The MAGAZINE of CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE
PRES IDENT O’DONNELL REFLECTS
PRESIDENT-ELECT ANNOUNCED | MILITARY SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP CHANGES LIVES THE VIRTUE OF FILIAL PIETY | COUPLE ENRICHES CHRISTENDOM BASKETBALL
Published three times yearly by the Christendom College Marketing Office.
Editor & Design Director: Niall O’Donnell
Assistant Editor: Zach Smith
Design Assistant and Illustrator: Julie Wells
Publications Coordinator: Lianna Youngman
Photos: Paul Aguilar, Thomas Cole, Sofia Cummings, Andrew McFadden, Niall O’Donnell, Julie Wells
Contributors: James Bergida, Bracy Bersnak, Vince Criste, Richard Hanley, Rose Norris, Zach Smith, Anna Williams, Mark Wunsch
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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.”
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mr. Guy Amisano Sr.
Mr. Gregory Bodoh ’94
Mr. Martin R. Boles
Mr.
Mr.
Mrs.
Mr.
Dr.
Mr.
ADVISORS
Halisky ’01
Hester ’99 (Treasurer)
Hough
T. O’Donnell (ex officio)
O’Keefe ’93 (Chairman)
Mr. Gary Schuberg
Mr.
Swartzberg
Mrs. Michele Velasco ’90 (Vice Chairman)
Mr. Thomas C. West Jr.
Ms. Luanne D. Zurlo (Secretary)
Dr. Timothy O’Donnell and his wife, Cathy, stand in front of their home in Stephens City, Virginia.
Christendom’s women’s basketball team defeated Johnson & Wales Charlotte 76-65 in the USCAA DII National Championship in Petersburg, Virginia, bringing home the first women’s basketball national title in school history. Read more about the amazing coaching that led to their triumph on page 14.
Dr. O’Donnell reflects on 32 years of his presidency at Christendom College.
Christendom welcomes its fourth president, Dr. George Harne, to continue the legacy and mission of Christendom.
How coaches Mary and Jeremy Minick enrich the Christendom basketball teams both on and off the court.
Christendom professor Dr. Mark Wunsch examines filial piety through the dual lenses of Aquinas and Confucius.
The student-run magazine that has inspired a legacy among budding artists and writers on campus.
Three students reflect on their gratitude for the Christendom Military Scholarship.
Inthe spring semester of 1985, Dr. Timothy O’Donnell came to Christendom to teach. He had visited the campus in November 1982 and later in the fall of 1984, and was impressed with the college’s core curriculum and with the fact that each aspect of the college—academic and social—was directed toward the consecration of the intellect and will to Christ. From 1985 to 1992, Dr. O’Donnell taught history and theology and served as the vice president of student affairs. He was, additionally, the chairman of the Theology Department, Editor of Faith & Reason , director of student activities, and dean of the Summer Apologetics Institute. In 1992, he was appointed as the college’s third president—a role he would lovingly serve in for the next 32 years.
In this special reflection, Dr. O’Donnell looks back on his time at the college, considers its ongoing importance for the Church, and offers thanksgiving—and a farewell—after over three decades of joy-filled service to the students, faculty, staff, families, benefactors, and friends of Christendom College.
From the Desk of the President
Tim is the first college president that I really knew well personally and professionally. He is the yardstick by which I measure his peers and I haven’t found any that match him in the excellence he brought to the numerous facets of the job. His legacy will live on not only at Christendom but in the graduates and their families, of which we are blessed to have four. He excelled even more at his other two vocations—which inspire and continue to challenge me to emulate—his love and dedication to his family and church.
– HON. RICK SANTORUMPart of my joyful task as president has been to keep the mission and vision of the College before our eyes. This mission, which has a perennial value, has become even more important given our current cultural confusion and increasingly toxic society.
We are witnessing great advances in science and technology and at the same time horrific moral confusion. The greatest example of this can be seen in the fact that a mother’s womb, the great sanctuary of life and love, has now often become a place of unspeakable violence.
We are a deeply wounded society in need of healing. We live in a world which desperately needs study, reflection, profound prayer, and community. How urgently do we need young men and women deeply educated in the truths of faith and reason to help transform this culture and society, which views tradition as nothing more than a legacy of oppression. Many believe that most etiquette and customs are simply forms of patriarchal stereotyping. The notion that men and women are created in the image and likeness of God is seen as “an illusory barrier to an autonomous self-expression.” The fundamental ends and principles governing society used to be agreed upon and the debate centered on the means best suited to achieve those ends. Today the very ends and principles are no longer held in common and are themselves the subject of debate.
Psychologists have observed a steep rise in adolescent depression, chiefly caused by divorce and the breakdown of the family. Many adults and children are emotionally scarred as a result. Despite multiple means of communication, loneliness has become increasingly characteristic of our modern society. We are not meant to be alone. We need again to return to who Our Blessed Lord proclaimed Himself to be: “the way, the truth, and the life.” He came “that we may have life and have it to the full. For then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
I knew that the answer to our societal problems was here in the Shenandoah Valley when I first visited Christendom in the fall of 1982. After getting off the plane from my home in California, I was struck by the beauty of the surrounding landscape and taken aback at the pioneering spirit found on what then existed of Christendom’s Front Royal, Virginia campus. At that time, very few buildings were on campus, and the college’s
“May God bless Dr. Timothy O'Donnell for the enormously important work he has done at Christendom College, with amazing success. I was moved to tears at the dedication of Christ the King Chapel, not only because it was a most important addition to the campus, but because it was a triumphant sign that the renewal of faithful Catholic education in the U.S. has firmly taken hold and will only grow from here. Dr. O’Donnell will always hold a high place in the history of Catholic education, thanks to his extraordinary leadership and example. ”
– PATRICK J. REILLY PRESIDENT & FOUNDER, THE CARDINAL NEWMAN SOCIETY
Opposite page: O’Donnell with College Founder Dr. Warren Carroll in 1992, at fundraising event with his father, Richard; and at the 2014 March for Life with Karen and Rick Santorum.
student body was just a fraction of what it is today.
After spending time touring the classrooms, I was told that it was time for Mass. Initially, I was shocked that all classes were suspended in order that the entire college community could attend Mass together. That shock only became more pronounced when I witnessed students and families kneeling not only in the chapel but outside of it as well, joyfully awaiting their Eucharistic Lord.
It was in that moment, kneeling on the hard ground, outside of that small chapel, that I knew the answer to society’s problems was here. Forty-two years later, I still believe that to be true.
Christendom College has played a vital role in the educational mission of the Church, forming young men and women in the Truth, preparing them not only to be leaders, but also to live a life in pursuit of wisdom. As our mission statement proclaims so beautifully:
“The College provides a Catholic liberal arts education, including an integrated core curriculum grounded in natural and revealed truth, the purpose of which at both the undergraduate and graduate levels is to form the whole person for a life spent in the pursuit of truth and wisdom. Intrinsic to such an education is the formation of moral character and the fostering of the spiritual life. This education prepares students for their role as faithful, informed, and articulate members of Christ’s Church and society.”
This mission and vision inspired Dr. Carroll and our founding faculty and harmonized with the best in our Catholic tradition, affirmed in Saint John Paul’s great encyclical Fides et Ratio, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis’s Lumen Fidei, and of course the Apostolic Constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae.
Pope Benedict in his historic address at Catholic University stated that “Catholic education is central and essential to the Church’s mission to evangelize.” This is why we rejoice that every year our entire faculty voluntarily make the Profession of Faith and take the Oath of Fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium.
I recall when Belgian Cardinal Jan Schotte visited Christendom College for commencement some years ago, Professor Ray O’Herron went up and thanked him for coming all the way from Rome to be with us. The Cardinal put his hand on Ray’s shoulder, looked him in the eye, and said: “I don’t think
you fully realize how important this College is for the life of the Church.”
Our students, as they pursue wisdom through their course of liberal studies, are working to achieve an arduous good—a good that will require a great deal of effort.
For over 45 years now, we have had an outstanding group of faculty mentors: men and women of intellect and moral courage who helped students see what is true, good, and beautiful. We have also been blessed with a gifted staff and team of chaplains who are deeply committed to this educational mission. To this end, ultimately there is only one Master and we are all disciples. The pursuit of wisdom and virtue leads a student to embark on the noble journey to know reality and seek God, learning to use their intellect to think clearly, make distinctions, and act coherently. None of this could happen without your gracious support. As I close out my time as president at Christendom College, I remind our students that they are not alone, but they are in a community of learners. Theirs is not only a community which strives for prudence, justice, courage, and temperance, but also a community in which faith, hope, and charity are operative. It is important for all of us to remember that we have a spiritual mother who conquered “not with a sword in her hand but with the sword in her heart.” She accepted that wound to show us all
“With the entire Christendom College community and on behalf of the priests, religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Arlington, I offer my sincere thanks to Dr. Timothy O’Donnell for his steadfast leadership and commitment to faithful Catholic higher education. I have often described Christendom as a treasure in this diocese and to the universal Church, and Dr. O’Donnell has played an indispensable role in making Christendom the shining beacon that it is today.
