THE NEXT CHAPTER
VOLUME 32 | NUMBER 2 | SUMMER 2024
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, Zach Smith, Julie Wells, Lianna Youngman
Contributors: Alessia Berardi, Vince Criste, Richard Hanley, George Harne, Sean Hilbert, R.J Matava, Zach Smith, Julie Wells, Lianna Youngman
Christendom College
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Copyright © 2024. 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.”
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inside this issue
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
ON THE COVER
The graduates of 2024 celebrate with a hat toss in front of Christ the King Chapel.
BETROTHAL SHRINE
The college recently completed work on the Betrothal Shrine, located within the college’s new Christ the King Chapel. The shrine features refurbished 100+ yearsold white oak panels and a set of hand-carved white oak columns and “scroll work,” with the columns clad in black walnut to match the layout and trim detail in the rest of the chapel.
CHRISTENDOM COLLEGE
An Interview with Dr. George Harne
President-Elect Dr. George Harne answers some introductory questions about his life, his family, and his interests.
A Counter-Cultural Education
Four Piroch siblings share the impact Christendom has had on their faith, their education, and their family.
All Glory, Laud, and Honor
The chapel’s newest addition and the story behind its development.
Commencement 2024
Professor Tracey Rowland and Archbishop Broglio joined graduates and their families to celebrate Christendom’s 45th commencement ceremonies.
Restless
Until They Rest in Thee
The journey of Karla Paulina Martinez ’24, from agnostic liberal activist to answering the call of religious life.
Our Hope for God’s Will in this World
Family shares devotion to St. Thérèse through stained glass window.
an excerpt from the president’s
FINAL CHARGE TO GRADUATES
DR.
TIMOTHY O’DONNELL
“ This education, which has been gifted to you, will require many things from you, including courage. ”
In Evelyn Waugh’s B rideshead r evisited , the main character, Charles Ryder, reflects on what he had been taught concerning Christianity. He says, “I had no religion. The view implicit in my education was that the basic narrative of Christianity had long been exposed as a myth. And that opinion was now divided as to whether its ethical teaching was of present value, a division which in the main weight went against it. Religion was a hobby that some people professed, and others did not.”
There is a severe crisis of faith in our world, which has led to an inability to see the natural order of things.
Much like the communists of our day, the Soviets of Russia were trying to create a new human being—one that would be free from religious superstition. When Pope John Paul the Great stood in Victory Square in Warsaw in 1979, on the eve of Pentecost, he cried out to a crowd of 270,000 of his countrymen: “The exclusion of Christ from the history of man is an act against man... And the history of each person unfolds in Jesus Christ.”
Upon hearing this, the crowd of 270,000 spontaneously interrupted him, and for 15 minutes, they chanted, “We want God. We want God.”
The Pope put his text down and allowed that to play out to the horror of the communist masters who were surrounding the entire proceeding at that time. They remembered their dignity.
G.K. Chesterton later echoed this call to remember the noble nature of the human person, writing, “At the back of our brains… [there is] a forgotten blaze or burst of astonishment at our own existence. The object of the artistic and spiritual life [is] to dig for this submerged sunrise of wonder; so that a man sitting in a chair might suddenly understand that he [is] actually alive, and be happy.”
Our contemporary world constantly seeks to hide this truth— the truth of our nature and the truth of our destiny. It offers us a conception of freedom that is really a crass pragmatic materialism— an enslavement to relativism that robs us of objective truth and our very souls. We would become, in the words of C.S Lewis, “men without chests.”
Your education here these past four years has grounded you in the truths of our holy Catholic faith and the truths of natural reason. This education, which has been gifted to you, will require many things from you, including courage. You might remember that in the Book of Esther, Mordecai stirs up courage in the heart of Queen Esther by saying, “You have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”
You can also recall the great Joan of Arc, who said, “I am not afraid, for God is with me. I was born for this.”
As Aristotle observed, courage is not recklessness but knowing what’s worth fearing and what’s worth pursuing. Following Aristotle’s insight, Josef Pieper says courage is “the willingness to sustain a wound for a noble cause.”
During the First World War, with its battles in the trenches, there was a soldier named Jim, whose best friend was a fellow soldier named John, and they were in the trenches together. John was ordered up out of the trench to assault the enemy in the first wave, the first Allied wave going against the Germans, and they entered into the face of savage machine gunfire. John and his entire line that went up were mowed down. Jim was still back in the trenches in the second line, and he saw his best friend go down. The slaughter was so bad that the officer in charge of the second line called off the second wave and said, “We’re not going to go.”
Jim told the sergeant, “I’ve got to help John; I’ve got to help him.” The sergeant responded, “It is a waste; it’s a complete waste. He’s dead, and you’re going to get yourself killed in trying to do that.”
But despite the sergeant’s words, Jim jumped out of the trench and ran into No Man’s Land. He found John. He actually picked up his friend, and while hastening back to the trench, a burst of machine gunfire raked his back, and he fell back into the trench, mortally wounded. His sergeant ran to him and said, “Your friend is dead, and now you’re dying.” And with tears,
he told Jim, “You wasted your life just like I told you, you’ve wasted your life.” And Jim, with tears in his eyes, said, “No, I did not waste my life. When I reached him, John was still alive. He was still alive, and he smiled when I got to him. Then he said, ‘Jim, I knew you would come for me.’”
The world’s judgments are deceptive. Someone you’ve come to know quite well during your time here at Christendom once said, “He who loses his life will find it.”
