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.