekend / 4. Dorm Wars Swing Dance Competition / 5. Mardi Gras Masquerade Dance / 6. Dominican Sr. Theresa Anne addresses students at Discernment Weekend / 7. Sadie Hawkins fairytale -themed Dance / 8. Sliding behind the Chapel after one of this year’s big snows / 9. Dr. John Cuddeback gives scholarship contestants a taste of the Christendom classroom / 10. Women’s 2014 Basketball Team / 11. Men’s 2014 Basketball Team
10
Instaurare
12
13
14
16
15
17
18
19
22
20
23
21
Christendom College’s The Chronicler is an online publication appearing weekly on Thursdays throughout the academic year. Written and photographed by students,The Chronicler provides a glimpse into life as a student at Christendom. Find out more at christendom.edu/chronicler.
12. College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell leads everyone in an Irish sing-a-long during the annual St. Patrick’s Feast / 13. Students perform Riverdance-style / 14. Leif Pilegaard on the fiddle on St. Patrick’s Day / 15. The daughters of Admissions Director Tom McFadden perform a traditional Irish dance / 16. History professor Dr. Brendan McGuire on the pipes / 17. St. Joseph’s Day procession / 18. Students enjoy an amazing meal during the St. Joseph’s Day Italian-style feast / 19. Senior Joe Duca performs at Cup o’ Coeli / 20. Adoration during prayer vigil during March for Life / 21. Dorm Wars Cake Competition winner, “Christendom’s Global Impact” / 22. Roaring 20’s Pub Night / 23. Spider-Man and Alice in Wonderland dance at Sadie Hawkins Costume Dance
Spring 2014
11
EVERYDAY HERO By Abigail Reimel (’17)
Christendom’s Freshman Firefighter
N
Nineteen-year-old Dan Turner is a freshman at Christendom College with more than the average amount of responsibility for a student his age. As a part-time volunteer fireman and full-time student, Turner is always on the job, spending his free time embracing what he calls his “special opportunity to go above and beyond by helping people on what could potentially be their worst day.” Since college degrees are becoming increasingly soughtafter in potential firemen, Turner decided that investing in a Christendom education would not only improve his professional resume, but also provide him with what he called “an essential spiritual formation.” His sister, Kat (’15), first introduced him to Christendom. By meeting her friends, Turner was able to witness the College’s positive influence on its students. The impressive qualities that he saw in the College’s
12
Instaurare
alumni and the opportunities for a rich spiritual formation led Turner to decide that Christendom was the best place for him to grow—both as a career-driven individual and as a man of God. Becoming a fireman has been Turner’s dream since childhood. His family’s experience with emergency response teams coming to his house inspired him. Though the issues were minor, he says that the emergency responders impressed him.
“In my eyes, they saved my Dad,” Turner says. “Ever since then, I have wanted to be a fireman.” The example of an older cousin, who is a fireman, helped solidify Turner’s ambition, and, at 16, he began training to become a fireman. He quickly learned the demands of the job, learning how the various instruments work, and the most efficient ways to respond to various emergencies—ranging from medical calls to house fires. Turner says that one of the most difficult things to learn is how to remain calm, keep his emotions in check, and be the reassuring presence in the midst of stressful circumstances.
“I learned more last semester than I did through my four years of high school,” Turner quips. “The amount of work has helped change my attitude for the better. I’ve had to learn how to buckle down, stick to my work, and get it done. It has been a really good lesson in selfdiscipline.”
In addition to the enriching academics, Turner says he feels that he is going to benefit greatly from the spiritual formation and personal growth opportunities the campus offers. He related “At some point, we how when Christendom’s will all deal with life This is really the place for building first Major Speaker, Dr. or death situations,” Scott Hahn, referred to your relationship with God. Turner says. “You the College as “one of the never quite know what largest slices of heaven on could happen. You have to put fear on the back burner earth,” he was led to appreciate how enriching this time and just do what you know and what you’ve been trained could be. to do, because fear can be crippling. They called you because they’re scared, so you have to be the steady and “My education here will help me realize my full calm for them in that situation.” potential, and benefit me for the rest of my life—both at home and in the workplace,” he says. Handling the demands of such a high-pressure position is not easy, and as a volunteer, Turner puts his life on the As the busy spring semester continues, Turner can be line for others every day without any compensation, save found studying hard and enjoying the campus life of a knowing that he is making people’s lives easier by being college student—with radio on, in case of emergencies. their hero for a day. He currently volunteers with the He plans to become an EMT in the next couple of years, Shenandoah Shores Volunteer Fire Department, whose and to turn this volunteer position into a full-time job firehouse is located down the road from Christendom’s after graduation—earning the title of Fire Chief. But for campus. now the humble fireman can be found attending classes, writing papers, and having fun with friends, ready at Such a job requires discipline, which Turner truly feels a moment’s notice to place his love for others above Christendom has helped him cultivate on a new level. himself, and once again show that he truly is an everyday In contrast to his prior experience in public schools, hero. Christendom’s curriculum requires a lot more attention, because there is so much knowledge to digest.
