Instaurare | Summer 2023

the Dedication of Christ the King Chapel & Commencement 2023

VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 2 | SUMMER 2023

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

Photos: Julie Wells, Niall O’Donnell, Halyna Charba, Paul Aguilar, Hailey Sergent

Contributors: Zach Smith, Vince Criste, Isabella Reilly, Maria Parry, Daniel McInerny, Alessia Berardi, Andrew Beer

Christendom College

134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630 540-636-2900 | www.christendom.edu

Copyright © 2023. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided the following credit line is used: “Reprinted by permission from INSTAURARE , the official 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 sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, or veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

inside this issue

CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mr. Guy Amisano Sr.

Mr. Gregory Bodoh ’94

Mr. Martin R. Boles

Mr. Timothy Halisky ’01

Mr. Julian Heron

Mrs. Karla Hester ’99 (Treasurer)

Mr. Richard Hough

Dr. Timothy T. O’Donnell (ex officio)

Mr. Stephen O’Keefe ’93 (Chairman)

Mr. Gary Schuberg

Mr. Mark Swartzberg

Mrs. Michele Velasco ’90 (Vice Chairman)

Mr. Thomas C. West Jr.

Ms. Luanne D. Zurlo (Secretary)

ADVISORS TO THE BOARD

Mrs. Donna Bethell

Mrs. Mary Ellen Bork

Mrs. Bernadette Casey-Smith

Mr. John Cecconi

Mr. Gene D’Agostino

Mr. John De Matteo

Dr. Robert P. George

Mr. Daniel Gorman

Mr. Joseph Melancon

Rev. Robert Morey

Mr. Robert Mylod

The Honorable James Nicholson

Mrs. Mary Beth Riordan

Rev. George W. Rutler

Mr. Mark Ryland

The Honorable Rick Santorum

Rev. William Saunders

Mr. Robert Scrivener ’81

Mr. George Weigel

Mr. Thomas Young

Mr. Eugene Zurlo

ON THE COVER

The Class of 2023 enjoys a celebratory hat toss in front of Christ the King Chapel.

Our Lady’s Chapel located behind the high altar of Christ the King Chapel.

“I felt that this was very pleasing to Our Lord, for there is no artist who is not gratified when his works are praised, and the Divine Artist of souls is pleased when we do not stop at the exterior, but, penetrating to the inner sanctuary He has chosen, admire its beauty.”

—ST.

Celebrating the Kingship of Jesus Christ

Christ the King Chapel is dedicated by Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge.

22

Christendom philosophy professor Dr. Daniel McInerny reflects on the beauty of the college’s new chapel.

The Good Shepherd Window

Impressed with a student’s strength of faith nourished at Christendom, benefactor dedicates window to Psalm 23.

Bringing Christendom to the Capitol

Maggie Black ’23 looks to make an impact in our nation’s capital, working in the office of Sen. John Barrasso.

THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

I have often said that after marrying my dear wife, Cathy, the best decision that I have ever made was coming here to serve at Christendom College. The college was much smaller back then, but the same love of learning and—most importantly—the love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ could be felt when you came on campus. Over the years, we have been blessed and protected by the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary. Under their protection, the college has thrived. I am filled with deep gratitude for each one of you who make up our Christendom College community. What we see around us today is the fruit of so much hard work and generosity from our students, faculty, staff, benefactors, and alumni and from our founder, Dr. Warren Carroll. In many ways, the work of Christendom College has just started. The world needs men and women of Christendom now more than ever.

I wanted to share with you all that after a great deal of prayer, I have decided, with Cathy’s support, that at the conclusion of the next academic year, July 2024, I plan to step down from the office of president.

I am announcing this decision at this time because I think this would be the best time for a calm, prayerful transition, for the good of the college. I would like to share with you my mind about “Why now?” I did not want to do anything precipitously.

1. We have a great Board of Directors, deeply committed to the mission and vision of the college: Catholic and faithful to the magisterium, as well as committed to no funding from the federal government.

2. We have in place an outstanding faculty, dedicated to our teaching mission and apostolate.

3. We have a fabulous staff in place—totally given to support and enhance our mission.

4. This year we hope to complete our reaffirmation of accreditation with SACS-COC.

5. The college is in the strongest financial position in its history, with an endowment nearing $30 million.

6. Enrollment is robust; we have reached our goal of 450 residential students, with a total of 550 students including our semester in Rome and commuters. We have had a waiting list for three consecutive years.

7. The Chapel is operational and we have just celebrated our 45th anniversary!

What is best for the college and our community is to pass the torch when the college is at full strength and thriving.

With great confidence, I can say we are poised and ready for the future—ready to continue our mission “to restore all things in Christ” by forming men and women to contribute to the Christian renovation of the temporal order.

Though my role after the conclusion of the 2023–24 academic year will change, I look forward to continuing to serve our educational apostolate as a professor and board member. I will continue to teach history and theology, run the St. Columcille Institute, and help with the Semester in Rome.

I have full confidence that the Board of Directors and the Search Committee will, in fervent fidelity to our mission, use the highest professional standards and will be guided by the Holy Spirit in the search for our next president. I am honored to have received from the Board the honorary title of “President Emeritus.”

I am convinced that—united with the Heart of Christ, and trusting ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of our dear mother Mary—the best is yet to come!

I love you all and look forward to many more years here at the best four-year Catholic liberal arts college on the planet!

God bless you all,

“I am convinced that —united with the Heart of Christ, and trusting ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of our dear mother Mary—the best is yet to come!”

Celebrating THE KINGSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST

THE DEDICATION OF CHRIST THE KING CHAPEL

BY ZACH SMITH

It started as a dream. Spires rising out of the Shenandoah Valley and raising one’s eyes toward Heaven along with them. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, radiating out over the Valley and made visible to anyone driving past on Interstate 66. A structure, inspired by the Gothic cathedrals of Europe, that would stand as a reminder of Christ’s Kingship here on Earth.

Finally, this dream became a reality in April, with the dedication of Christendom’s new Christ the King Chapel. Years of work, sacrifice, and prayer culminated in a beautiful Mass of Dedication, making Christ the King Chapel not simply a building but a stunning home for Our Lord, where countless souls will be able to encounter beauty for generations to come.

To fully understand the power of this moment, it is necessary to start at the beginning. Christendom first publicly began fundraising for the new chapel in 2016, launching the multimillion-dollar A Call to Greatness campaign—the most ambitious financial campaign in the history of the college.

Across the country, benefactors saw the vision for the new chapel and wanted to be a part of it. So many generously sacrificed for the campaign, helping to raise money for the college’s endowment fund, annual fund, and especially the chapel, with the campaign coming to a close in 2018.

Led by the college’s Vice President for Operations and Planning Mike Foeckler and Chapel Project Manager Pat Haggerty, the college broke ground on the new chapel in 2019. Construction continued over the next four years—including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic—with Hoar Construction serving as the general contractor for the project.

Inspired by the Gothic cathedrals of Europe, the chapel project attracted artisans from both inside and outside the Christendom community, eager to unite in the creation of something transcendent. Kegg Pipe Organ Builders joined the project early on, agreeing to design, install, and voice a beautiful 2,850-pipe organ. The college rescued a High Altar and four side shrines in need of restoration, working with Rugo Stone to bring them back to their former glory. In the chapel’s bell towers, 12 bells were restored or made by McShane Bell Company—including the bell from the college’s original Christ the King Chapel. And, filling the walls of the chapel, stained glass windows of the saints were both restored and newly created by Beyer Studio.

From the college’s alumni community, Corey Morgan ’07 handcrafted beautiful, ornate woodwork to adorn the chapel, especially the confessionals. Michael Schmitt ’03 hand-carved in

The Dedication of Christ the King Chapel

limestone the Latin inscription that resides above the entry doors, which reads “This is the House of God and Gate of Heaven.” And Mandy Hain ’07, the beloved artist who passed away in 2023 after a battle with cancer, made the chapel part of her lasting legacy. She painted the beautiful ceiling of the crossing tower, creating an elaborate starfield that points to the Eucharist as the center of the universe and of all life. When one raises his eyes in the chapel, he sees the focus of Mandy’s life—what should be the focus of all human life as a whole.

The hard work of these artisans, contractors, and the college’s staff and faculty, along with the sacrifices of so many benefactors, reached a conclusion over the weekend of April 14–16, beginning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by

Senator Rick Santorum, members of the Front Royal Board of Supervisors and Town Council, and others. Senator Santorum, who served on the college’s 45th Anniversary Gala Celebration Honorary Committee, delivered remarks before the ribboncutting, speaking to the importance of well-educated and virtuous leaders and the contribution of Christendom alumni to the common good.