For more than 30 years, Dr. O’Donnell has prayerfully guided and built up the college to be a place that forms men and women into Catholic leaders. He is a model for all college and university presidents, and we owe Dr. O’Donnell a debt of gratitude for what he has accomplished for Catholic higher education in this country.”
Opposite page (top–bottom): O’Donnell with students in Rome last spring; with students at the 2021 St. Columcille Institute in Ireland. Left: O’Donnells with Arlington Bishop Michael F. Burbidge and Francis Cardinal Arinze following the Dedication Mass of Christ the King Chapel in April 2023. Below: O’Donnells with Servant of God Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., at a college conference in the mid-1980s; Fr. William Saunders and O’Donnell sign Notre Dame Institute merger, creating the college’s graduate school.
Dr. Timothy O’Donnell faithfully served the college as president for over 30 years—two-thirds of the college’s lifetime. Under his leadership, the college has grown exponentially, with new campus buildings—such as Christ the King Chapel—an alumni base that has grown to nearly 4,000 with 166 alumni priests and religious among their ranks, and growth of the college’s endowment from $200,000 to over $38 million while adhering to its commitment of no government funding. Further, under his leadership, Christendom merged with the Notre Dame Institute to form the Christendom College Graduate School of Theology, expanding its offerings to graduate-level theological and catechetical programs. Christendom also expanded internationally during his tenure with the launch of the Junior Semester in Rome in 2002 and the St. Columcille Institute in Ireland in 2013.
“Timothy O’Donnell was the ideal successor.”
– W ARREN H. CARROLL FOUNDER, CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE“If Warren Carroll founded and began the building of Christendom, Dr. O’Donnell continued the building and brought the college into the glory of Christendom.
Dr. O’Donnell’s profound Catholic Faith, his sincere love for his students, his commitment to Christendom’s goal of restoring all things in Christ, and his inspired leadership have made Christendom what it is today and prepared it for the future. May Tim and his beloved wife, Cathy, who was united with him every step of the way, enjoy a future richly blessed by the loving God they have served so well.”
– ANNE CARROLL FOUNDER, SETON HIGH SCHOOL
how much she loves our Blessed Lord and all the members of His mystical body.
She is called the Seat of Wisdom because she has a Son, a Divine Son who is also fully human who let His Heart be pierced that we might enter therein and learn meekness and humility. He loves us more than we could ever love ourselves and desires “all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” Let us recall the overwhelming words of our Blessed Lord to St. Teresa of Ávila when He said, “I would create the whole world just to hear you say ‘I love you’ once more.”
As I look back on my 39 years at Christendom College, 32 of which were spent as president, my heart is filled with gratitude.
Our Blessed Lord and His Mother have showered countless graces on our college over the years, and words simply cannot do them justice.
There are so many people who must be thanked, who have made Christendom College the thriving center—indeed “the gold standard”—of the renewal of Catholic education.
I would like to thank Dr. Warren Carroll, our beloved founder, for his faith, confidence, and affection he always showed for me.
I would like to thank my predecessor, Dr. Damian Fedoryka, who placed me in charge of student life, and from whom I learned a great deal.
I owe thanks to the many members of the Board of Directors, especially the former chairman, Donna Bethell, for so many years of inspired and dedicated service.
Special thanks to our current chairman and alumnus, Stephen O’Keefe, for his steady hand and courageous leadership.
My deep gratitude is also given to all my colleagues in the faculty for their mentorship of our students, the excellence of their teaching, and their commitment to our educational apostolate.
My heartfelt gratitude is also given to all the members of our wonderful staff who kept the college moving forward and have sustained our growth with their professionalism and dedicated service to our mission.
A special thanks to our beloved alumni and students who have been such an inspiration and gift to me as I witnessed their pursuit of the arduous good of an authentic Catholic liberal arts education. It has been a source of great joy to witness them grow in wisdom and grace over the years.
For all our beloved benefactors and friends, who are essential members of our Christendom family—thank you for all your support over so many years! We simply would not be here, nor have witnessed the growth and success we have achieved together, without your prayers and generosity.
I would like to thank in a special way Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI for the support they showed for the work of Christendom College. I must also acknowledge the faithful support of our shepherds here in Arlington, Bishop Thomas Welsh, Bishop John Keating, and Bishop Paul Loverde, who have been so supportive of our efforts to renew authentic Catholic higher education and given us so many wonderful chaplains over the years. A special thank you for our current shepherd, Bishop Michael Burbidge, who has become a good friend and a source of encouragement and support of our work here at Christendom.
I would like to thank so many Cardinals, Princes of the Church, who have been so supportive over the years, including our beloved Cardinal Jan Schotte as well as Cardinal Burke, Cardinal Dulles, Cardinal Mueller, Cardinal O’Brien, Cardinal O’Malley, Cardinal Pell, Cardinal Sarah, Cardinal Stafford, and our dear friend Cardinal Arinze.
I want to thank all of my assistants over the years with a special word of thanks to my wonderful executive assistant, Mrs. Brenda Seelbach, for all her hard work and support over so many years.
At this time, I would also like to thank my successor, Dr. George Harne, for taking up the task of leading this great institution. I have full confidence in him and know he will be a great president who will defend and advance our mission.
Lastly, I wish to express my love and devotion to my wife, Cathy, who has been with me and supported me with her love, encouragement, and wisdom every step of the way. I wish to thank my beloved children for their support as well during so many years of travel and work. Thank you, Colleen, Niall, Hugh, Bridget, Dubh, Rory, Conor, Kieran, and Declan!
It has been a joy and honor to serve this vital educational apostolate and I look forward to continuing my support until the good Lord calls me home.
To one and all I say thank you and may God bless us all, everyone!
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen.
page: O’Donnells with Carrolls and founding faculty member Jeff Mirus. This page (top–bottom): O’Donnells meet with Pope St. John Paul II in 1978; O’Donnell sings “Four Green Fields” with founding faculty member Raymund O’Herron; O’Donnell presents Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas with the college’s Pro Deo et Patria Medal at the 2018 Commencement Ceremonies; at a celebration honoring his 30 years as president, the O’Donnells stand with eight of their nine children (with spouses) and nine of their 20 grandchildren.
Christendom’s Class of 2023 has found great success, with close to 100% of the class—99.1%—having a positive career outcome or beginning graduate school, according to a new survey recently released by the college’s Career and Professional Development Office. This number far exceeds the national average of 85% and stands as a testament to the robust efforts of the college’s faculty and staff in preparing students for success post-graduation. In addition to the overall 99.1% success rate, 97% of students also said that their college education was worth the investment, exceeding the national average of 66%, and 88% said that Christendom gave them the tools they needed to succeed.
The Vatican has appointed alumna Mary Rose Verret ’04 and her husband, Ryan, as consultants to the Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life. The Verrets, who are founders of the dynamic Witness to Love ministry, will collaborate with other experts and leaders from around the world in this new consultancy role, addressing contemporary challenges facing families, advocating for the sanctity of marriage, and promoting the well-being of families within the Church and society. They will follow in the footsteps of Christendom College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, who was named an advisor to the dicastery, then called the Pontifical Council for the Family, in 2002 by Pope St. John Paul II. His advisory role was later renewed by Pope Benedict XVI and by Pope Francis as well.
Word on Fire’s Dr. Holly Ordway delivered a Major Speaker address at Christendom College on Monday, January 29, illuminating the deep Catholic faith of famed author J.R.R. Tolkien and how it helped lay the foundations of The Lord of the Rings and the rest of his Middle Earth tales. Ordway, who has written two award-winning books on Tolkien, spent the evening investigating Tolkien’s faith background, showing that his works are not a simple allegory, but rather are rooted in his Christian vision of reality. Download the lecture on Apple and Spotify Podcasts or find it on our YouTube channel.
Alumni Charlie Spiering ’05 and Rachel (Hoover) Canto ’16 have both released acclaimed new books, tackling the complex worlds of politics and dating respectively. Spiering, a former White House correspondent, penned Amateur Hour: Kamala Harris in the White House , offering readers a comprehensive, heavily researched look into the life and career of current Vice President Kamala Harris, while Canto penned Pretty Good Catholic: How to Find, Date, and Marry Someone Who Shares Your Faith , a realistic guide to the current Catholic dating scene.