‘
’
Spring 2014
13
High note finish Basketball Teams End Seasons with Wins
I
In February, both Christendom basketball teams brought their seasons to a close with big victories. The Crusaders, after playing one of the toughest schedules in recent memory, won their final two games. They finished with a respectable 7-12 record, matching the record for the most wins in the past 7 years. The Lady Crusaders completed their third winning season in four years by also winning their final two games. The Ladies finished with a 7-5 record. In addition to strong finishes, both teams bid farewell to some of the finest student-athletes to wear a Christendom jersey.
Sophomore Jeremy Minick flies to the hoop.
The women’s basketball team, despite playing a short schedule due to inclement weather and unforeseen circumstances, played better as the season went along. Under Head Coach Mike Brown, the team defeated three NCAA Division III opponents, including Trinity University in D.C.—a first in Christendom history (The Lady Crusaders also defeated Trinity University in soccer last semester—another first).
Senior Morgan Kavanagh slips past the opposition.
On the way to another winning season, junior Mary Barbale and senior Morgan Kavanagh made Christendom history. Barbale scored 40 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the victorious last game of the season against USCAA opponent Central Penn College. The 40-point barrage from Barbale marks the first time a Lady Crusader has broken the 40 point mark in Christendom sports history. Kavanagh, who was also a standout soccer player for the Lady Crusaders, also made Crusader history by becoming the first Christendom student-athlete to amass over 40 goals and 1,000 points in her career. In addition, fellow senior, Bridget Vander Woude, played the most minutes of any female basketball player at
14
Instaurare
Christendom and also set the record for most kills and aces in volleyball. The men’s basketball team also finished the season on a high note. The team won their final two games against Patrick Henry College and Lord Fairfax Community College. Their schedule included games against NCAA Division III opponent Randolph College from the ODAC conference as well as four USCAA opponents, who were ranked in the top 15 in the country. Sophomore Jeremy Minick finished the season as the leading scorer for the team averaging close to 17 points a game. “It was an exciting and strong finish to a great season of basketball,” Coach Chris Vander Woude said. “A special thanks to all the Christendom Crazies who came out game after game to support their fellow Crusaders. Hopefully next year will bring even more excitement on the court.”
THE GRANDEUR OF ST. PETER’S
By Philip Gilbert (‘15)
A Student Discovers the Glory of Rome’s Great Basilica
T
The junior semester in Rome program offered by Christendom is, at least for myself, a rare chance for the experience of a lifetime. We’ve been anticipating and dreaming about it since freshman year, and now that the Rome program has begun, it seems strange and unreal. I keep telling myself that I really am in Italy. I really will be living in Rome for three months with a group of amazing friends with whom I will be able to share many amazing experiences. The Rome experience is not just limited to being doused in the Italian language, food, and culture, but living in the beating heart of the Church, and every day having the chance to walk the same ground as have countless saints and martyrs. The truth and significance of this was something that I failed to fully comprehend until I arrived in Rome. My first impression of Rome was disbelief and awe.