“Christendom stands in my mind as a gem—inculcating virtue into young people and teaching them what the good life and a happy life really is all about: a life oriented toward the true, the good, and the beautiful, and oriented thereby to God,” said Santorum. “This chapel is the lampstand that’s showing the light of Christendom to this valley, to the people driving by, and

Top: Anne Carroll, wife of our late founder, joined by Senator Rick Santorum, Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, and board member Stephen O’Keefe, cut the ribbon to officially open the doors to the new chapel. Bottom: His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze blesses the Piazza and leads Vespers on Friday evening, followed by a special reception in the Piazza.

for others who will see and hear about this institution, because of the beauty and wonder and spectacular-ness of this chapel.”

College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell delivered remarks to close the ceremony, looking back to the roots of the college and toward the future impact of the chapel on Christendom and on the entire Front Royal and Northern Virginia community.

“It’s by going back to our roots and our foundation that we can find the way forward now for our country, for our society,” said O’Donnell. “Everything from the spires that you see rising up above, pointing to Heaven, to the Gothic crossing tower, all of those windows and arches inside the building point us to where we’re all destined: toward Heaven. I hope that here in the chapel, each of you, when you enter inside, will encounter beauty. It’s my hope that

each person who enters the chapel will encounter Christ and His superabundant presence, His anticipated presence as the Bread of Life in the beautiful life of His mother, and also in the lives of so many great saints that will surround and fill up the clerestory windows. I hope that all who enter this college chapel will feel the richness of our common patrimony that we have as human beings and as Christians and recognize the incredible heritage that is ours.”

Mrs. Anne Carroll, the wife of the college’s late founder, Dr. Warren H. Carroll, was then welcomed forward to cut the ribbon for the chapel with O’Donnell, Santorum, and Chairman of the Board Stephen O’Keefe. Together, they officially opened Christ the King Chapel to the public.

On Friday evening, Francis Cardinal Arinze, who has been a dear friend of the college for decades, led Solemn

The Dedication of Christ the King Chapel

Vespers in the chapel. Following Vespers, O’Donnell thanked all those who made the new chapel possible and read a letter from the late Pope Benedict XVI, who blessed the cornerstone in 2008. In his letter, which the college received a few months before his passing, Pope Benedict expressed his joy at the completion of the chapel and his prayer that it be an outward expression of Christ’s Kingship here on Earth.

“As I had the privilege to bless the cornerstone for the new chapel, it fills me with joy that this beautiful church is now almost completed and will be consecrated and dedicated to Christ the King in the coming year,” wrote Pope Benedict in May 2022. “It is my wish, and my prayer, that this chapel may be a visible expression that the truth and love of Christ continue to animate, to guide, and to distinguish the activities in Christendom

College. Invoking God’s abundant blessings upon you, the professors, students, and staff of Christendom College, I am fraternally yours in Christ.”

On Saturday afternoon, prior to the Mass of Dedication, Bishop Michael Burbidge, Cardinal Arinze, College Chaplain Fr. Marcus Pollard, Associate Chaplain Fr. Mark Fusco, and over 30 alumni priests processed from the college’s old chapel to the new Christ the King Chapel. Upon arrival, the plans, deed, and keys were handed over to Bishop Burbidge of the college’s home Diocese of Arlington, who then asked Fr. Pollard to unlock and open the chapel doors, officially beginning the Mass of Dedication.

During his homily, Bishop Burbidge congratulated the college community and its many benefactors on this beautiful accomplishment.

1. The Solemn Entrance into the chapel, including over 30 alumni priests who concelebrated at the Mass. 2. Bishop Michael Burbidge at the doors before the Solemn Entrance. 3. After the relic of St. Thomas Aquinas is inserted in the altar, a stonemason seals it with mortar. 4. Bishop Burbidge pours Holy Chrism oil on top of the new altar to consecrate it. 5. Fr. Marcus Pollard lights one of the candles on the anointed walls of the chapel. 6. College staff members Jess McClelland and Isabella Reilly ’20 assisted by Fr. Christopher Tipton ’12, drape the altar cloth across the newly consecrated altar. 7. Thendeacon Fr. Andrew Clark ’14 incenses the chapel following the anointing of the altar and walls.

Christ the King Chapel

“We rejoice in this magnificent day that the Lord has given to us,” said Bishop Burbidge. “We rejoice as we celebrate the 45th anniversary of Christendom College, a treasure within the Diocese of Arlington, and indeed a precious gift to the entire Church. We rejoice as we dedicate this beautiful, glorious new chapel, a fitting dwelling place for the Lord. In building this glorious chapel, we announce the praises of God our Father and of Christ, King of the Universe. I express sincere congratulations and deep appreciation to your president, Dr. O’Donnell, and extend my heartfelt gratitude to you, the members and benefactors of this college, who supported this endeavor. Together, with the grace of God, you have built this new Chapel of Christ the King. It is a very proud day for this diocese and this community.”

Following the Mass, all present went to a high-top tent next to the chapel for the college’s 45th Anniversary Gala to celebrate this historic moment for the college. A fireworks display filled the sky above the college as well, commemorating the occasion spectacularly.

While the Christendom’s many benefactors, along with faculty and staff, were able to attend the Mass in person, others around the world were also able to watch the Mass on EWTN, making the Mass of Dedication a truly global event.

What started as a faith-inspired dream now stands 116 feet tall in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley. Christ the King Chapel was always intended to be a symbol of Christ’s Kingship here on Earth, serving as a spiritual home for the entire Christendom College community. Across the world, people are now encountering the beauty of the chapel both in person and online, seeing it for what it was always meant to be: a way of raising one’s eyes toward Heaven and God.

When Christendom was first founded in 1977, it started in a classroom in Triangle, Virginia. Forty-five years later, the college’s Front Royal, Virginia campus now serves as a beacon, pointing students, faculty, staff, visitors, and all who pass by on Interstate 66 toward Christ. The college’s founder, Dr. Warren Carroll, wanted the college to help “restore all things in Christ.” The new Christ the King Chapel continues that vision, bringing so many more souls to Christ as a result.

The college wishes to thank the many contractors, artists, consultants, and benefactors who made Christ the King Chapel possible. Without their time, effort, and tremendous sacrifice, this heroic symbol of Christ’s Kingship would not be complete.

Eager attendees filled the Chapel Piazza, dressed in formal attire for a much-anticipated evening (left); Dr. Timothy O’Donnell and his wife Cathy join His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze and His Excellency Bishop Michael Burbidge for a photo in front of the new chapel (right); To end the spectacular evening, everyone enjoyed a breathtaking fireworks show from Campion Field and the Piazza (next page, top). Current students served for the gala event, which was catered by Chef Don Higby ’02 (next page, lower).

Dedicate a Pew in Christ the King Chapel

With only several pews left to dedicate, this is a limited opportunity.

Pew Dedications for $10,000* include:

1. Choice of dedication inscription (approximately 55 characters).

2. Recognition on chapel narthex memorial plaque. CHAPEL.CHRISTENDOM.EDU/PEW

THE BRIDEGROOM’S CALL

On the Beauty of Christ the King Chapel

BY DR. DANIEL MCINERNY

According to time-honored tradition, a bridegroom on his wedding day refrains from seeing his bride until the wedding begins. Why does he do this? Would it compromise the validity of the marriage if he were suddenly to see his bride at the end of the wedding hotel bar a few hours before the ceremony? I’ve heard of such things happening, if only by accident, and know for a fact that the couples have gone on to enjoy very happy marriages. So why does the bridegroom refrain from seeing his bride? Presumably, because he prizes that moment of supreme revelation, that moment of high symbolism, when the organ cranks up and she appears—there!— at the back of the church, and he can gaze on her in all her magnificent and overwhelming beauty, ready to be given to him by her father.

The Dedication of Christ the King Chapel

It was with something of the same spirit of restraint that, in recent years, I refused all invitations to take an early tour of Christendom’s new Christ the King Chapel. From left and right, voices would call out to me: “Come and see how wonderful it is! You can’t even begin to imagine it! Just put on a hard hat and come!” But, like Odysseus’s men, wax stuffed in their ears, I resisted these siren songs. I passed on, biding my time, letting the construction workers and craftsmen do their work. I waited until all was perfectly finished. Why? Because I, like a bridegroom, prized that moment of supreme revelation, that moment of high symbolism, when the organ would crank up and she appeared—there!—herself a church, and I could gaze on her in all her magnificent and overwhelming beauty, ready to be given to me by the Father.

And indeed, it was quite a moment when, right before the start of the Dedication Mass in April, my wife and I walked into the new chapel for the very first time. As a matter of conscience, I must admit that this wasn’t, strictly speaking, my first glimpse of the chapel interior. Once, in a moment of weakness, I had watched a few seconds of behind-the-scenes video showcasing the interior construction of the chapel. But it was early days, and the video didn’t show much. Nothing, in fact, could have prepared me for the shock of first seeing the splendorous interior of the chapel on that bright spring day.