Christendom continues to produce exceptional live lectures available at getprinciples.com and on Apple and Spotify podcast apps (in the app, search: “Principles Live Lectures”). Latest lectures include: “How Beauty will Save the World” by philosophy professor Dr. Michael Rubin, “Our Lady’s Ring: Reflections on the Structure of the Rosary” by English professor Daniel Spiotta, and “For the Love of Mary: Music for Our Lady in 17th-Century Venice” by music professor Dr. Sara Pecknold (pictured right).
Christendom College theology professors Dr. Owen Vyner and Dr. Conor Sweeney have contributed their scholarly insights to the upcoming work Joseph Ratzinger in Dialogue with Philosophical Traditions: From Plato to Vattimo . This book, which is a collaboration of scholarly essays written by various academics worldwide, offers a comprehensive overview of the influences that shaped Pope Benedict’s own philosophical thought and ideas. Vyner and Sweeney both contributed essays to the new book, which aims to deepen comprehension and appreciation of Pope Benedict XVI’s philosophical contributions to Church teaching.
In March, Christendom College’s Board of Directors voted to name Dr. George Harne as the college’s next president.
A widely respected and accomplished scholar of music history and the liberal arts, Harne earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University and received master’s degrees from Princeton, St. John’s College, and the University of Washington. Harne, who previously served as the executive dean of the School of Arts and Sciences for the University of St. Thomas in Houston and as president of Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts, brings with him extensive experience in both the administrative and academic dimensions of higher education, making him ideally suited to serve as Christendom’s fourth president.
“We are thrilled to announce Dr. George Harne as our next president,” says Stephen O’Keefe ’93, chairman of the college’s
Board of Directors and co-chair of the special committee leading the presidential search. “Dr. Harne will bring experience, leadership, vision, and humility to his role as president of Christendom College, thanks to his extensive background in higher education administration, fundraising, and teaching. The college has never been in a stronger position, and Dr. Harne will help guide our institution into its exciting next chapter.”
Harne’s transition will begin in June, with his official term as president starting in July 2024.
“Christendom College has stood as a beacon for what Catholic higher education can be in America since its founding,” says Harne. “I am honored to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Timothy O’Donnell and the other previous presidents of this institution. There is much work ahead, and I am humbled to play a part in the history of this extraordinary college.”
Dr. O’Donnell announced in May 2023 his intention to retire as president and requested the Board of Directors to begin the search process at that time. After much hard work, consideration, and prayer, Harne was named president on March 25, 2024.
“On behalf of the entire college, I want to congratulate and welcome Dr. George Harne as our new president,” says O’Donnell. “Christendom will be in good hands, and we are blessed to have him as our incoming president. I want to give thanks to Christ the King for the opportunity to have served the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and board of this college, which holds such an important place in Catholic higher education and in the work of the Church at large. Together, we worked to continue the mission of our founder, Dr. Warren Carroll, to ‘restore all things in Christ,’ and I look forward to seeing this mission continue to flourish in the future.”
Harne, who was born in Florida, received his undergraduate degree in music from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1994 before earning his M.A. in historical musicology from the University of Washington in 1996. He then continued his graduate studies at St. John’s College, earning a Master of Liberal Studies degree in 1998. Finally, he completed his graduate work in musicology at Princeton, earning an M.F.A. in 2000 and his Ph.D. in 2008. Since then, his scholarly work has focused primarily on medieval music theory and topics related to liberal education.
Harne is guided in his work by a clear, passionate vision of Catholic education that is animated by the thought of Newman, Pieper, Plato, Aristotle, Pope St. John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI. In particular, Harne has drawn deeply upon Pope St. John Paul II’s Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Fides et Ratio, and Newman’s writings on education. Each of these key documents—along with Pope Benedict XVI’s landmark address at The Catholic University of America in 2008—has formed his vision of what Catholic higher education should be.
Harne will be the college’s fourth president, following Founding President Dr. Warren Carroll (1977–1985), Dr. Damian Fedoryka (1985–1992), and Dr. Timothy O’Donnell (1992–2024). He will not formally take office until July 2024, and, for the next few months, he will transition into his new role alongside Dr. O’Donnell, who intends to return to the classroom following a well-deserved sabbatical.
“I am blessed to have known Dr. Harne for years,” says Dr. O’Donnell. “Dr. Harne and his lovely and talented wife, Debbie,
“I truly believe that Christendom will play a leading role in the renewal of the Church and Catholic higher education in the next fifty years.”
together will make an outstanding team for Christendom. He will lead this college with wisdom and courage, building upon the past and leading it into a bright future. I am delighted to have him as my successor, ensuring continuity and fidelity to the mission and helping to advance our vital educational apostolate. I ask for your continued prayers and support for Dr. Harne as he joyfully takes on the task of taking up this educational adventure which is Christendom College.”
“I truly believe that Christendom will play a leading role in the renewal of the Church and Catholic higher education in the next fifty years,” says Harne. “As the college soon moves into its fifth decade, it will stand courageously as the model of Catholic higher education in this country, providing young men and women with the education they need to become wise, serve as salt and light in our world, and renew the very foundations of our society. May Our Heavenly Father bless our efforts, and I ask for your prayers in the years ahead.”
Harne and his wife, Debbie, have five children.
Read more about Christendom College’s president-elect and watch messages from both Dr. O’Donnell and Dr. Harne by visiting tinyurl.com/mr46sc29 or scanning the code. WATCH VIDEO MESSAGE
Basketball has been a part of Jeremy ’16 and Mary (Barbale) ’15 Minick’s lives since they were kids. As students, they competed on Christendom’s Thomas S. Vander Woude court, playing varsity basketball for the college. It was also on this court that the two first met, beginning a romance that eventually led to marriage. Fittingly, the two keep returning back to this court that has so defined their lives, with both now serving the college community as head coaches. What leads them back to this basketball court, again and again? A desire to give back— and to continue leading student-athletes to Christ.
“Put
simply, our goal is to help them become better men and women after the season than they were before. We challenge them to be committed to basketball, so they understand the power of commitment. We challenge them to be fierce competitors, so they understand what it takes to compete and win.”
— Coach Mary Minick
Both Jeremy and Mary played basketball growing up and wanted to keep playing it in college, but also sought more from their college education than just sports. Jeremy, who hails from Asheville, North Carolina, watched his three older siblings go to Christendom and wanted to follow suit. In the case of Mary, she found out about Christendom from the Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College and saw it as the perfect place to study.
Both ultimately chose the school and made the varsity basketball teams, leading to hours spent in St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium practicing and competing. It was during those long hours that the two first crossed paths. The rest, as they say, is history.
After they graduated and got married, Jeremy received a call from the college’s Athletics Department. Would he consider returning to coach the team? His decision was not a hard one. A year later, an opening occurred for the women’s basketball team as well. Mary received a call, and quickly accepted. Only a few years removed from graduation, both Jeremy and Mary were back on the court where they first met, eager to make a difference in the lives of Christendom student-athletes as head coaches for men’s and women’s basketball.
“Sports have been a huge part of our lives, and coaches have had a major influence in both of our lives,” says Jeremy. “When you receive so much, you feel called to give back. So that’s exactly what we decided to do.”
Being a coach is not an easy job. A coach must work diligently with each player to help guide them into becoming the best version of themselves, all while helping form a cohesive, winning team. Hard decisions must be made along the way for the best of every player and the team as a whole. The Minicks do not take this responsibility lightly, pouring hours into their coaching jobs, all while raising a family and working another full-time job as well. Why do they do it? Because they care deeply about impacting student-athletes for the better.
“Put simply, our goal is to help them become better men and women after the season than they were before,” says Mary. “We challenge them to be committed to basketball, so they understand the power of commitment. We challenge them to be fierce competitors, so they understand what it takes to compete and win.”
While coaching basketball is a huge time commitment, they both enjoy it immensely. In the case of Mary, she enjoys seeing her players transform into the best versions of themselves
while at Christendom. She challenges them to take ownership of their schedules, time management, and commitments at Christendom, both on and off the court, resulting in incredible growth.
“I like being part of this transition for them from being kids to becoming women,” says Mary.
For Jeremy, he enjoys the growth that comes—for both the players and himself—from leading by example. He commits to the same strength training that his players do and puts in the same number of hours studying film of opponents.
“I don’t ask my players to do things I’m not willing to do,” says Jeremy. “I love coaching basketball because I use it as a vehicle for the growth of my players and myself.”
The results since the Minicks were named the coaches for the men’s and women’s basketball teams speak for themselves. From the moment Jeremy took over, the men’s team saw instant improvement, with winning records coming in three of the next seven seasons. This year was one of the strongest yet, with the team winning the Eastern States Athletic Conference Championship and Jeremy being named Coach of the Year. His impact can be seen especially amongst individual players as well, with current senior John Paul Vander Woude completing one of the best four-year runs for a Christendom student-athlete under Jeremy’s watchful eye.