‘ I had previously seen many pictures and postcards of Saint Peter’s, but nothing could have prepared me for witnessing it in person. ’
As our first official Rome program activity, we all walked from where we will be living at Residence Candia, to St. Peter’s Basilica to attend Mass at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter. After Mass, we were given some time to walk around and see the basilica for ourselves. I had previously seen many pictures and postcards of St. Peter’s, but nothing could have prepared me for witnessing it in person. I was absolutely blown away by the combination of the sheer immensity of the structure; the incredible quality of the paintings and sculptures coating every visible surface; and the vast collection of relics belonging
Looking up at the dome and baldacchino of St. Peter’s.
to popes, saints, and martyrs kept in the various shrines and altars available for veneration. I soon discovered that the painted ceilings were so high that I would lose my balance while trying to look at them. The entire experience was incredibly overwhelming—so much—to the point that I had to step outside to regain myself. My mind was completely blown. I had never properly fathomed the grandeur of St. Peter’s—though I had heard much about the basilica, everyone else’s words, as I am sure mine own do, had failed to convey even a fraction of the experience. To keep up with Philip’s adventures in Rome, read The Chronicler each week: christendom.edu/chronicler.
Find out more about Christendom’s amazing Junior Semester in Rome Program at christendom.edu/rome.
Spring 2014
15
Trường Đại Học [vietnamese. noun. graduate school or university]
Vietnamese Graduate Students Add International Flavor
T
The Christendom Graduate School excels in the training of catechists and directors of religious education. Its affordable, flexible, and faithful program has attracted students from across the U.S. and beyond. Recently the graduate school has seen a rise in Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American students, both online and on-campus. Since 2006, many Vietnamese-American sisters have attended the summer program at the Front Royal campus, both in the M.A. program and as part of the Vita Consecrata Institute. Many of these are Dominican sisters from Houston, a group that started with ten sisters who had escaped Vietnam after the fall of Saigon and now has over one hundred sisters in the province. Several others are members of the Lovers of the Holy Cross, an order in California that also has origins in Vietnam. But more recently, in addition to these summer students, Christendom is pleased to have priests from Vietnam studying year-round at the Alexandria campus.
Vinh
Phan Thiet
Students share their culture with the rest of the Christendom community with a celebration of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year.
educate catechists. Both will likely be teaching in their diocesan seminaries as part of their catechetical efforts. “I wanted to study in a truly Catholic environment, and I found that at Christendom,” said Fr. Andrew. “The knowledge I have received, and especially the example of the professors, has brought me closer to Christ and His Church. I wish that many people, especially the young, shall come to Christendom College to study and live the authentic Catholic faith.” While studying at Christendom, Fr. Andrew and Fr. Paul are living and serving at local parishes, and in addition, they celebrate Mass at the graduate school on a regular basis. Their studies are sponsored by a group of generous VietnameseAmerican Catholics, including laymen, clergy, and religious, who not only help them find places to study and live, but also pay for their studies and living expenses and welcome them into their homes.
‘ The knowledge I have received, and especially the example of the professors, has brought me closer to Christ and His Church. ’
Fr. Andrew Phu Vinh Luong, a priest from the Phan Thiet Diocese, started at the graduate school in 2011. He will serve his diocese as director of catechesis upon his return home at the end of the year. Fr. Paul Quang Van Nguyen comes from the Diocese of Vinh, the largest diocese in the North of Vietnam with over 200 parishes and half a million Catholics—most of them young people. Both Fr. Andrew and Fr. Paul are studying the Evangelization and Catechesis Concentration of the M.A. program in order to prepare themselves to develop comprehensive catechetical programs for their home dioceses and to 16
Instaurare
“I am really impressed by the generosity of this Vietnamese-American community,” said Dr. Kristin
Noteworthy
Fr. Paul and Fr. Andrew pose with some of cooks who provided the Tet celebration feast.
Students Fr. Paul, Fr. Andrew, and Trieu Mai with graduate school professor Dr. R. J. Matava.
Burns, Dean of the graduate school. “Even though they have made their homes in the U.S., they are willing to work and give in order to help spread the faith in their homeland.”
Alumna Sister Miriam Esther (Lorraine Podlinsek, ’05) and members of her order, the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, have released another beautiful album, Lent at Ephesus. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard magazine’s Classical Overall Music Chart and Classical Traditional Music Chart. The album also earned the No. 49 spot on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, the No. 2 spot on the Contemporary Christian Chart, and the No. 3 spot on the Christian Gospel and Internet charts.