But now, it occurs to me that I had the symbolism all wrong. It wasn’t so much that I, like the bridegroom, was waiting upon my bride, the Church. It was, rather, that the Bridegroom, symbolized by the new chapel, was waiting upon me, the bride, to walk up that aisle and give my life and my love to him.

Plato once wrote that education is learning how to fall in love with beautiful things.

His point was that education is not a mere matter of grasping concepts and arguments. However important concepts and arguments are, they are nothing if they are not part of the experience of falling in love with a subject matter. For what happens when we fall in love? We become one with the beloved. We become like the beloved. Our whole being conforms to the object of our love. Education, Plato knew, was about falling in love with what is true and what is good. But he also knew that we can fall in love with the true and good only insofar as we see them as beautiful.

The new Christ the King Chapel at Christendom College is a work of immense beauty. The ancient Greek word for beauty is derived from a verb meaning “to call.” A beautiful thing is a calling; it beckons us to it and invites us to conform ourselves to it. Whenever I drive down I-66 and see the Gothic tower of the new chapel peeking above the trees, I cannot help but feel the tug of Beauty’s call.

What is it about beauty that we find so attractive? St. Thomas Aquinas says that beauty has three characteristics: integrity or wholeness, harmony or proportion, and clarity or radiance. Talking about beauty in this way is, of course, very abstract. These three characteristics of beauty are found in everything beautiful: from a smile on a child’s face to the stained glass window featuring Aquinas himself high above the right transept of the new chapel. But we do not fall in love with abstractions. We fall in love with particulars. The new chapel gives us so many particulars that are whole, harmonious, and radiant. Consider, for example, the wholeness of the cruciform structure itself; the harmonious relationship between the two towers on the façade; and the golden radiance of the altarpiece.

A beautiful thing is a calling; it beckons us to it and invites us to conform ourselves to it.

The Dedication of Christ the King Chapel

To visit the chapel only once is to accumulate many favorites. Among mine are the side altar dedicated to the Divine Mercy; the stained glass windows featuring St. John Henry Cardinal Newman and the Legolas-like St. John the Evangelist; and the statuette at the back of the doughty St. George defeating the Dragon.

In loving the beautiful art of the chapel we become one, in a way, with the true and with the good. But this is to talk about the union that beauty makes possible only at the level of human art. As a place of worship, the chapel in its beauty promises a far more intimate union. In one of his central texts on the theme of beauty, Aquinas speaks about beauty as a characteristic of God the Son. The Son’s Beauty, above all, is what calls to us from the chapel. As the Bridegroom he is truly present—there!—in that moment of supreme revelation at the Mass, beckoning us to join him at the altar.

Daniel McInerny, Ph.D., is an associate professor of philosophy at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. His scholarly work focuses on questions at the intersection of art and the moral life. He recently published a new novel titled The Good Death of Kate Montclair (Chrism Press, 2023).

Stained glass window of St. John Henry Cardinal Newman.

Stained glass window of St. John the Evangelist.

Statue of St. George.

DRAWING HEARTS TO CHRIST THROUGH SACRED ART

BY JULIE WELLS

The Inspiration Behind the Pietà

The world mourned when Notre Dame Cathedral went up in flames. Onlookers lined the streets on that April evening in 2019, murmuring Hail Marys as the blazing roof of their beloved cathedral collapsed before them. Within just a few short years, private donors and businesses helped to raise $997 million for the restoration of this architectural masterpiece.

The

Why do tourists flock to the great cathedrals and basilicas across the globe, planning elaborate pilgrimages to experience these works of art firsthand? These buildings, filled with sacred art, evoke a sense of awe and wonder, lifting the mind to God. In recent decades, however, houses of worship have become rather commonplace, focusing less on the ornate construction fitting for a King and prioritizing the comfort of the people within. Many churches no longer evoke that sense of wonder as one enters the court of our King. Perhaps this negligence to give our Lord His due has led to a lukewarmness in our hearts and a lack of devotion in our daily prayer.

Christendom alum and board member Tim Halisky ’01 saw this need for a renaissance of beauty in our culture. He felt a call to contribute to the beautification of Christendom’s new Christ the King Chapel, sponsoring the Pietà statue that was recently installed in there. He hopes this work of art will instill a deeper devotion in the hearts of students and the wider community.

“My wife Katie was my inspiration,” notes Halisky. “She has had a devotion to the Pietà after tragically losing her brother early in our marriage. In the aftermath, she experienced great consolation praying in front of the Pietà. When Katie united her own suffering to that of our Mother, she was moved to

understand more fully the redemptive nature of Jesus Christ’s suffering and death. As God’s Providence would have it, when I was looking for a special gift for Katie years later, I was led to share her devotion with the Sacred Arts team at the college, which resulted in this magnificent piece of art.”

With the Halisky family’s generous contributions, the college commissioned Catholic sculptor Edwin Gonzalez to create a life-sized statue of the Pietà. Gonzalez accepted the challenge with great humility.

“I believe that the Lord has a plan for each one of us,” says Gonzalez, “and mine is one to give a body, a life, to inert materials such as clay or wood. To be able to create and give humanity to our Lord is a privilege. It’s an honor to dedicate myself to sacred art.”

Halisky and his wife, Katie ’01, know the challenges young people are facing in our world today, and they believe that a restoration of sacred art can help lead lost souls back to Christ and His Holy Mother, where true healing can begin.

“Without a doubt, sacred art can restore hope to our broken world,” says Halisky. “Progressivism has advanced to the point where people have not only forgotten why they were made, but what it means to even be human. Sacred art, much like sacred music, awakens the soul. One cannot experience

L-R: Sophomore Juliette Halisky, daughter of Tim and Katie, smiles for a photo with sculptor Edwin Gonzalez; The Pietà was painted in the chapel.

sacred art without being inspired to contemplate the divine. In the Pietà, we are inspired to contemplate God’s sacrifice of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Our broken world needs to be exposed to this Truth to understand God’s love for us individually.”

After many months under construction in Cordoba, Spain, the carved wooden statue was delivered safely to the new Chapel in late April. Gonzalez spent long hours painting and perfecting the statue during his two-week stay on campus. Students, faculty, and staff would stop by after daily Mass to marvel at his handiwork. Gonzalez sees his craft as an important ministry in the Church today where many people are losing their faith.

“The connection that I want my work to transmit,” he says, “is to wake up the spirituality of believers, those of us who believe in the Lord, that the work brings us to prayer.”

The Pietà statue was installed on a large pedestal just outside the confessionals in the north transept of the Chapel. Halisky and his wife hope that this new addition will awaken a desire in the hearts of the faithful to console Christ and His blessed mother.

“You cannot experience this statue in person without being moved to pity our Lady in her sorrow and feel the great weight that our Lord carried to the point of His crucifixion and death on the cross: the weight of our sins,” says Halisky. “It is our hope that all who encounter the Pietà will be moved to real conversion through the sacrament of Confession.”

Tim and Katie Halisky recall their time here on campus, surrounded by many faithful people and a rich spiritual life. They desire to give back to the college, enriching future generations.

“Christendom is unique for the real community that a student joins when stetting foot on campus,” notes Halisky. “At the heart of this community is the spiritual life one encounters through daily Mass and the sacraments, which allows students to enter into the life of the Church in a way they have likely never experienced. There is real joy in the communal search for truth and knowledge when it is grounded in the traditions of the Catholic Church. By participating in the Sacred Arts project for the Christendom Chapel, we hope to inspire souls to greater love for Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic Church.”

To learn more about how you can participate in Christendom College’s Sacred Art Project, please visit chapel.christendom.edu.

“It is our hope that all who encounter the Pietà will be moved to real conversion through the sacrament of Confession.”

The Dedication of Christ the King Chapel

Built by a Community

Alumni and Local Artisans Contribute to the Beautification of Christ the King Chapel

BY MARIA PARRY

One hundred fourteen stained glass windows. A 116-foot-high Gothic tower. Enough pews to seat 540 Mass-goers. There’s no question that Christendom’s new Christ the King Chapel is a magnificent feat of architecture. Just as impressive as the physical edifice, however, is the community effort that went into building this beautiful house of God.

St. Paul says, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12: 4 – 11).

The construction of Christ the King Chapel was a striking reminder of this truth. Alumni, faculty, students, benefactors, and other members of the community all came together in a true labor of love to give God glory through this sacred building. Each contributed his or her particular gifts, skills, and strengths in an outpouring of generosity.