For the women’s basketball team, Mary has experienced immense success as well. Last year, Mary coached the team to the best record in program history, with the women going 20-6 and earning a first-ever trip to the USCAA National Championship Tournament. For that 2022–23 season, Mary was also named the New South Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Rather than sit on her laurels, Mary worked even harder with the team the following season, building on everything they had learned. The result? The first women’s basketball national championship in school history. The team set another regular season record, going 23-5, won their conference championship, and then went on to upset the top three seeds in the USCAA DII National Championship Tournament to win their first national title. For all this, Mary was once again named Coach of the Year.
Under Mary’s leadership, the team came together in a remarkable way, showing resiliency, determination, and immense talent on the basketball court. Players, like current junior Catherine Thomas, have thrived under her leadership, with Thomas earning tournament MVP honors this year and
“The difference of Christendom Athletics boils down to the people. The players share the same faith and the same values. A passion for athletics sits on top of a passion for Catholicism.”
— Coach Jeremy Minick
Top: Women’s team celebrates national championship victory. Middle (L–R): Catherine Thomas broke USCAA tournament records with a 46-point game and ended her junior year with a career total 1,707 points. The men’s team celebrates winning their conference championship. Lower (L–R): John Paul Vander Woude was named USCAA Student Athlete of the Year and ended his basketball career with 1,205 career points. Christendom Crazies cheer on the women’s team at the national championship.
setting tournament records in single-game points scored and three-pointers made.
All of this great success is certainly an achievement. But, for the Minicks, it would also be meaningless without the shared faith that lies at the center of being a Christendom student-athlete. It’s not simply about athletic success for them—it’s about helping their players become better people, and better athletes, through Christ.
“The difference of Christendom Athletics boils down to the people,” says Jeremy. “The players share the same faith and the same values. A passion for athletics sits on top of a passion for Catholicism.”
Jeremy and Mary are in a unique position in the head coaching landscape, being both married and serving as the coaches for a college’s basketball teams. They see this as a gift, providing them the opportunity to not only lead their teams, but be a witness for them as well.
“Our marriage is a powerful witness,” says Mary. “Our family is a powerful witness. Our love and our life is a powerful witness. It’s about so much more than basketball. Our children are cared for daily by the gym staff and players. Our family is recognized by opponents at away games. Our children cheer alongside the incredible Christendom Crazies—the best fans in the country. We’re a basketball family.”
When the women’s basketball team won the national championship in March, there on the court, celebrating with the team, was the entire Minick family. This one family has changed Christendom basketball for the better since arriving at the college as students 14 years ago. Even more so, however, Christendom basketball has changed them for the better, giving them the opportunity to grow as individuals, as a married couple, and as a family.
“We want to thank everyone who has supported Christendom Athletics,” say the Minicks. “We especially want to thank those who have supported Christendom basketball. The journey has been made richer because of you.”
“Our marriage is a powerful witness. Our family is a powerful witness. Our love and our life is a powerful witness. It’s about so much more than basketball.”
— Coach Mary Minick
The Minicks were named Coaches of the Year by the Eastern States Athletic Conference.
1. Despite a snowstorm, which canceled the college’s chartered buses, a group of students braved the weather and traveled to D.C. for the annual March for Life. Those unable to attend remained on campus and offered rosaries in the chapel for the protection of the unborn.
2. Students process at the annual St. Joseph’s Day celebration.
3. The Student Activities Council hosted a karaoke night in the Commons, giving students the opportunity to share their musical talents.
4. Christendom welcomed Sr. Miriam James Heidland of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) to campus, where she led a women’s At the Well event and shared her vocation story.
5. Sporting a special jersey for St. Patrick’s Day, junior John Skuba pitches in a game against Penn State Scranton.
6. Juniors are enjoying life in the Eternal City, where they are soaking up the sights and embracing the Italian culture. Here is a group of students attending a Wednesday papal audience from the rooftop above their classrooms.
7. College Chaplain Fr. Marcus Pollard welcomed students to the rectory, where he taught them how to make paczki, traditional Polish doughnuts, for Shrove Tuesday.
8. The Lady Crusaders softball team is back in action this spring. They played their first games on March 13.
9. The Crusader rugby team qualified for another Collegiate Rugby National 7s championship tournament at the end of April, where they will compete for their third overall national title.
10. Students spent their spring breaks on college-led mission trips, serving the poor in Illinois, New Mexico, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.
11. Dr. O’Donnell led the college in its annual celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in Old Chapel Hall.
12. Students reconnected with their classmates after Christmas Break at the annual Welcome Back Dance.
13. The college welcomed Seàn-Patrick Lovett, who traveled from Rome, to give a series of communications workshops for students, including talks on journalism, mission work, and drama.
14. Alumni came out to campus for a Student vs. Alumni flag football game in February. Alumni took the victory 26-12.
15. Christendom College alumni enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage touring Catholic France. The group is pictured at Mont Saint-Michel. The trip was organized by alumni-owned ProRome Tours, and led by Alumnus Fr. Joseph Mary Brown.
Aquinas and Confucius—great thinkers from the West and the East—offer the virtue of filial piety as the solution to the breakdown of our social order.
When looking for the roots of societal decay and the general moral dissolution rampant in our culture today, one can reasonably point to the fact that people have increasingly tended to reject the value of institutions and organizations. While the rejection of vital institutions, like the Church, for instance, is undoubtedly part of the problem, a cause that lurks behind the breakdown of the social order is the breakdown of the family, the basic unit of society. What can be done to protect the integrity of the family and rejuvenate it so that it may become a more effective school of moral formation?
Two of the most illustrious thinkers of the West and the East, St. Thomas Aquinas and Kongzi (Confucius), speak with one voice when they extol the virtue of filial piety and demonstrate its power to help revitalize the individual, the family, and society at large. We will look to the more familiar figure of Aquinas to observe the role filial piety plays within the ordered constellation of a life of virtue before taking an exotic turn to the thought of Kongzi to see why he, 1,700 years before Aquinas, affirmed filial piety to be “the root of goodness.”1
Aquinas’s insights into piety are found within his treatment of the most dignified of the non-theological, moral virtues: justice.2 Given its close connection with piety, discovering what makes justice such a special virtue reveals much about the importance of piety as well. Justice stands out from the other moral cardinal virtues, fortitude and temperance (prudence being an intellectual virtue), on account of the fact that it not only perfects and orders the interior life of the individual, but it also perfects and orders society. Unlike the virtues of fortitude and temperance, which are seated in the sensitive appetite of man, where
the passions are found, justice is located in the more noble, rational appetite of the will. It is by way of this faculty that man can accomplish what the intellect has determined to be good to do and render to everyone their due. In this manner, the interior order and goodness of an individual can be projected beyond oneself and be received by others who are objects of the just individual’s goodwill. Fortitude and temperance, meanwhile, are ordered to justice. They help regulate man’s passions of fear, confidence, and pleasure so that they might assist and not hinder man in his desire to act justly and render good to those with whom he interacts.3 Like justice, piety perfects the will and allows man to establish right relationships with both those in his home and in society.
What is the nature of the relationship between piety and justice? Piety, the virtue by which man is inclined to pay the debts he owes to his parents and country, is part of the attitude a just man adopts when he realizes that there are debts he owes that cannot be paid.4 What are the debts that even a just man cannot repay? They are principally the debts one owes to God, one’s family, and the State. After all, how
can someone repay God for creating and sustaining him in existence, his parents for the gifts of life and nourishing love, or one’s country for providing the opportunity to achieve a state of self-actualization that would be impossible apart from society? When faced with such debts, the response of a just man is not simply to observe the futility of attempting to repay these debts. Instead, he tries to pay them anyway. Of course, chief among these debts is the debt man owes to God. One attempts to repay these debts by performing the extraordinary acts of religion, like adoration, sacrifice, and even acts of penance. The next most important among the unpayable debts man owes, however, are to his parents and country. 5 Aquinas notes that this is why the commandment to honor one’s parents comes immediately after those commandments that treat man’s indebtedness to God.6 The just and pious man attempts to repay his parents by honoring them through acts of obedience, service, and expressions of gratitude. There is clear logic to the order of these virtues and how they order our relationships. Nonetheless, it may not yet be clear how this virtue, except insofar as it also relates to paying the debts one owes to his country, is related
to the perfection of man’s interactions with individuals outside the home.