Thanks to these priests, the knowledge of the graduate school is spreading among the Vietnamese-Americans living in Northern Virginia, resulting in some of them attending the school. Fr. Tuan Nguyen, O.P., a Dominican priest who is the associate pastor at Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Catholic Church in Arlington, Va., is working toward a Master’s degree taking courses at the Alexandria campus. Mr. Trieu Tho Mai, a software engineer who serves as youth minister, catechist, and Eucharistic minister at the same parish, is earning his M.A. degree by taking courses online. “Christendom College is keeping Catholic tradition alive in our secular culture and passing on the Church’s authentic teaching,” Fr. Paul says. “I have learned much from the school’s love for the Church, and I will continue to tell Catholics in Vietnam about Christendom College.” For more information visit
Right before his semester in Rome ended, Christendom College junior Peter Deucher traded zucchettos with Pope Francis at a papal audience. Deucher said that the expression on the Pope’s face when he first looked at him and then again when he handed the hat back to his guard was “priceless.”
christendom.edu/graduate Spring 2014
17
NEWS in BRIEF
18
Rev. John D. Corbett, a moral theologian currently teaching at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception, delivered the annual St. Thomas Aquinas Lecture to students and faculty on January 27. Rev. Corbett’s talk, entitled “The Angelic Doctor and the Lord of the Angels,” discussed the nature of angels and how such high beings could have fallen from God’s grace.
On January 22, approximately 100 Christendom students attended the 41st March for Life. The charter bus company, which was scheduled to transport the entire student body to the March, cancelled the trip to Washington, D.C., due to heavy snow and hazardous road conditions. The College had cancelled classes for the day, so those who were unable to attend the March participated in an all-day prayer vigil in Christ the King Chapel.
Junior Mary Barbale was recently named USCAA Women’s Division II Basketball Player of the Week after scoring a career-high of 40 points in a victory over Central Penn College. Her efforts placed her in the record books as the first female basketball player in Christendom history to score 40 points in a game.
In March, Christendom was ranked in an exclusive list of the top 10 private liberal arts colleges in the Southeast/ Mid-South region by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine.
Instaurare
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 ities of nearly 20 colleges or univers attended by vice presidents nce fere by con a on in tati ed sen pat pre tici his par I Some years ago, ference speaker who opened I will not soon forget one con ch were represented located around the nation. ents of several institutions whi em stat sion mis ct exa ed tifi den its respective representatives! projecting on a screen the uni statement was recognized by sion mis one not n whe rise there. Imagine my surp underrepresented groups,” demic arenas” or “diversity of aca in ce h the inen -em “pre as h holic liberal arts education wit In contrast to mottos suc clear in its objective as a Cat and ng ral ani mo me in ing elop rich is dev us, sion Th Christendom’s mis of truth and wisdom.” son for a life spent in pursuit goal of forming “the whole per endom’s goal. rist Ch itual life are intrinsic to character and fostering the spir e Christendom very lives of our students. Th recognizing this mission in the y drama stage, or on a cult the diffi e on littl rt, e cou hav s rts itor Vis the classroom, on the spo in r the whe , in his life. son per le pra who he learns to apply ctically experience builds the culatively in the classroom, spe ns lear onstrate ent dem stud and h eac iety at soc mission trip. Wh onsible citizens in ously their call to become resp seri e tak to ged llen cha are Students campus. leadership in various ways on lly risen to this responsibility lar students who have especia ticu par h suc n Ingold, seve ut abo cher, Maeve Gallagher, Kelsey I am pleased to share with you ria Cintorino, Rebecca Deu Ma rd. are Boa and py on hro cati lant edu Phi ir l for the gift of the by forming the Senior Sean LaRochelle are gratefu and ly, Kel th ribe s. Ma i, ion ont erat Jonathon Fioram e been taught to future gen smitting the truths they hav taking responsibility for tran le for the gift of their ir senior class to be accountab the of ers mb me ing ask be s will will help juniors and seniors As you read this, these student The pledges that they receive ter. ma a alm -be n-to soo ir education by pledging to the te. in financial distress to gradua your generosity. school, as do I. Thank you for These students believe in the
Greetings from Jacksonville, F lorida
While traveling in Florid a recently, Philanthropy Officer Tim Flagg had the meeting Dr. John and Ka pleasure of thy Wilcox. They have be en loyal supporters of Ch College for several years ristendom having heard Dr. Warren Carroll lecture on campu s in 1995. “Since that time, we’ve go tten to know Christendo m quite well, and we’ve getting to know Dr. O’Do enjoyed nnell and his wife Cathy — two of our favorite peop John says. “We had the ple le,” asure of joining them on a trip to Ireland in 2010 .” John and Kathy both see something unique in the College. “Christendom has a spe cial place in our hearts— more than other Catholic colleges. We like what Ch ristendom is all about and what it has already achiev in so little time,” John say ed s. They stand behind the mi
ssion of the College and
want to see it flourish. “Christendom’s mission is distinct and it sets it apa rt from others,” John say make a difference for gen s. “We can truly erations to come.” Spring 2014
19
our to dy Sen sions mis es@ sub ssmat .edu cla ndom iste chr
CLASSMATES [your paper & ink alumni social network]
1990’s
Alumni Tom (’90) and Amanda (’93) McFadden visited their son, alumnus Br. John McFadden (’13), at Clear Creek Abbey of Oklahoma in February. Br. McFadden is the first Christendom grad to join this contemplative Benedictine order.