“It’s been amazing to see in the last few months how many alumni craftsmen stepped forward to help us finish the chapel,” notes Vice President of Advancement Paul Jalsevac.

One of those alumni was Corey Morgan ’o7, who owns his own woodworking business. While he specializes in residential furniture, Morgan has also completed a number of liturgical projects. Using walnut wood taken from Christendom’s own grounds, Morgan crafted hardwood

floors, trim, paneling, and detailing in the chapel. Some of the walnut can be seen in the floor, on the confessionals, and in the decorative trim work and doors in the chapel vestibule and narthex.

Mandy Hain ’07 was another Christendom graduate who contributed her talents to the chapel. Sadly, Hain passed away on February 7, 2023, a few months before Christ the King Chapel was completed. However, in the time before her death, this talented artist left her mark.

Hain painted the crossing tower ceiling and the beautiful “Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus” written on it. She also worked on the gold leaf detail for the phrase “This is the House of God and Gate of Heaven,” inscribed over the chapel entrance.

Meanwhile, more Christendom graduates put their skills to work outside the chapel. Cornerstone Construction—which is owned by Front Royal resident Chris McMahon and employs several Christendom alumni—oversaw work on the piazza in front of the chapel. Subcontractor Jorge Cortez completed most of the masonry for the space.

Cornerstone worked on projects within the chapel too, such as the concrete foundation for the main altar, the sanctuary platform framing, and the choir loft ceiling.

Morgan, Hain, and the Cornerstone crew were just some of the alumni who contributed to the chapel. Many more talented and dedicated alumni also devoted their time, talent, and treasure to this sacred project. And it wasn’t just alumni.

English professor Sharon Hickson contributed to the interior decoration of the chapel. She joined Mandy Hain up on

“The whole idea of a Gothic cathedral was to have a whole community and generations of community working together on something beautiful for God.”

The Dedication of Christ the King Chapel

the scaffolding to paint the ceiling above the main altar, and she also helped paint the gold crowns on top of the chapel’s main tower. Hain had planned to refurbish the Stations of the Cross for the chapel. However, after Mandy became ill, Hickson, her daughters Kristin Uhlenkott and Bridget Hickson, and Christina Muller took over the task.

It was a much-needed project. Originally crafted in Germany, the stations were over 100 years old and badly in need of restoration. Some of the figures were missing hands and fingers and the paint had faded. Kristin and Bridget completed the gold leaf on the stations. Christina restored the colors on the figures. Hickson painted, worked on the gold trim, and did the Celtic lettering. Hickson and Muller began work on the stations during Mandy’s last few months on earth. Although Hain could not assist physically, she continued to give guidance for how to approach the restoration.

“It was very special for us to be carrying on her task,” Hickson says. “We really felt very much that Mandy was involved, at least in inspiration.” Hickson was struck by how the new chapel brought so many in the community together.

“What was remarkable to me was the number of different people who worked on the chapel,” she says, noting that even children such as her grandkids and local students helped with

the painting. She draws a parallel between the construction of Christ the King Chapel and medieval cathedrals.

“The whole idea of a Gothic cathedral was to have a whole community and generations of community working together on something beautiful for God,” Hickson explains. “So in many ways it was just a privilege to be working along with other alumni and families.”

While many people played important hands-on roles in building the chapel, just as important was the support of Christendom’s generous benefactors. These members of the Christendom family made the chapel possible through their prayers and financial support. Benefactors sponsored sacred art that spoke to their own spiritual devotions. One person helped restore the Good Shepherd Window because she loved Psalm 23 and the image of Christ the Good Shepherd. Another sponsored a stained-glass window dedicated to Our Lady of Divine Providence because she is the patroness of Puerto Rico, his homeland.

“Each person’s personalities and God-given gifts are expressed in this chapel,” says Jalsevac. “In its beauty, in the many dedicated items that reflect people’s spiritual devotions and those they wish to remember, in the labors so many put in to make this chapel possible.”

L–R: Professor Sharon Hickson and Christina Muller work to restore the first station; the fully restored first station.

The Dedication of Christ the King Chapel

Now, Christ the King Chapel finally stands completed. But even though the chapel is finished, it continues to draw members of the community closer to each other and to God. This spring, students gathered together in the piazza to study for finals and congregated in Our Lady’s Chapel to spend some quiet time with the Lord. Hickson sees many people from outside Christendom drawn to the chapel—both neighbors and travelers who glimpsed the tower from the highway. Chris McMahon has noticed how the chapel is transforming everyone who walks through its doors. He says, “In the community here, I can already see how awestruck people are and how just walking in, myself included, it raises your heart and mind to God.”

Reflecting on the years to come, Hickson says, “I think [the chapel] is going to be a vibrant center of spirituality and inspiration and consolation and peace and beauty for our students and for the whole community.”

Thanks to the efforts of that community, the new chapel will serve as a beacon of hope and light, beckoning all who see it to come and adore Our Lord.

While working on the chapel, Mandy Hain said, “This is a dream I have for the students—that they encounter real beauty within the heart of Christendom, Christ the King Chapel.”

Because of our community’s hard work and generous sacrifices, men and women for generations to come will experience this real beauty in Christ the King Chapel—and in turn, come to know and love Beauty Himself.

Above: Mandy Hain ’07 and Mary O’Reilly ’16 paint the “Sanctus” above the altar. Bottom: Corey Morgan ’07 installs Gothic trim to confessionals. Right-clockwise: Daniel Fier ’03 stains the floors. Thomas Hepler ’17 takes measurement for floor installation; Mandy Hain ’07 gold leafs the stone lettering for the chapel façade; Anthony Van Alstine ’22 works in Our Lady’s Chapel.

The Good Shepherd

Lifelong Dedication to Psalm 23 Inspires

Sacred Art Restoration in New Chapel

BY MARIA PARRY

Society today is starved for authentic beauty and too often blind to the truth of God’s love. Sadly, many people go their whole lives without encountering beautiful art—especially sacred art—that communicates God’s fidelity and love. Christendom’s new Christ the King Chapel, however, is helping to fill that void. So many in the Christendom community generously gave their time, talent, and treasure to fill the chapel with art that moves the heart and glorifies God. One of those generous souls is known to the college only by her pseudonym, Therese.

Through a sponsorship in the new chapel, Therese helped restore and re-dedicate the college’s Good Shepherd stained-glass window, originally made in 1905. To achieve the rich red color in Christ’s robe, artisans added gold chloride to the glass to ensure a vibrant color that would not fade over time like older glass recipes. This process of making red glass was quite involved and relatively rare in older stained-glass works. Because of this, the now-restored window is truly a work of art most fitting to give honor to the Good Shepherd Himself.

For Therese, there could not have been a more perfect window to pick for her chapel sponsorship. She taught religious education for over 30 years at her parish, impacting many young lives and sharing Christ’s love with them. She had every single child she taught memorize Psalm 23, which begins, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”

Therese first learned Psalm 23 from nuns at her parish when she was a girl, and it deeply impacted her. As an adult, when her parish needed a sixth grade CCD teacher, she wanted to pass on what she had learned from this beautiful prayer about God’s love and commitment.

“I continue to believe it is important for young people to understand commitment to the Faith and to know God is the Good Shepherd who will lead us to our eternal home in Heaven,” she explains.

Therese began class each year by bringing up Psalm 23. She discussed with students what the word “commitment” meant. Therese then made a commitment of her own: she would not give her students homework. They, in turn, would respect her and each other in the classroom.

“Then we read and discussed Psalm 23,” Therese adds, “and talked about our commitment to have faith and trust in God, and God’s commitment to us to lead us to Heaven—where we will share eternity with God and all of our ancestors who watch over us here on earth. So we agreed, the one homework assignment for the year was to memorize and recite Psalm 23.”

That assignment stuck with Therese’s students.

A few years ago, she ran into one of her old CCD students, now a graduate from Christendom College. He remembered memorizing Psalm 23 in Therese’s class and told her about how the college intended to have a Good Shepherd window in the new chapel.

“When I asked if he remembered Psalm 23, and he recited it perfectly,” Therese says, “I was impressed both with him and the strength of his faith nourished at Christendom.”

That encounter inspired Therese to generously sponsor the restored Good Shepherd window. Whenever students, faculty, or visitors gaze upon the window, Therese hopes it will remind them of one important thing: “God loves us and will lead us to Heaven.”

“I continue to believe it is important for young people to understand commitment to the Faith and to know God is the Good Shepherd who will lead us to our eternal Home in Heaven.”

NEWS in BRIEF

STUDENTS ON MISSION

This past March, approximately 80 Christendom College students, alumni, faculty, and staff journeyed abroad for mission trips. Traveling to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, and Honduras, the students spent their spring breaks giving to others and truly living out the mission of Christendom College. The students raised the funds necessary to go on these trips themselves, revealing the generous spirit that propels the student body to acts of kindness throughout the academic year.