Another way in which man is moved to pay unpayable debts is to pay them forward. It has been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. A fitting response to the realization of all the good things we have freely received from God, our parents, and the state is to imitate this generosity by giving to others when there is no strict obligation to give. 7 In this way, virtues like justice, religion, and piety provide the background impetus for man to do things like give generously of his money, thereby allowing him to grow in the virtue of liberality, and to give pleasure to others, thereby allowing him to grow in virtues like friendliness and wittiness. These virtues in turn help to order society. Everyone wants to live in a society in which people not only pay their debts and express gratitude to others, but also go out of their way to share their wealth and wit with others and bless people through simple acts of kindness. Thus, the integral role that piety plays in the interconnected web of virtue and its capacity to revitalize civic life should be clear.
Kongzi (551–479 BC) lived at the dawn of a tumultuous time in Chinese history called the Warring States Period (475–221 BC). He longed for the more civil age of the Western Zhou (1041–771 BC), when society was not threatened by constant strife and when the people were governed by just and virtuous rulers.8 Kongzi traced the root of the breakdown in society to people abandoning the dao, “Way,” of tian, “Heaven.”9 His recommendation for the restoration of society was for it to return to its roots, which he identified with filial piety. “The gentleman applies himself to the roots. ‘Once the roots are firmly established, the Way will grow.’ Might we not say that filial piety and respect for elders constitute the root of Goodness?”10
What is so important about the family? As is implicit in the above quote, Kongzi holds that it is here that one receives his first moral education. It is in the family that one is first loved and where one learns how to love. In the family one learns to respect the boundaries and integrity of others. Furthermore, it is here that one learns to respect authority and value it as an ordering principle that allows individuals to collaborate and perform different acts in service of a common life. It is from the womb of family life that one can learn to respect the authority of the State. It is also in the family that we are moved by affection to care for those besides ourselves and to overcome our egocentric
tendencies. Affection is at the root of our experience that we have a stronger moral obligation to those we are close to, our family, friends, and local community. Though the preferential attitude we give to our loved ones can devolve into evils like nepotism, taken in the proper sense, it admits that our ability to love other people’s children comes from loving our own and that one’s inclination to value the dignity of the aged is rooted in the cultivated respect we have developed toward our own grandparents.11 Kongzi says, “Everyone within the Four Seas is one’s brother.”12 To treat someone as a brother, however, presupposes that one has come to learn how one should treat a brother within the context of family life. Consider that to simply desire to not soil one’s family name can be motivation to be good to others outside the home and to work effectively for the sake of the common good.
Kongzi argues that piety is essential for man to overcome his egocentrism and grow in an altruistic attitude toward others. For him, the dutiful loyalty one owes his parents, which he does not equate with blind loyalty, mitigates excessive self-interest.13 The respect one owes his parents extends even beyond the grave, as he asserts that one should not change the ordering of his father’s household for three years after his death.14 Overcoming egocentrism eventually paves the way for one to acquire the noble atti-
“IT IS IN THE FAMILY THAT ONE IS FIRST LOVED AND WHERE ONE LEARNS HOW TO LOVE.”
tude of sympathetic understanding, the attitude that one should treat others the way he would like to be treated.15 This should sound familiar. It is an expression of the golden rule, a rule that emerges within the matrix of a family culture dominated by an attitude of piety. As was observed with Aquinas, piety not only inclines one to honor one’s mother and father, but in gratitude to pay forward the abundant love one receives in the family to others outside the family. How could these two figures who lived 1,700 years apart from one another, and on opposite sides of the world, come to the same conclusions? Maybe it is because there is something perennially true about the vital role piety ought to play in human affairs. From the dawn of man, justice, religion, and piety have been affirmed to be essential to human thriving by philosophers and religious believers alike. It is high time that we recall this timeless insight, for our own sake, for the sake of our families, and for the sake of the whole world.
1. Kongzi (Confucius). The Analects. Intro. and Trans. Edward Gilman Slingerland. In Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy, 2nd ed. Eds. Ivanhoe, Philip J., and Bryan W. Van Norden. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 2005. 1.2, p. 3.
2. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae [hereafter ST]. Trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province. Allen, Texas: Christian Classics, 1948. Second Part of the Second Part [hereafter II-II], question [hereafter q] 58, article [hereafter a] 3, corpus [hereafter ad. c].
3. St. Thomas Aquinas, ST, II-II, q. 123, a. 12, ad. c.
4. I owe to Prof. Josef Pieper a nuanced account of how “piety presupposes the virtue of justice.” Josef Pieper. The Four Cardinal Virtues. Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 2010. p. 108.
5. St. Thomas Aquinas, ST, II-II, q. 101, a. 1, ad. c.
6. St. Thomas Aquinas, ST, II-II, q. 122, a. 5, ad. c.
7. Prof. Pieper has some interesting observations on this matter. Pieper. The Four Cardinal Virtues. p. 111.
8. An excellent introduction to the thought of Kongzi is Bryan W. Van Norden. Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2011, pp. 18–47.
Dr. Mark Wunsch is a professor of philosophy at Christendom College and the director of academics for the Junior Semester in Rome. He earned his doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (The Angelicum) in Rome. He travels internationally to lecture on philosophy, St. Thomas Aquinas, and faith and reason.
You can watch a fascinating in-depth lecture on the virtue of filial piety by Dr. Mark Wunsch by visiting this link (tinyurl.com/3vev9hn8) or scanning the code. This lecture was part of Christendom College’s Principles Live Lectures series. Learn more at getprinciples.com/live-lecture-archive.
9. Edward Gilman Slingerland. In Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy pp. 1–2.
10. Kongzi. The Analects. 1.2. p. 3.
11. Mozi (c. 480–390 BC) rejected Kongzi’s assertion that our primary obligations should be to those with whom we have a close relationship. Instead, he argued that we should adopt an impartial attitude toward everyone. A later Confucian thinker, Mengzi (372–289 BC), held such an attitude to be unrealistic and reasserted the opinion of Kongzi that our capacity to do good to those we do not know arises from a desire to do good to those for whom we have a natural closeness. To read more about this debate, see Bryan W. Van Norden. Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy. pp. 53–8 and 87–8.
12. Kongzi. The Analects. 12.5. p. 35.
13. Kongzi. The Analects. 4.18. p. 12.
14. Kongzi. The Analects. 17.21. pp. 50–1.
15. Kongzi. The Analects. 5.12. p. 15.
BY JULIE WELLS
In the fall of 2021, inspiration struck junior Isabel Cumbelich when she suddenly felt overwhelmed with gratitude to be attending Christendom. From the classrooms to the dorms, her ordinary conversations and everyday experiences were packed with the richness of the faith and powered by the passion of her fellow students, faculty, and staff. She could not imagine keeping those gifts to herself and wanted to share the blessings. Thus, the idea for a new publication was born.
Over the past years, students have circulated numerous publications around the Christendom community. Some have taken a more comical tone, sharing entertaining anecdotes and light-hearted news stories submitted by students, while others have focused on serious moral issues and seek to answer the reader’s burning questions. Cumbelich felt a calling to start something new, and in the fall semester before her senior year, she and fellow classmates paved the way for a beautiful new magazine on campus, Metanoia .
“There is an abundant creative and intellectual environment at Christendom that ventures beyond the classroom,” says Cumbelich. “For such a small school, it is bursting with, in my opinion, above-average, fascinating, and talented people. To listen as my friends articulated ideas brilliantly, or worked through philosophical proofs with thoughtful precision, was captivating and beautiful. It felt wrong not to find a way to bottle up the talent and curiosity within Christendom and share it. I truly believe that other young people our age would benefit from getting a window into the conversations and debates we got to have late into the night around the dinner table together. I thought those conversations put on paper would be a credit to our Faith, its great intellectual tradition, and my alma mater that I cherish so much.”
Cumbelich ’23 and Zoe Grimm ’23 discussed the plan at length, bouncing ideas off each other and mulling over a title for the new publication. They finally settled on Metanoia.
“The name was Zoe’s idea!” says Cumbelich. “I think we obsessed over it for at least a week, throwing out well over 100 ideas. I liked it because every one of us is called to continual conversion of heart, mind, and soul (μετάνοια, metanoia in Greek). We hoped to publish articles where students apply their rich education to ponder the issues of our daily lives: in ourselves, our immediate surroundings, and society at large.”
The main goal of the magazine, according to Grimm, was “to give the campus a publication of such a caliber that students would be proud to showcase their work within it. We wanted to inspire our fellow students to craft pieces they were proud of. We wanted to spark a little ambition and we hoped that through Metanoia, that would spread.”
Grimm noted the additional driving factors for this new initiative.
“Some of the reasons for founding Metanoia were very practical,” she explains. “It gave us real-world experience while still on campus; it could improve ours and others’ resumes; it was a fantastic excuse to work on something fun with our friends, etc. However, the driving principle behind Isabel’s and my endeavor was this: Excellence is worthy of pursuit. Refining our skills and creating something good is its own reward. How wonderful it is to glorify God through exercising the gifts that He Himself gave to us.”