Michelle (McCoy) Hoeper (’95) and her husband, Jim, welcomed another daughter in December. Stella Mariah spent a week in the hospital & came home just in time for Christmas. Pictured above with mom, dad, and siblings: Cecelia (10), Victoria (8), Kolbe (6), Blaise (4), and Larissa (2).
Matthew Tsakanikas (’95) studied at the John Paul Institute in Melbourne, Australia, finishing his S.T.L. with the Pontifical Lateran University John Paul II Institute in Rome. He then went on to begin S.T.D. studies in 2009 while teaching for Benedictine College. He successfully defended his Doctoral thesis on September 11, 2013, in Rome. Matthew and his wife, Miriam, have 5 boys: Joachim 16, Aedan 13, John-Paul 10, Joshua 6, and Matthias 2. Currently serving as principal at Saint Paul Catholic School in southern Memphis, Sister Mary Martha Hetzler, O.P., (’98) recently joined the board of directors for Catholic Charities of West Tennessee.
Katie (Erwin) Ii (’10) and her husband, Jeremiah, had a little girl, Marie Cecilia, in September. The Ii’s are doing well and loving life as new parents. Rachel Williams (’10) and Paul Pierce, Jr., are engaged to be married in October 2014.
2000’s
Nate and Katie (Cruser) Scrivener’s (’11) son, Fulton, met Pope Francis this past November. The photo appeared on the cover of the Vatican’s official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.
1st Lt. James Kromhout (’07), a platoon leader with Easy Company 101st Airborne Division, kisses his son upon return home from his nine-month tour to Afghanistan. His wife, Clare (’07), was elated at the first-time meeting of father and son.
2010’s Michael Bobrowski (’13) is a Benefits Consultant and Account Manager with Aflac. He is also actively serving with youth ministry at St. Mary’s Parish as well as Boys & Girls Club of America in Old Town Alexandria. Mike is thrilled to be connecting other businessmen and entrepreneurs through his involvement in Business Networking International and Catholic Business Network. He thanks God and his alma mater for his nurtured passion to restore all things in Christ in the business world and in today’s youth! Karla (Kuykendall) Hester (’99) and her family ran into a dinosaur while walking through a field in Texas.
20
Instaurare
Catherine Briggs (’11) recently joined the staff of LifeSiteNews as a part-time reporter in addition to her full-time position at Auriga Distribution Services.
Elizabeth (Sartor) and Chris Foeckler (’13) were married on December 28, 2013.
In Memoriam Charlie Van Hecke (‘13) died on February 11 from complications from a heartrelated surgery. Please pray for the repose of his soul and the consolation of his family.
Taken from the college’s motto “Instaurare Omnia in Christo,” this section features an excerpt from a recent paper or talk by one of Christendom’s distinguished faculty.