ALUMNI RAISE OVER $239,000

Alumni and benefactors from around the nation joined together in supporting Christendom during the college’s annual Giving Day on March 21, raising over $239,000 in donations for the college. Over 850 gifts, donated by alumni, students, parents, and other members of the college community, were generously given to The Carroll Fund over the course of the day, enabling the college to assist the next generation of Christendom students through financial aid and more.

ENROLLMENT RECORDS

Across the nation, colleges and universities continue to face declining enrollments and financial hardships in the aftermath of COVID-19. In a recent article from Inside Higher Ed, the organization pointed to the recent closure of smaller private institutions as a “harbinger for 2023,” sounding a warning bell for higher education institutions nationwide. In a stark contrast to this news, Christendom College announced that, following May 1, the college has exceeded its recruitment goals for the fall. Due to such a high demand, for the third year in a row, many qualified applicants were placed on a waiting list for the fall of 2023. Additionally, interest for the college’s The Best Week Ever high school summer program is just as high, with a waiting list for it beginning back in early February. This year, The Best Week Ever—the most popular, well-attended, and highly ranked program of its kind—will welcome over 300 students to the Shenandoah Valley for a life-changing week on Christendom’s campus.

PROFESSOR’S NEW NOVEL

Philosophy professor Dr. Daniel McInerny released his latest novel this spring: The Good Death of Kate Montclair. An “enchanting, page-turning novel with real spiritual depth,” McInerny’s novel quickly gained acclaim as an “instant classic of 21st-century Catholic fiction,” making it a must-read, gripping look at life, death, and the beauty that can come from suffering.

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Clare Rodriguez, Dominic Smith, and Teagan Byrne have been named the winners of Christendom’s 2023 Padre Pio Full-Tuition Scholarship Competition. Ninety-eight students participated in this year’s Padre Pio competition, making it the largest and most competitive event in the college’s history. The college also awarded $5,000 runners-up scholarships to Maureen Loftus, Audrey Speier, Paul Summers, Jacob Twyford, and Jessi Josefsberg. The college looks forward to welcoming these exceptional scholars to campus in August, along with the rest of the Class of 2027, where they will learn the Truth, live the Faith, and thrive.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Christendom’s men’s rugby team and women’s basketball team both fielded historic spring seasons this year, earning trips to the National Collegiate Rugby Championship and USCAA National Championship Tournament respectively. The men’s rugby team fought their way through inclement weather and injuries to finish ninth in the tournament, while the women’s basketball team took a consolation win in their first-ever trip to the USCAA Nationals.

1. History Professor Christopher Lane holds class outside in the new piazza.

2. Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, NE, takes a tour of the Chapel with Executive Vice President Mark Rohlena and Project Manager Pat Haggerty.

3. Senior Zoe Grimm wowed audiences with her lively depiction of Annie in Annie Get Your Gun, the spring musical.

4. Students hike Buzzard Rock with Philosophy Professor Mike Brown and enjoyed a picnic on the rocky ridge at the top of the mountain.

5. Associate Librarian Stephen Pilon awards senior Joseph Cole a first-place ribbon for his illustration of four beloved Christendom professors. Many students, faculty, and staff participated in the annual art show in the library this year.

6. Sophomore Dermot Dolowy slides home safe in a 7-6 victory over the Mid Atlantic Christian Mustangs.

7. Sophomore Bridget McCaughey pitches for the Lady Crusaders softball team.

8. Fr. Bjorn Lundberg ’97 celebrates Mass for hundreds of alumni and their families at a special Alumni Mass held in Christ the King Chapel in April.

9. The Crusader rugby team made it to the National Championship held in Gaithersburg, Maryland, this year. The team won 15-5 in their final game, taking ninth place in the field of 18 and wrapping up their season.

10. This year’s senior athletes pose for a dramatic photo.

11. The student band Room 9, composed of sophomores Nick Reilly, Ricardo Amaya, and Matthias Raes, is joined by junior Stephen Simpson on the drums, as they perform a special concert in St. Kilian’s Café.

12. Marilyn Charba awards senior John Donahoe the Student Activities Council’s The Joe McGlynn Award for Service for his dedication and leadership on hundreds of college events.

13. Students play an intense intramurals game of Ultimate Frisbee in St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium.

14. Students dance the Virginia Reel at this year’s Spring Formal.

15. The annual May Crowning tradition continued in the new chapel this year as senior ladies presented Our Lady with roses and a freshman adorned her with a floral crown.

a Light

to the N atio N

Celebrating Christendom’s 44th Commencement

BY ZACH SMITH

Why do anniversaries matter? They serve as reminders—reminders of how far one has come, of a commitment to something greater, of the importance of tradition. The past year at Christendom College has been a constant reminder of these things and more as the entire community looked back at the past 45 years, examining the college’s humble roots and celebrating what has been accomplished since 1977. Commencement 2023

Celebrations provided fitting exclamation points throughout the year—from an academic convocation in September to the grand dedication of the college’s new Christ the King Chapel in April. Finally—and fittingly—the college’s 44th Commencement served as the capstone to a year of blessings, as the college gathered to say farewell to the class of 2023 and look forward to all they have yet to accomplish in this life.

The joy-filled weekend began on Friday, May 12, with the Baccalaureate Mass. Blessed with beautiful, summer-like weather, graduates processed with the Diocese of Arlington’s Bishop Michael Burbidge from the college’s old Christ the King Chapel, where they spent so many hours in front of Our Blessed Lord, to the college’s new Christ the King Chapel for the mass. College chaplain Fr. Marcus Pollard offered the homily, reminding the graduates that God chose and appointed them to go out into the world, to bear fruit, to grow in goodness, and to bring that goodness to others.

“God is going to enable you to be the bearer of his light, to give people hope and wisdom,” said Fr. Pollard. “God’s going to have you take charge of people and circumstances where even if you think, ‘I’m not ready, I can’t do this, I can’t handle this,’ but the Lord says, ‘Yes, you are. You can do this. You can solve this problem, you can make this project happen.’ And finally, in

all sorts of ways, you’re going to be sent out to guide people, by the example that you set, by the words that you say, so that, as our Lord says, ‘It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you.’ He has chosen you. He appoints you to go and bear fruit that will remain.”

Following the Mass, graduates and their families traveled to the nearby Shenandoah Valley Golf Club, which overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains that surround Christendom, for cocktails and dinner. For the first time, parents met the faculty and staff that they had heard so much about, while soon-tobe graduates celebrated with each other on their final night as Christendom students.

During the dinner, Bishop Burbidge was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters for his outstanding leadership of the college’s home diocese. In his address, Bishop Burbidge thanked the college for warmly welcoming him over the past six years and called the college a “treasure.”

“This is truly a great honor and a privilege to accept this degree; I am very humbled,” said Bishop Burbidge. “This degree will serve as a reminder of my great gratitude for this college, which is a treasure to this diocese and to the Universal Church. It will also be a daily reminder that I will be praying continually for the Christendom College community, that the Lord will

1. Graduates process into Christ the King Chapel for the Baccalaureate Mass. 2. Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Arlington Diocese celebrated the Baccalaureate Mass and Bishop Joseph Coffey, Auxiliary Bishop of the United States of America, Military, concelebrated. 3. Bishop Burbidge was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters by Dr. Timothy O’Donnell. 4. Valedictorian Matteo Stocco. 5. Salutatorian Rachel Riordan. 6. Dylan Aiello, Joseph Kokes, John Pascoe, Joe Madigan, and Sebastian O’Keefe gather for a picture. 7. Mary Lueck and family. 8. Director of Alumni Relations Vince Criste awards Michelle Kelly the 2023 Student Achievement Award. 9. Madigan Gannon and Jacob Stevens smile for a photo with Commencement speaker Dr. John Haas, president emeritus of the National Catholic Bioethics Center.

He has chosen you. He appoints you to go and bear fruit that will remain.

continue to shower His graces upon you, your great work, and your great ministry.”

Several toasts punctuated the rest of the evening, with College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Gregory Townsend, Senior Class President Makayla Paradis, and Student Body President Joshua Forbes all raising their glasses to the parents, the student body, and the college’s faculty and staff.

The next morning, the class of 2023 gathered again to make their way to St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium. Processing from St. John the Evangelist Library, where they took so many classes together as students, they made their way into the commencement ceremonies, ready to culminate four years of learning, sacrificing, and growing in faith together.

Once inside St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium, salutatorian Rachel Riordan welcomed the hundreds of guests present to this year’s commencement exercises, thanking the college’s faculty and staff, the parents and families, the student body, and, above all, God for making this commencement possible.