A glimpse at Metanoia Magazine’s Instagram page (_metanoiamagazine_), which shares posts about the Faith, politics, art, and current events.
Like any new initiative, this endeavor was not without its challenges. Cumbelich and Grimm encountered some setbacks but were assisted by a dedicated team of student designers, faculty, and staff members to iron out the kinks.
Cumbelich maintained an incredibly positive attitude during the process and regards the challenges as joys, rather than inconveniences.
“Zoe and I learned everything as we went,” she recalls. “It was an incredibly enjoyable challenge. I hope that future Metanoia staff will enjoy the thrill of the creative challenges like I did. We wanted to make this a publication by and for the whole community, so we recruited students from various friend groups to write, gleaned advice from professors to maintain a high-caliber product, and were aided by staff members in countless ways. When Zoe and I made the pitch to the student government to make Metanoia an official club, we enjoyed a unanimous vote in favor, which is a very joyful memory.”
She is especially grateful for the assistance from Vice President for Communications & Marketing Niall O’Donnell, who shared much of his time and tools to help make their dream a reality.
“Niall O’Donnell’s complete encouragement and help continue to be essential to the success of Metanoia.” Cumbelich says. “He provided the space, equipment, instruction, and support to create a training ground for Christendom students to build their portfolios and influence the culture through beauty.”
“The transition from dream to reality is always difficult,” adds Grimm, “simply because there is so much uncertainty. At the end of the day, it was just following up our words with actions that put Metanoia into print.”
After their graduation, Cumbelich and Grimm passed on the torch to Maghee Fleischer ’24 and Sam Schirra ’24 to lead the Metanoia team for the 2023–24 academic year. Fleischer and Schirra have spent numerous hours of their free time directing the designers and polishing each edition.
“I have devoted so much time to Metanoia because I absolutely love it and because I believe in its mission,” says Fleischer. “The magazine is a space for Christendom students to develop and showcase their talents for both writing and design, yet it is so much more. Through this magazine, Christendom students can fulfill the mission of the college to “Restore All Things in Christ.” The goal of Metanoia is to impact not only
the Christendom community but also the world outside of Christendom. I truly believe that beauty is key in evangelization and that aesthetic, timeless design draws people to the Truth. Through beauty, Metanoia design seeks to communicate the message of each article creatively and effectively, especially in conveying the Good, the True, and the Beautiful.”
Fleischer feels called to evangelize to the world through beauty, making plans to become a florist and graphic designer after she graduates.
“I have acquired not only a passion for graphic design but also the practical tools to pursue a career in the design field,” she notes. “I will be forever grateful for my involvement in the Metanoia design team and hope to take with me everything that I learned from this experience.”
Meanwhile, Schirra, initially recruited as a designer for Metanoia, felt called to fill another need on campus with the new experiences he had been given. Hence, In Corde was born. In Corde, a special edition of Metanoia, was started to give proper focus and recognition to artists on campus, primarily fine artists and poets. Schirra serves as lead editor, while Fleischer leads the design team.
Schirra owes it all to Divine Providence for nudging him in this direction.
“Pure inspiration from the Holy Spirit,” he says. “When I realized that Christendom no longer had a journal that
Isabel Cumbelich ’23 and
co-founders of Metanoia
“The goal of Metanoia is to impact not only the Christendom community but also the world outside of Christendom. I truly believe that beauty is key in evangelization and that aesthetic, timeless design draws people to the Truth.”Zoe Grimm ’23, Maghee Fleischer ’24 and Sam Schirra ’24, co-editors for Metanoia and In Corde
showcased undergraduates’ artwork and smaller pieces of creative writing, I decided to found such a journal. After all, when God gives us gifts—especially artistic talents—they must be shared with others and directed toward His glory.”
Schirra views In Corde as a kind of mission, providing artists around campus with an outlet for their creative projects. He has sacrificed many waking hours to get this initiative off the ground and has great hopes for its future.
“I pray that In Corde will encourage other artists to create or partake in opportunities which showcase their creative endeavors,” notes Schirra. “Moreover, I pray that the contents of In Corde will inspire our readers to draw ever closer to Our Lord, Beauty Itself.”
These lead designers and founders of Metanoia and In Corde have already passed on the torch to the next group of creative and passionate students who will continue the vision.
Schirra, who graduates this spring and plans to pursue a Master of Arts in Catholic Education at the Augustine Institute, offers words of encouragement and hope to his replacement.
“I am pleased to announce that junior Anna Enyeart will be taking over as our club’s editor-in-chief (and design director), while junior Helen Davis will be our new content director,” he says. “I encourage them to continue to keep the magazine’s mission at heart by always praying before working, ‘agamus Te duce, Domine’—May we act with You as guide, O Lord.”
Cumbelich, who has gone on to serve as director of communications and evangelization for the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, also has a dream for the future of Metanoia
“Part of my vision, which wasn’t achieved while I was at Christendom, is to increase the reach of the magazine beyond the Christendom community,” explains Cumbelich. “I hope someone will feel inspired to conquer that new terrain! Another goal we had was to provide opportunities for greater collaboration and opportunities to learn—skill-building seminars for designers, brainstorming sessions for content, and team events. We wanted the Metanoia team to develop traditions and a real presence on campus, similar to the Chester Belloc Debate Society.”
Looking back at the magazine’s success, Cumbelich believes that it has filled a true need on campus, providing a springboard for rising journalists and designers:
“Metanoia provides the opportunity for writers, artists, and designers to hone their skills on a professional team with a high standard of excellence. Being a part of the team provides students the chance to gain experience in communications, which they can include on their résumés when applying to jobs in those fields. Further, it simply fills the need for non-academic, intellectual, and creative work on campus.”
A selection of issues printed from the magazine’s founding to the present day.
HIGHLIGHTING A COURSE FROM OUR RICH CURRICULUM
POLITICAL SCIENCE AND ECONOMICS 491: POLITICAL ECONOMY
BY DR. JAMES BERGIDA
A distinctive feature of a Christendom education is its emphasis on integrating an array of disciplines, as can be seen in our core curriculum. This emphasis is also reflected in our joint department of Political Science and Economics, with its flagship Political Science and Economics major. In the fall semester of 2023, I introduced a course on Political Economy, which embodies the integration of our department’s two disciplines.
Adam Smith, often dubbed the “Father of Modern Economics,” published The Wealth of Nations in 1776. At that time, economics was not yet considered a distinct discipline. Indeed, in The Wealth of Nations , Smith sees political economy as “a branch of the science of a statesman or legislator” and asserts that “the great object of the political economy of every country, is to increase the riches and power of that country.” Over two millennia before Smith, Aristotle had already emphasized the connection between politics and household management ( oikonomia ) in his Politics .
In our Political Economy course, we follow the lead of Aristotle and Adam Smith in exploring the close connection between politics and economics. We discuss this connection in terms of a three-way relationship between humans, goods, and governance. Our discussions cover various topics such as private property, public goods, common-pool resources, factors of production, taxation, and international trade. Students in the course engage with the ideas of a broad collection of thinkers, including Aristotle, Adam Smith, Claude Frédéric Bastiat, Karl Marx, Henry George, Aldous Huxley, and Ludwig von Mises, as well as Nobel Prize winners in Economics Friedrich Hayek, James M. Buchanan, and Elinor Ostrom. The writings of these thinkers and others provide a framework for extended class discussion.
At Christendom, our educational vision prioritizes integration. We empower students to build and integrate their knowledge across disciplines. Our Political Economy course is part of pursuing this vision.
Love requires sacrifice, and the more one loves, the more one is willing to sacrifice. Millions of military service members and their families make untold sacrifices every year to serve our country and protect our freedoms. Their love of God and country drives them to be leaders, but unfortunately, they don’t always receive the gratitude or appreciation that their sacrifice merits.
When the GI Bill began to be more closely tied with federal funding in 2022, Christendom was forced to look for different ways to financially support military service members at the college. Thankfully, generous men and women quickly stepped forward to cover that financial gap and keep the college 100% free of federal funding. These benefactors led the way for military service members and their families to afford a Christendom education through Christendom’s Military Service Scholarship, which replaces GI Bill benefits without the attachment to federal funding. This act of gratitude and sacrifice on the part of everyday heroes has changed the lives of numerous militaryaffiliated Christendom students, including Roarke Dooney ’24, Adam Rockwell ’25, and Michael Messing ’25.
Dooney served in the US Marine Corps Reserve from 2014 to 2020, and he transferred to Christendom in 2022 from “a college of a very politically liberal bent where questioning liberal political values in the classroom was punished academically.” His
previous academic setting was marked by disdain for military service members and the embrace of a culture running contrary to Catholic teachings. In contrast, Dooney saw Christendom as an antidote to this troubling trend in higher education.