Omnia in Christo Personal Vocation: Sketch of a Key to the New Evangelization
I
It is noteworthy that the turning point for a Catholic recovery of the idea of personal vocation was the Second Vatican Council. One of the Council’s principal aims was aggiornomento, or a renewal of the relationship between the Church and the modern world. Such a renewal was necessary because the Church’s evangelical efforts had become trammeled by a defensive culture of opposition to modernity which had set in during the centuries following the Reformation and Enlightenment. This period, especially the long nineteenth century, saw the rise of what was called ‘laicism’. ‘Laicism’ effectively denotes the uncoupling of the Gospel from the secular order and its receding influence on daily life and culture. It was this problem—what we today would call ‘secularism’— that the fathers of Vatican II identified as “one of the more serious errors of our age” (GS 43). Their choice of words is arresting: “One of the gravest errors of our time is the dichotomy between the faith which many profess and the practice of their daily lives.” That is almost like saying the separation of faith from life is today what Gnosticism was in the second century, or Arianism in the fourth. This is the situation the new evangelization must address, and it helps to explain what is ‘new’ about the new evangelization: unlike the ‘old’ original evangelization that took place especially in the first three centuries and in those that followed as increasing parts of the world became known to Christians, the Church’s evangelical efforts today must address a world that thinks it knows and has decidedly rejected the Gospel. A personal vocation is the calling of God addressed in a unique way to each of the baptized. This calling is to a certain way of life—a singular, irrepeatable way of following Jesus. Viewing the same reality from the angle of human response, a personal vocation is the life of good deeds that God prepared beforehand for each of those who have been justified by faith to walk in (Eph 2.8-10). This life of Godgiven good works must be discerned within the concrete, providentially ordained circumstances in which one finds oneself. While one’s personal role in God’s universal plan is limited, the extent of that role relative to the whole of one’s life is comprehensive—no aspect of one’s life falls outside the purview of God’s call.
By Dr. R. J. Matava
A personal vocation constitutes one’s share in the work of Christ who is priest, prophet and king. The believer shares in Christ’s threefold munus because through baptism, the sacrament of faith, he or she is literally incorporated into Christ. This membership in Christ entails the gift and responsibility of contributing to the kingdom that Jesus is building. This kingdom-building work is by nature prophetic, insofar as by engaging in it, believers bear witness to Christ and the truth of the Gospel. For Grisez, while believers have a personal vocation by virtue of baptism, they are strengthened for the witness-bearing, reign-extending work that is the substance of their response by the sacrament of confirmation. This response in turn becomes the material of the believer’s participation in the priestly office of Christ: One’s life lived in response to God’s plan is the concretization of the spiritual sacrifice of obedience (1 Pet 2.5) that is joined to Christ’s redemptive sacrifice in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The public worship of the Church is lived out through all the elements of ordinary, everyday life and exists as its source and summit. Crucially, the believer himself, above anything which his action exteriorly concerns, is one of the construction materials of the kingdom; he himself is a living stone of the edifice Jesus is building (1 Pet 2.5). Because free choices last as dispositions of character—as determinations of the self—one’s response to God’s call, starting with the act of faith, is as much a matter of becoming as it is a matter of doing. By walking in the good deeds God has prepared, the believer is increasingly conformed to the love poured forth into his or her heart by the Holy Spirit at baptism so that while initially justified by faith, the believer is increasingly justified through every juncture of life’s course by organizing his or her subsequent choices around the central commitment of faith. In short, the one who is justified by faith is continually perfected by finding, accepting and fulfilling God’s personal calling. The above piece is excerpted from a draft of the essay, “Vocation, Holiness, and Freewill in Luther and Grisez: Sketch of an Interconfessional Study,” in Literature of Luther: The Individual, Freewill and Grace, ed. John Edwards (forthcoming from Wipf and Stock, 2014). Dr. R. J. Matava earned his Ph.D. from the University of St. Andrew’s, Scotland, and is Assistant Professor of Theology at Christendom College’s Graduate School. He and his family are parishioners at Queen of Apostles in Alexandria.
NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID Huntington, IN Permit # 832
134 Christendom Drive Front Royal, VA 22630
Summer Program for Rising High School Seniors June 15 - July 19 (4 one-week sessions)
2014
SUMMER PROGRAMS
Discover the Christendom difference this summer at one of our highly-acclaimed programs for high school, college, or graduate
students. Our educational, spiritual, and cultural experiences will make this the most rewarding summer of your life.
FRONT ROYAL, VIRGINIA & DONEGAL, IRELAND | 800.877.5456 | CHRISTENDOM.EDU/SUMMER
St. Columcille Institute in Ireland for Undergraduates July 20 - August 11 Graduate School Residential Summer Program June 23 - August 2