“Why did we undertake this four-year journey?” asked Riordan. “There are a number of good reasons that we did so, but ultimately the reason we learned to develop our minds and our various talents through this education was so that we could place them at the feet of Christ our King. This year, we witnessed the completion of our beautiful new chapel of Christ the King, a wonderful testimony to the glory of God. Our class has had the unique privilege of seeing the building of this chapel from start to finish. In some sense, we grew together with this chapel. This building is a concrete reminder to us of what we are called to do as graduates of Christendom College. We built up and developed our God-given talents through our education here at Christendom so that we too could be a testimony of God’s glory to other people.”

Following her address, Dr. O’Donnell awarded the college’s St. Thomas More Medal for Defense of the Faith and Holy Mother Church to this year’s commencement speaker, Dr. John Haas, president emeritus of the National Catholic Bioethics Center. To begin his commencement

Ryan Schants and family.

Michael Blank and family.

Aganze Nkere and family.

Gwyneth Sawicki and family.

address, Haas praised the graduates, the parents, and the college’s faculty and staff for their hard work and sacrifices that made this day possible.

“Christendom College is truly a light to the nation,” said Haas. “It is renowned for its scholarship and for its fidelity to the Catholic faith. We congratulate all of you students today who have worked so hard for your diplomas, and we congratulate your parents and other family members for giving you support through what has certainly been a challenging, demanding, joy-filled, and, I’m sure, exhilarating journey. Today, we look forward to the future with hope.”

Haas spoke passionately about the issues graduates will face following graduation, including abortion, rampant secularism, and a culture that has turned its back on its Judeo-Christian tradition. He then challenged the graduates to go out into the world and use everything they learned at Christendom to truly “restore all things in Christ.”

“You, Christendom graduates, are equipped to confront today’s tyrants by looking to the example of St. Thomas More

Your task will be to help reorder the world and bring it once more into alignment with what God created it to be. The challenges are there, but we can be of good cheer because we are Catholics… you have been formed, prepared, and educated for this moment here at Christendom.

Fiona Briggs and family.

Luke Foyle and Julia Hill and their families.

and invoking his prayers, and because of the unparalleled education you’ve received here in the Shenandoah Valley,” said Haas. “Your task will be to help reorder the world and bring it once more into alignment with what God created it to be. The challenges are there, but we can be of good cheer because we are Catholics…you have been formed, prepared, and educated for this moment here at Christendom. Through the rigorous and faithful program of this college, you have been truly educated, and you, the parents, should never regret the sacrifices you made for your children’s education here at Christendom. Dear graduates of Christendom, dare to be great.”

After the address, Director of Alumni Relations Vince Criste presented the Student Achievement Award to Michelle Kelly in recognition of her many outstanding contributions to the college community. Throughout her four years, Kelly was an inspiration on campus and exhibited unwavering care for the college’s student body, displaying “kindness and joy to all” and serving as a role model for “what it means to be a Christendom College student.”

Following the delivery of degrees, valedictorian Matteo Stocco provided the farewell address for the class of 2023. Stocco reminded his class of the many blessings they experienced as

students at Christendom, from the faculty to the staff, and finally to the community of students that strove to inspire each other daily. While their time as students together had come to an end, Stocco encouraged his class to “pray, hope, and don’t worry” as they begin the next stage of their lives.

“Our work as students at Christendom has already reached completion in this joyful, yet bittersweet, ceremony,” said Stocco. “However, the work of our life is hopefully far from completion. We are about to leave this place of great grace and blessing and enter a world which, as Dr. Haas reminded us, is much less friendly to us. But saints and soon-to-be saints of modern times remind us that sons and daughters of God need not fear even in the midst of a crazy world. My fellow graduates, let us strive without hesitation…to ‘restore all things in Christ.’ Let us never lose sight of the great good to be achieved by living every moment and making every decision based on the principles we have learned here. And let us always, with great gratitude, begin, continue, and complete our work under the direction of God’s marvelous providence and with the help of His grace.”

Closing the Commencement Ceremonies on Saturday, College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell delivered his charge to the graduates.

Graduates celebrate as they process into Christ the King Chapel.

Joe Madigan and family smile with Dr. Dan McInerny.

Graduate Joe Kelly and his uncle and godfather, Patrick Storey, recreate a 2002 photo (left) from Patrick’s graduation.

The Senior Philanthropy Board successfully completed a yearlong educational campaign directed toward their classmates. Their work leading up to and on Giving Day 2023 inspired 64% of their classmates to make a gift—for the vast majority a monthly gift—back to the college. Thank you!

This year’s class included 16 legacy students (children of alumni).

Let us never lose sight of the great good to be achieved by living every moment and making every decision based on the principles we have learned here.

Only a few moments later, the class of 2023 stood together, one last time, outside Christ the King Chapel. Their graduation caps and tassels went flying into the air and came down again, mixing with a light rain that fell from the sky. Tight embrace after tight embrace followed as the weight of this moment and its significance became, finally, abundantly clear.

Commencement is a bittersweet moment—a time for immense celebration, but also one of sad farewell. Just as the college has spent the past year reminiscing over the last 45 years of Christendom, the class of 2023 spent the past year looking

back on their four years in the Shenandoah Valley. As they held tightly to each other, they could be tempted to think that this was the end of the journey. But, as their classmate Stocco reminded them, their journey is far from completion—just as Christendom’s journey is far from completion as well.

The college’s 45th anniversary year marked the end of one chapter and the start of another, one filled with such promise. That promise extends to the class of 2023 as well. Together, they, like the college, can now continue the work of generations before them, seeking to “restore all things in Christ.”

One hundred fourteen Bachelor of Arts degrees were awarded to the members of the Class of 2023, including Gerard Adams, John Adams, Dylan Aiello, Anna Berg-Arnold, Maggie Black, Mary Black, Michael Blank, Kurt Bourget, Fiona Briggs, Philip Brown, Christina Buehler, Christina Burke, Abigail Butek, Erica Christie, Grace Clark, Isabel Cleary, Maria Coffey, Joseph Cole, Caroline Connell, Bridget Crnkovich, Therese Cruz, Isabel Cumbelich, Kaelan Damitz, Colin Deighan, Erin Deighan, John Paul DeJak, Thomas Donahoe, Joseph Dotson, Joseph Ellefson, Gabriel Fewkes, Joshua Forbes, Luke Foyle, Hannah Freivald, Zoe Frisch, Charles Fuller, Madigan Gannon, Sebastian Ghering, Rachel Giaccio, Chelsea Gilday, Daniel Gillio, Hannah Gjolberg, Zoe Grimm, Claire Guernsey, John Paul Gutschke, Halina Hibl, Regina Hibl, Sean Hilbert, Julia Hill, Zachary Hsu, Sofia Hudson, Marissa Hund, Thomas James, Juliana Jamieson, Rebecca Jaynes, David Johnson, Rebecca Kaminski, Donald Kelly, Michelle Kelly, Joseph Kokes, Margaret Kolesar, Teresa Lagano, Mary Lueck, Javier Madan, Joseph Madigan, Mary Maggio, Cassandra Marilley, Catherine McCaughey, Mary McCloskey, Caroline McDermott, Mary McDonough, Anna McDuffie, Helen McGuire, Claire Mense, Ryan Mumford, Aganze Nkere, Katherine Noe, Elizabeth Nussio, Sebastian O’Keefe, Finnbarr O’Reilly, Therese Ohotnicky, Elizabeth Ostrowski, Makayla Paradis, John Pascoe, John Pelczar, Emily Piorkowski, Rachel Riordan, Thomas Santschi, Gwyneth Sawicki, Sarah Scarchilli, Joseph Scarlata, Ryan Schantz, Cyril Schaper, Trevor Scott, Alice Seeley, Dominic Smith, Johnathan Stahl, Lucy Stanford, Jacob Stevens, Matteo Stocco, Katherine Summers, Patrick Switzer, Philomena Swope, Grace Tipton, Celine Townsend, Lucia Ulizko, Mary Van Alstine, Maria Vicente, Lucia Vicenzino, Sean Walker, Katherine Walz, Sarah Weichert, Matthew Westin, Noah Wollersheim, and Matthew Wright.

In the Classroom

HIGHLIGHTING A COURSE FROM OUR RICH CURRICULUM

HIST 309: HISTORY OF ANCIENT GREECE

BY DR. ALESSIA BERARDI

Since only a few, Heracles for example, acquire immortality in Greek myth, this desire to escape death is tragic, because the Greeks knew that it would never be fully realized, and there is no real reward even for virtuous men and women. Nevertheless, Greek culture cannot but express such a desire for immortality in beautiful poems, tragedies, monuments, and actions.