“Christendom, on the other hand, offers the classical Catholic education that serves as a bulwark against these toxic ideologies,” says Dooney. “The professors maintain an academically rigorous environment while also making time to assist students outside of the classroom. Christendom also provides an environment extremely conducive to the flourishing of Faith, with attendance at Mass in our beautiful chapel being the norm, not the exception, and participation in the sacraments encouraged. Christendom is a truly unique and once-in-alifetime opportunity for students. For me, Christendom has been a blessing from God.”
Rockwell, a member of the US Army Reserves, came to Christendom as a freshman in 2021. He has continued his involvement in military service through monthly training weekends and annual summer training, finding the balance between school and service, supported by his classmates and professors. Recently, he participated in the Army Reserves Best Warrior Competition, an annual competition that includes various physical tests, practical simulations, written exams, and oral boards to assess soldiers’ knowledge, tactics, and leadership
skills. After placing first in his brigade, he went on to the next level of competition, taking time off school to compete and ultimately placing fourth.
“Once I returned, I spent the next week catching up on schoolwork by meeting with professors and getting together with classmates to get missed notes and work,” says Rockwell. “With the low student-to-faculty ratio, I am grateful for the small class sizes, which allows for more personalized attention from professors and fosters a sense of community among peers.”
In Messing’s case, he first came to Christendom as a freshman in 2020, but he left a year later to join the US Army Reserves to help pay for his education. He was able to return to Christendom in 2022 thanks to the aid he received through the Military Service Scholarship. Like Rockwell, Messing notes that “a balancing act often occurs where I need to work with professors and make up any missed schoolwork” because of his monthly drill weekends. However, Messing has found great merit in the work he puts into this balancing act.
“I believe that Christendom has the capacity to be what you make it,” he says. “If you submit yourself with diligence to your Faith, then it will foster growth in you.”
Messing has truly made the most of his Christendom education, becoming a role model among his peers, participating in every event he can, and frequenting the sacraments available daily on campus.
Because of the sacrifice of men and women supporting the Military Service Scholarship, these students have been able to take advantage of everything Christendom has to offer. Familiar with sacrifice themselves, these students understand the great gift they have been given.
“Receiving the Military Service Scholarship to attend Christendom College has been a tremendous blessing in my life,” Rockwell says, “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity it has provided me. This scholarship has not only enabled me to pursue my academic aspirations but has also instilled in me a profound sense of gratitude and the importance of generosity.
Adam Rockwell
Knowing that someone has supported my education through this scholarship has shown me the significance of giving back and supporting others in any way possible.”
Dooney agreed with Rockwell, calling the scholarship life-changing.
“I cannot stress how much this scholarship has changed my life,” says Dooney. “It has greatly reduced the amount of debt I will incur in obtaining an education, and it has opened up numerous possibilities for me. I am planning on attending graduate school next year, and receiving this scholarship will greatly assist my ability to finance that venture.”
According to Messing, “Without the generous support of the Military Service Scholarship, I would not be able to afford Christendom. As it stands now, I will be graduating with little to no debt and with both feet firmly planted. More importantly, the education offered by Christendom, coupled with the support of a faithful community, has enabled great spiritual growth in me.”
The sacrifices made, great and small, by benefactors to support these military service members at Christendom are truly laudable, changing lives and forming leaders. With more military students and their families attending Christendom next academic year, the need to sustain the Military Service Scholarship is an opportunity for the entire Christendom College family to stand with the men and women who sacrifice so much
“Your unwavering dedication to assisting those who serve our country and their loved ones is nothing short of heroic, embodying the true spirit of patriotism and charity.”
for our nation. To the many generous men and women who provided crucial support to these and the many other militaryaffiliated students at Christendom, Rockwell says:
“Your unwavering dedication to assisting those who serve our country and their loved ones is nothing short of heroic, embodying the true spirit of patriotism and charity. Your commitment to helping military personnel and their families pursue their educational aspirations at Christendom College is a beacon of hope and solidarity. Through your generosity, you not only provide financial assistance but also offer a profound gesture of gratitude and respect for their sacrifices and dedication to defending our nation’s freedom. Your contributions enable us to further our education in an environment that nurtures our Catholic Faith and prepares us to be leaders of character and integrity in our communities and beyond. On behalf of all the military personnel and their families who have been blessed by your generous support, I extend my heartfelt gratitude and profound appreciation.”
We invite you to please join us through your support by honoring 25 eligible students and giving them the financial assistance they need. Visit tinyurl.com/4re6uezj or scan the code.
Michael Messing ’25 Roarke Dooney ’24Tom McFadden ’90 was elected to a fouryear term as a member of the Warren County School Board. He now serves on a five-person Board and is responsible for the education of 5,000 students and 11 schools.
Daniel Laskey and Caroline ( née Marshner) ’09 were married at Holy Transfiguration Greek Melkite Church in McLean, VA, on July 22, 2023. They met at Christendom in the fall of 2005. Dan earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from St. Thomas University in St. Paul, MN, and Caroline graduated with a BSN in nursing from the Catholic University of America. They now live in St. Paul, MN. 1
Zac ’08 and Sadie (née Bratt ’13) Inman welcomed their fifth baby and third boy, Henry Bratt Inman, on All Saints’ Day, November 1, 2023. He joins siblings Zoey, Jack, Zebedee, and Elizabeth; and is a delightful little boy. 2
Rebecca (née Deucher) Rajasekar ’14 and her husband, Akhil, welcomed their first child, Clarence Damian McGuire, on December 15, 2023. 3
Peter and Mary (née Harrington) Norris ’11 are happy to announce the birth of their third child and first son, Pádraig Ronald Harrington Norris, born on November 14. Baby Pádraig is doing well and is adored by his two big sisters. 4
Jessica (née Schmitz) ’15 and Sean Shanahan ’16 are pleased to announce their marriage on October 21, 2023, at St. Thomas More Chapel in Front Royal, VA. 5
Mark and Lisa (née Hill) Pertuso ’13 are overjoyed to announce that their first son, Dominic Thomas, was born on September 27, 2023. Dominic was baptized on October 14 at Regina Caeli Parish in Houston, TX, in the presence of his godparents, John Hill ’26 (Lisa’s brother) and Laura Hill (Lisa’s sister). 6
Jeremiah and Katie (née Erwin) Ii ’10 had their seventh baby, Peter Augustine, in February. 7
Ryan and Julia (née Callaghan) Mitchell both ’10 are happy to announce the birth of their daughter Alice Aurelia Mitchell, who was born on December 26, 2023. 8
Ania Lohmann (née Zganiacz) ’11 married Victor Lohmann in 2016. Ania is licensed as a clinical psychologist and Victor is working toward licensure as a psychology resident in Connecticut. They are homeschooling and expecting their fifth child this Spring. 9
Thomas Maurer ’15 recently graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Doctor of History focusing on medieval Italian history. He is now an assistant professor of history at Ave Maria University. 10
Corinne (née Kavanagh) ’16 and Michael Urban ’17 welcomed their baby girl, Colette Mary, on December 14, 2023. She is their second, joining their son, Trip. 11
Rachel Hoover ’17 married Enrique Canto on January 2, 2024, in Nashville, TN. Also, Rachel Hoover Canto’s first book, Pretty Good Catholic: How to Find, Date, and Marry Someone Who Shares Your Faith, was published through Vianney Vocations. 12
Laura (née Cermak) Kumar ’19 and her husband, Danny, welcomed their daughter Martha Elizabeth Rani on September 1, 2023. At two months old, Martha was proudly one of the youngest attendees of the Notre Dame Fall Conference. 13
Maria (née McFadden) Soria ’18 and her husband, Jacob, welcomed their second child, Juliette Olivia, on October 30, 2023. 14
Kaitlin (née Kelley) Brown ’16 and her husband, Mark, welcomed their first baby, Eden Teresa, into the world on November 14, 2023, at 10 lbs. 1 oz and 22 inches long. 15
Melissa Marter ’18 became the director of youth formation & events at Our Lady of the Fields Camp and Retreat Center in Brighton, MI, back in September 2023.
Eleanor (née Horner) and Tim Marra ’19 got married on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 2023, in the chapel at St. John the Baptist in Front Royal. 16
Joseph Horner ’18 married Bernadette Ellis ’17 on October 14. 17
Jessica Huber ’19 has been working in Rome, Italy, with the Paideia Institute for Humanistic Study as a Rome Fellow for the past six months, and she was accepted into the University of Oxford’s Master of Studies program for Latin language and literature.
Johanna Burke ’19 and her fiancé, Matthew Mark, were engaged on February 17 in Sacred Heart Parish in Lewisburg, PA. Johanna and Matthew currently reside in Colorado. 18
Ashton and Emily (née Gary) Forbeck ’17 got married at St. Patrick’s Church in New Orleans, LA, on April 22, 2023. Fr. John Killackey, FSSP, ’11 presided. 19
Deacon Matthew Kane, FSSP, ’17 will be ordained on May 29, 2024, at St. Cecilia’s Cathedral in Omaha, NE. His first Mass will
be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. at the Chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul in Lincoln, NE, on May 30, 2024.
Deacon Joseph Duffy, FSSP, ’19 will be ordained on May 29, 2024, at St. Cecilia’s Cathedral in Omaha, NE. His first Mass will be celebrated at 3 p.m., at the Abbey of Our Lady of Ephesus on May 30, 2024.
Peter and Elizabeth (Eller) Santorum both ’21 welcomed their first son, Aldo Louis, on August 25. 20
Gerard Adams ’23 and Gwyneth Sawicki ’23 got engaged on the feast of Epiphany on January 6. They will be getting married in the summer of 2024. 21
Anthony ’22 and Molly (Detar) ’23 Van Alstine welcomed their first child, Imelda Brigid, on October 27, 2023. 22
Luke and Juliana (née Heroux) Jamieson ’23 had their first child, Sofia Claire, in late October. 23
Abigail (née Thomas) ’21 and Curtis Kasinski were married on September 22, 2023, at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Winchester, VA. 24
Lucie (née Lagarde) and Thomas Dunphy ’22 were married on October 21, 2023, in Richmond, VA. 25
Luke Borrajo ’22 and Erin Deighan ’23 were married on November 18, 2023 in Christ the King Chapel. 26
Gabriel ’20 and Marie (neé Ahern) Freivald ’21 were married December 10, 2022. 27
Isabel (née Meteyer) ’20 and Anthony Palumbo ’21 were married on July 29, 2023, at Christ the King Chapel. 28
Elizabeth (née Nussio) and Charles Fuller ’23 received the sacrament of Holy Matrimony on July 22, 2023, at Christ the King Chapel. The Mass was offered by Father Mark Fusco. 29
Anna Stachyra ’24 and John David Lane ’22 were married on December 30, 2023, at Christ the King Chapel. 30
James and Monica (née Marsh) Rossi, ’20, had their second son, Luke Gabriel, on February 5. 31
Mary (née McDonough) Pelczar ’23 and John Pelczar ’23 were married on December 16, 2023, in Christ the King Chapel. 32
Dominic and Katherine (née Walz) Smith ’23 were married at Christ the King Chapel in Front Royal, VA, this past New Year’s Eve. 33
Josh and Gracie (née Clark) Forbes ’23 were happily married on November 25, 2023, in the Christ the King Chapel. 34
Sarah (née Jackson) ’24 and Brian Hicks ’22 were married on June 5, 2023, at Christ the King Chapel and are excited to welcome a little one in September. 35
Julia Eschbach ’22 is now working as a fifth grade English and literature teacher at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in TX.
John and Julia (née Brezinsky) Jakubisin ’21 were blessed with the birth of their first child, Amelia Rose Jakubisin, on January 25, 2024. 36
Dario and Kadi (née Martin) Spinelli ’21 were married at Christ the King Chapel on May 20, 2023. 37
Anthony ’22 and Kathleen (née Sullivan) ’20 Criste were married July 1, 2023, in Omaha, NE, at Immaculate Conception Parish. 38
Philomena Swope ’23 was accepted at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in January and is currently taking classes online to earn an M.A. in philosophy.
Christiana (née Fedoryka) and Stephen Pascoe ’21 were married on June 10, 2023, at Christ the King Chapel. 39
Anthony ’21 and Leah (née Dickens) Suess ’23 were married on June 12, 2023. They are very excited to be welcoming their first baby in April. 40
Thomas James ’23 is in his second year teaching at St. John the Beloved Academy in McLean, VA, where he is a teacher’s aide and teaches K–8 art.
Compiled by Anna Williams ’24 and the Alumni Relations Office.
Felice Litterio ’19
For some time, I have been following the work of Ordo Iuris, a legal institute in Poland that unites natural law–based theory with practice. In addition to promoting intellectual discussion of constitutional law and public policy, Ordo Iuris litigates to defend religious liberty and the lives of the unborn and disabled in Poland. It also participates in international organizations like the United Nations and the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe. In 2021, Ordo Iuris helped found the Collegium Intermarium, a university founded on the principles of Christian faith, Greek philosophy, and Roman law. The institute seemed to have a kindred spirit with Christendom College.
Last summer in Romania at the annual Tusvanyos summer university, I had the good fortune to meet the president of Ordo Iuris, Jerzy Kwaśniewski. We talked about his work, the work of Christendom College, and of course, Polish and American politics. Toward the end of our conversation Jerzy invited me to speak at an upcoming conference on family policy he was organizing in Warsaw to commemorate Ordo Iuris’s tenth anniversary. I was delighted to accept.
The first day of the conference took place at the Collegium Intermarium. Pro-family leaders from Europe and America participated in private discussions about feminism, the sexual revolution, and changing beliefs about marriage, sex, and family. Europe is experiencing dramatic birth rate decline, and Poland is no exception. Polls show that Poles, in comparison with Americans, value family much more than work. But the Polish birth rate is lower than ours. Many of our discussions centered on how to promote a culture that is conducive to young people marrying and starting families. Without children our societies are economically, socially, and culturally unsustainable. It was amusing to observe the good-natured competition between the Poles and Hungarians on family policy. Poland’s previous conservative government adopted pro-family policies, but they were not as thorough and successful as those of Hungary.
On the second day we met at the Warsaw House of Technology for a series of public presentations followed by panel discussions. I led off with a talk on individualism and fertility. Fertility rates in the Western world began declining in the 1870s because of the perceived relative increase in the expense of childrearing. The introduction of child labor laws, compulsory primary and secondary education, and rising expectations for higher education reduced material incentives for having children. Fertility rates declined steadily while traditional beliefs about marriage, sex, and family structure remained relatively stable. Historians call this the First Demographic Transition. But by the 1960s, with the increasing acceptance and use of contraception and even abortion to restrict fertility, people began to limit the number of children they had in the name of preserving their individual freedom to do whatever they wished. Historians call this the Second Demographic Transition, and it has led to intractably low fertility rates. After describing these changes, I developed philosophical arguments for why we should encourage people to marry and have children. The core of my argument is that we all receive goods from our families and societies that we have not earned. The most important way we can repay the debt we owe to our families and societies for our upbringing is to perpetuate them by marrying and having children of our own.
Taken from the college’s motto, “Instaurare Omnia in Christo,” this section features an essay or excerpt from a recent paper or talk by one of Christendom’s distinguished faculty.
or rather Lioness, was Wanda Póɫtawska, who spoke at Christendom’s commencement ceremonies in 1987. She was a Holocaust survivor who became a psychiatrist and helped other survivors deal with their trauma. When she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, her friend Karol Wojtyɫa asked Padre Pio to pray for her. She was cured and the miracle was used as evidence in Padre Pio’s canonization process. Unfortunately, she died shortly after the conference.
The conference culminated in a gala celebrating Ordo Iuris’s first 10 years. Ordo Iuris honored many of its collaborators with the title “Lion of Ordo Iuris” and awarded them a handsome statue commissioned for the occasion. The Lions were honored for pro-life work, promoting John Paul II’s theology of the body, Polish historical scholarship, and service to the Church. One Lion,
Like other participants, I left inspired by the work of Ordo Iuris. It is encouraging to be reminded that we are not alone in our work to restore all things in Christ. But since my trip, Poland’s conservative government has been replaced by a liberal one that claims to be restoring democracy and the rule of law but has openly broken the law in its attempts to dismantle the work of its predecessor. It seeks to liberalize Polish abortion law, recognize homosexual unions, and limit catechetical instruction in public schools to uproot Poland’s Catholic heritage. We should pray for Poland. But I have no doubt that, like their ancestors, the Lions of Ordo Iuris will rise to the challenge of defending their great country.
A graduate of the Catholic University of America, Bracy Bersnak, Ph.D., is a professor and acting chair for the department of political science at Christendom College.
Participate in the Christendom College Legacy Challenge and join others to ensure the PRESENT and FUTURE of faithful Catholic education—FREE of federal funds!
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A Legacy contribution has been, for us, a simple way to assist and ensure the future of this oasis of Christian culture and education.
— DAVE AND NANCY KENNEDYContact Jacob R. Stevens, gift planning coordinator, at jacob.stevens@christendom.edu or 540-551-9259 for more information on how to magnify the value of your future donation with an immediate gift to support students today! Learn more at www.christendom.giftplans.org.