In History 309, I highlight this nobility of Greek history and culture, introducing my students to the main historical facts

between 1100 and 260 BC. I underline the establishment of the polis and the desire for political freedom, the artistic and cultural creativity of the Greeks, and the continual wars and violence of that world.

Why is it important to us to listen and learn from these people so different from us? Not only because, as the ancients used to say, “history is a teacher of life”—that is true, but insufficient. Through the study of Greek history, we better learn who we are, because we also have the same desire for immortality as the ancients. Christ became man in a culturally Greek world, permeated by this desire for immortality and thirsting for the truth. By knowing how much we also desire truth and immortality, and thus bringing this ancient people close to us, we will be once more grateful for the grace that has been given to us in Christ.

Bringing

CHRISTENDOM

to the CAPITOL

Graduate Ready to Change the Political Culture for Christ

BY ZACH SMITH

“At this moment of history, Christendom can only exist in small and self-contained places. But the Christian in such a place never settles for it, never hides in it, for he has a message to bring to the world.” Christendom founder Dr. Warren H. Carroll wrote these words to the first students of Christendom College in 1977, aiming to inspire them to go out into the world and “restore all things in Christ.”

In the 45 years since, over 3,000 alumni have heard these same words, using them as a springboard into their vocations—

including recent alumna Maggie Black ’23. From a young age, Black felt the relentless tug to change the political culture for Christ and saw the liberal arts education offered by Christendom as the foundation necessary to not only succeed but thrive in the political arena. After years of study and numerous internships, Black is now taking the next step in her journey as the legislative correspondent for Senator John Barrasso from her home state of Wyoming. She will use all of her skills and passion to become an advocate for positive change in the United States.

Black’s story begins hundreds of miles away from the Shenandoah Valley in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A fifth-generation Wyomingite, Black says her interest in politics started at home, as the latest happenings in Washington, D.C., became regular topics of discussion around the dining room table. Soon enough, she was reading political books, joining a civic volunteer group at her local high school, and learning as much as she could about the hot-button issues impacting the nation.

What started as an interest quickly became a passion for Black. Why? Because being a good citizen was not optional for her—it was a necessity as a Catholic.

“My love of politics was sparked by my passion for cultural reform,” says Black. “From my earliest memories of political issues, I have felt a deep desire to be a part of advocating for meaningful conservative solutions.”

As Black advanced year by year through her public high school, she began to discern the need for the right college to set her up for success in politics. She turned to the Newman Guide for guidance and stumbled upon Christendom, whose 100% Catholic faculty both surprised and attracted her.

Seeing a full immersion in both a rigorous liberal arts curriculum and a vibrantly Catholic culture as the exact onetwo punch she was looking for, Black applied and was accepted to Christendom for the fall of 2019.

“I wanted to attend college at Christendom in order to be immersed in the Catholic culture and for the preparation I knew it would afford me for my chosen career in politics,” recalls Black. “At the time, I was unaware how personally transformative it would be for me to attend a faithful Catholic college or how crucial my Christendom education would be in my future career.”

As Black began her studies at the college, she also began to explore ways to gain experience in politics along the way. She took an internship in the college’s town of Front Royal, Virginia, with a former town councilman, which gave her the experience necessary to apply for a summer internship with Senator Barrasso in her hometown of Cheyenne. Upon finishing her freshman year, Black spent those few summer months speaking with constituents over the phone to address their concerns and helping them with issues related to various federal agencies. For her, the most significant takeaway from the experience was identifying her personal goals and working diligently to achieve them.

“I did not have much on my resume at this point, but I knew where I wanted to be and that I would work hard in every opportunity,” said Black.

Her summer internship with Senator Barrasso snowballed into additional opportunities, both on and off campus. Over the next three years, Black took on roles at the college as vice president and president of College Republicans, founder and leader of Christendom’s Network of Enlightened Women chapter, participant in the college’s Shield of Roses pro-life group, the manager of the student call center in the college’s Advancement Office, and president of the Senior Philanthropy Board.

Off campus, she continued to spend her summers gaining greater experience in nearby Washington, D.C., taking on opportunities at the Heritage Foundation and the American Legislative Exchange Council, serving as a Policy Promotion intern and as an Education Policy Research intern respectively.

As her resume continued to grow, her confidence did as well—especially in sharing her Catholic faith in these secular work environments.

“During my internships in the secular D.C. area environment, I have been given the opportunity to be an example to others,” says Black. “Even if I never see the fruits of my witness, I hope that God can use my life to direct others to Him. Working in politics, there is no end to the controversial

“

Working in politics, there is no end to the controversial topics that are discussed within the office, and it is natural to bring up important social issues in conversation. These moments are opportunities to reflect on how best to characterize my deeply held beliefs so that others might come to Truth.

topics that are discussed within the office, and it is natural to bring up important social issues in conversation. These moments are opportunities to reflect on how best to characterize my deeply held beliefs so that others might come to Truth.”

Throughout all these experiences, Black turned continuously to her Christendom education. When she first chose to attend the college, she saw its liberal arts education as the ideal way of growing her written and spoken communication skills. As she entered her senior year, and with multiple internships now under her belt, her gratitude for her chosen course of study only continued to grow.

Finally, as the months wound down on her time at Christendom, Black’s determined pursuit of her career goals paid off. Armed with all her experiences and education in Washington and on campus, Black decided to reach out to her former supervisor at Senator Barrasso’s office in Wyoming, who recommended that she apply for a position in the D.C. office. Black applied, was brought in for an interview, and—less than a week later—was offered her first full-time position as the legislative correspondent for the Senator.

Years of preparation, hard work, and sacrifice, begun around the dining room table and completed around the classroom table, came to fruition at that moment for Black. This summer, she will officially begin the journey she has been pursuing since a young age—a journey she hopes more Catholics join in the future.

Black fully understands the challenges that lie before her in Washington and beyond. And yet, she remains undaunted. Why? Because, since 1977, Christendom College has been educating students for this very purpose.

“Catholics, and particularly the lay faithful, are called by the Church to order temporal matters according to God and to share the Gospel with the world,” says Black. “This high call is one for which Christendom students are well prepared, thanks to their liberal arts education, to take up especially as it relates to the political sphere. Both the charge ‘Dare to be Great’ and the motto of Christendom, ‘Restore all things in Christ,’ include within them an exhortation to form and articulate political positions in a persuasive manner with the goal of changing the culture for Christ.”

CLASSMATES YOUR PAPER & INK ALUMNI SOCIAL NETWORK

1990s

Fr. Kevin Peek ’92 randomly met Karla (Kuykendall) Hester ’99 as they both supported the original Chick-fil-A restaurant in Greenbriar Mall in Atlanta, GA, on its last day of business after 50 years of service. 1

Imelda (née Franklin) Bogue ’96 recently premiered her art song cycle Five for Joy, based on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, at the Encountering God Through the Arts concert series at St. Gabriel Parish in Colorado Springs, and sings her first Wagner concert with Boulder Opera in the summer of 2023.

Reva (née Jacobs) Olszewski ’92 and her husband, Michael, announce that their son, Dominic, recently completed his junior year of nursing at Franciscan University. 2

Andrew Cole ’98 was reappointed by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to another term on the Serve Kentucky Commission with his term expiring on January 3, 2026. He is representing Thomas More University, where he has served at the Director of Campus Ministry since 2016.

Michael ’99 and Alyssa (née Gray) ’02 Hichborn happily announce the birth of Damian Terrence Charles Hichborn on Tuesday, May 16, at 9:34pm. He is the youngest of eight children (including Brendan Hichborn, a rising Junior at Christendom). 3

2000s

Bree Dail ’07 is the Rome correspondent for The Daily Wire. She also has contributed to several other media outlets, including The Epoch Times, National Catholic Register, Newsmax, Catholic News Agency, AP, The Daily Caller, The Catholic Herald, Catholic World Report, and Relevant Radio.

Thomas ’10 and Caitlin (née Howerton) ’07 McGuire and their five children, Fiona (12), Annie Cate (10), Nora (8), Thomas Jr. (5), and Deirdre (4), had a busy spring celebrating 13 years of marriage in April, Tom’s promotion to Lt. Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard, and earning his juris doctorate from George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School. 4

Joan Claire (née Robinson) FitzPatrick ’09 married Paul Franz Jaquet FitzPatrick on September 25, 2020, at St. Agnes Catholic Church in West Chester, PA. They were thrilled to welcome their first daughter, Eleison Marie FitzPatrick, to the world on December 3, 2022. They also joyfully welcomed Paul

into the Catholic Church with his reception of First Holy Communion and Confirmation on Divine Mercy Sunday 2023. The family currently resides in Phoenixville, PA. 5

2010-15

Lizzie (née Crnkovich) ’12 and Adam (’13, M.A.) Richard welcomed their fifth child, Felix Jean-Baptiste, on Warren Carroll’s birthday (March 24) this year. Felix is dearly loved by his siblings, Louis, Madeleine, Remy, and Celeste. 6

Mark and Katie (née Wunderlich) Hepler ’13 joyfully welcomed their forth baby, Ingrid Irene, on February 27. Fr. Joseph Townsend ’11 baptized Ingrid at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Alexandria with Thomas and Angela (née Townsend) Hepler ’17 as godparents. 7

Sara (née Federico) Hudson ’13 and her husband, Scott, welcomed their third baby, Savio Chase Hudson, on February 28, 2023. Fr. David Frank ’12 came up to perform the baptism on April 22. Godparents were unable to be physically in attendance, but are Zack ’13 and Mary ’12 Francis 8

Fr. Andrew Clark ’14 was ordained to the priesthood of Jesus Christ on June 3 and his uncle, Father Steve McGraw ’88, vested him. Both are in the Diocese of Arlington, VA. 9

Maria Bonvissuto ’15 married Christopher Parry on April 29, 2023, at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Catholic Church in Hellertown, PA. 10

Rebecca (née Willen) Martin ’15 made her perpetual profession as a Lay Dominican on November 19, 2022, with the Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati Fraternity in Ann Arbor, MI. 11

2016-19

Katherine (née Williams) Wiegand ’18 graduated this May with a juris doctorate from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. She will be taking the Virginia bar exam this summer and then going to clerk for a judge in Fairfax Circuit Court. 12

Peggy (née Daly) Snee ’18 and her husband, David, welcomed their second son, born on February 19, 2023: Rowan Augustine Snee, who now joins his big brother, James Kilian. 13 Trey ’19 and Danielle (née Lemieux) ’18 Dusseault welcomed their second daughter, Léonie Claire, on December 11, 2022. Juliette loves being a big sister. 14

Patrick and Emily (née Brown) Meier, ’19, joyfully announce the birth of their daughter, Elinor Gianna Evangeline Meier, born on April 28, 2023, and weighing 8 lb., 10 oz. 15 Clif and Jacki (née Durant) Clemotte ’19 welcomed their first child, Lucy Magdalena, on February 15, 2023. 16

2020s

Theresa Crnkovich ’20 graduated with her masters degree in early Christian studies from the University of Notre Dame in May 2023. She is living in Indiana after graduation and working for an institute at Notre Dame. 17 Bridget (née Duffy) Zwemke ’21 married Nicholas Zwemke, TAC class of ’19, on February 18, 2023. 18

John Jakubisin and Julia Brezinsky ’21 were married on April 29, 2023. 19 Lucie Lagarde and Thomas Dunphy ’22 were engaged on April 10, 2023.

Regina (née Ellis) Erikson ’22 and husband, Matthew, welcomed their second child, Chiara Luce, into the world on May 6, 2023. 20

John and Alinemary (née English) Dean ’22 would like to announce the birth of their first child, Richard Tancred Dean, on May 10, 2023. 21

Ashlianna (née Kreiner) Thompson ’22 and her husband, Isaac, were married in Flint, MI, on May 28, 2022. They welcomed their first baby, James Larry Thompson, into the world on April 23, 2023. 22

Joseph Cole and Christina Burke ’23 were engaged on May 4, 2023, shortly before graduation. They were the first couple to have their proposal in the new Christ the King Chapel. 23

OCTOBER 6–7

Requiescat in Pace

FEATURING CLASS REUNIONS FOR 1983, 1993, 2003, AND 2013 PLUS SPECIAL “ALL ’80 s ” REUNION

Compiled by Vince Criste ’98 and Katherine Noe ’23.

Christopher Rohan ’91 April (Scatena) Kile ’98

OMNIA IN CHRISTO

Socrates on the Blessing of Being Refuted

BY DR. ANDREW BEER

Writing recently in T he A T l A n T ic , Victoria Parker describes a defect of argumentative generosity in our political discourse.1 Partisans of either side of the culture war attribute to their opponents the extreme views held by only a small minority of either side. Plaguing our politics is “a false polarization in which one side excoriates the other for views that it largely does not hold.” This false polarization by turns feeds upon and fuels an intense dislike of one’s political opponents. But even worse, “partisans who disliked their opponents most were least willing to engage with them, which likely forecloses the chance to have their misconceptions corrected through real-life personal contact. Instead, an oversimplified, exaggerated version of the other side’s views is allowed to live on inside of everyone’s head.”

Parker paints a dismal picture of fellow citizens divided by unbridgeable, or at least too often unbridged, differences—such that conversation across the divide seems all but impossible.

For guidance in bridging this divide we can look to one of the greatest conversationalists of all time, Socrates of Athens. In particular, we might learn from Socrates’s peculiar attitude toward the great blessing of being refuted.

A good example of this can be found in Plato’s Gorgias, just before Socrates refutes the famous orator who gives the dialogue its name. Gorgias, says Socrates, has surely noticed a distressing feature of many conversations: that the rival interlocutors have trouble defining their terms so as to teach and learn from each other. Instead, whenever they disagree, and one accuses the other of speaking incorrectly, they become bitterly angry, believing that the other argues from rivalry, caring only for winning the argument and not discovering the truth. The taunts and slurs going back and forth then become so ugly that those who observe the argument are overwhelmed with disgust—why, they wonder, did they think it worthy to be an audience for such persons? (457d–e).

Socrates’s description of an argument’s descending into verbal combat is apt for what we ourselves witness daily on social media. But why does Socrates mention this distressing fact?

Socrates hesitates to refute Gorgias for fear that Gorgias will think he cares only about winning the debate. Socrates must therefore make certain that Gorgias shares his own belief about the value of refutation for the one refuted

Indeed, Socrates says of himself: “[I am one of those people] who would be delighted to be refuted, if I say anything untrue, and who would be delighted to do the refuting, if someone else were to say something untrue.” Socrates continues: “But their delight would be no less in being refuted than in refuting: for I consider [being refuted] a greater good [than refuting], precisely inasmuch as it is a greater good to be released oneself from the greatest evil than to release another.” The greatest evil, Socrates next explains, is false opinion (δόξα ψευδής) concerning the subjects of the present conversation: “I believe there is no evil so great for a human being as false opinion about the things we are discussing right now.” (458a–b)

What things are Socrates and Gorgias discussing? Well, the conversation began as an inquiry into the nature of Gorgias’s professional occupation, the art of rhetoric. Through several turns of the dialectic, however, a broader subject opens up: What is just and what is unjust? Does the skilled speaker need actual knowledge of justice or merely the ability to persuade his audience that he knows? Does it matter whether the rhetorician himself is a just or unjust person?

Those questions can help us see why willingness to be refuted is of such foundational importance for Socrates. For the opposite of a style of conversation that upholds the value of being refuted is one that avoids being refuted at all costs. And therefore one that transforms honest and open inquiry for the sake of mutually beneficial moral truth into a contest for power

and domination—a contest between rival interlocutors whom the very terms of debate have rendered irreconcilable enemies.

And so, Socrates must assure Gorgias that mere victory, or victory over Gorgias, is not at all what he is after.

Most essential to the whole enterprise of Socratic conversation—the fundamental necessary condition for its operation and success—is a willingness to be refuted. Willingness may be too weak. For Socrates describes rather a positive delight or eagerness to be refuted—an eagerness grounded in the conviction that being refuted, in matters of moral truth, is a liberation from a great evil, even the greatest evil for a human being.2

1. Victoria Parker, “Conservatives and Liberals Are Wrong About Each Other,” The Atlantic https://tinyurl.com/2eh8s3vw

2. This essay can be read in its entirety at https://tinyurl.com/yc64y6b5

A graduate of the University of Virginia, Andrew Beer, Ph.D., is associate professor of classical and early Christian studies.

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.

LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY

TO STRENGTHEN THE FUTURE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION WHILE ALSO HELPING NEEDY STUDENTS TODAY

Participate in the Christendom College Legacy Challenge and join others to ensure the PRESENT and FUTURE of faithful education— free of federal funds.

The Christendom Legacy Challenge magnifies the impact of estate gifts by matching up to 10% of the value of the future gift with an immediate gift of financial aid—up to $25,000—to a qualified Christendom student!

You can participate through:

1. A Gift in Your Will/Trust

2. A Charitable Beneficiary Designation

3. A Charitable Gift Annuity

4. And/or More!

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 KENNEDY

Contact John F. Ciskanik, executive director of gift planning, at ciskanik@christendom.edu or 434-907-3063 for further information on how you can participate in the Legacy Challenge and magnify the value of your future donation with an immediate gift to support financial aid for a qualified Christendom student!