As you go forth from us here at Christendom College, my charge to you this day is to have the courage and the vision to waste your life. Yes, you heard me right. Waste your life for the sake of those God will place in your life. Waste your life for He who came so that we may have life and have it to the fullest. If you lose your life for Him and with His grace, if you lose your life and waste it, you will come to know who you are and what God expects you to be. And that, my dear students, is happiness in this life—and in the next.
So, my dear students, please know that our hearts and prayers will be with you as you depart from us today. I encourage you once more to waste your life.
Praised be Jesus Christ now and forever. God bless you all.
NEWS in BRIEF
WORD ON FIRE TO PUBLISH PROFESSOR’S BOOK
Philosophy professor Dr. Daniel McInerny is releasing his latest work this June, titled Beauty and Imitation: A Philosophical Reflection on the Arts. Published by Word on Fire, this philosophical work draws upon the thought of Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas to show the mimetic aspect of art and how art imitates the way human beings by nature quest for fulfillment, or happiness. The book is available for purchase on Word on Fire’s website and on Amazon.com.
ANNUAL MYSTERY DINNER THEATER SUCCESS
In April, Christendom’s Class of 2024 presented the college’s annual Mystery Dinner Theater, titled “The Murder at the Mudboot: The Untold Story of a SecondRate Sleuth!” Performed over three evenings, the show was a massive hit with audiences, successfully raising nearly $10,000—a Mystery Dinner Theater record—for the annual senior class gift. These funds will ultimately go towards a new Marian statue for the planned expansion of the Madonna Hall faculty offices.
GOVERNOR CONGRATULATES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin sent Christendom College’s women’s basketball team a letter on May 3, congratulating them on their USCAA National Championship title. Governor Youngkin praised the team’s accomplishments in the letter, ultimately thanking them for “strengthening the Spirit of Virginia” through their victory. Governor Youngkin’s congratulations came in addition to Congressman Ben Cline, who represents Christendom’s district, congratulating the team on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives as well. The team was also congratulated by Mayor Lori Cockrell of Christendom’s hometown of Front Royal, Virginia, on March 26, with a proclamation read to honor them on this historic accomplishment.
2024 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Henry Davidson, Therese Lagarde, and Bridget Haselbarth were named the winners of Christendom’s 2024 Padre Pio Full-Tuition Scholarship Competition. 101 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 runner-up scholarships to Perpetua Phelps, Alexander Cohen, Trista Cridler, Bruno Kouatly, and Richard Whitfield. All participants who did not receive the full-tuition or runner-up scholarship received a $1,000 competitors’ scholarship. The college looks forward to welcoming these exceptional scholars to campus in August, along with the rest of the Class of 2028, where they will learn the Truth, live the Faith, and thrive.
TRANSLATION OF AQUINAS’ SUMMA RELEASED
Professor Emeritus Dr. William Marshner’s eagerly anticipated translation of Cardinal Cajetan’s Commentary on St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae: Prima Pars was released in April, with the translation available in three separate free-standing volumes. Marshner’s translation is the first time Cajetan’s commentary has been translated in its entirety, making its release a significant moment in the history of the Catholic Church.
CARDINAL BURKE JOINS THEOLOGIANS AT SYMPOSIUM
Christendom’s Graduate School of Theology held its first academic symposium in April, with Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke celebrating Mass for attendees and offering the keynote address for the symposium. The Graduate School’s Trinity Symposium brought scholars and professionals together on Christendom’s campus, where they explored the relevance of Trinitarian faith to every academic discipline and its intersection with every aspect of human life. Over the course of the day, attendees heard presentations on the relevance of Trinitarian doctrine and faith, highlighting their significance for thought and action, and for the Christian life in general. Watch the presentations from the symposium at graduate.christendom.edu/trinity-symposium.
AN INTERVIEW WITH
DR. GEORGE HARNE
On July 1, 2024, Dr. George Harne takes over as Christendom College’s fourth president. With an impressive academic background and a strong commitment to the liberal arts, Dr. Harne has demonstrated exemplary leadership and vision throughout his career. As we embark on this exciting new chapter, we are eager to learn more about him, his aspirations for the college, his insights into the evolving landscape of higher education, and his plans to uphold and enhance Christendom’s vibrant Catholic academic community.
Christendom College champions a Catholic liberal arts education surrounded by a culture that reflects what is learned in the classroom. How do you plan to ensure this tradition continues to thrive?
As a musician, I tend to think in terms of musical structures. A vibrant, faithful, intellectually rich Christendom College will be a lot like a great symphony orchestra. In an orchestra, each section of instruments plays its proper role and is prepared to perform at the highest professional standards. But each section must contribute its part to the overall creation of a single composition, listening to and blending with the other sections to form a dynamic and harmonious unity. Some sections play the melody while others play the supporting—but absolutely essential—harmony. And of course, the conductor has a role to play.
In order for the College’s tradition of integrating its intellectual and cultural dimensions to continue to thrive, all the elements of the College will need to continue to be “in tune” and in harmony. This analogy can be applied to the different types of formation that the College offers. We form our students intellectually, spiritually, and socially. And our formation is deep, sustained, and integrated, one that distinguishes Christendom College alumni from those of every other college. Ultimately,
Christendom will fulfill its mission best when its parts are in a hierarchical harmony, animated by fidelity and charity, and ordered to their proper end. This is the best way to ensure that this tradition continues.
In a 1991 newspaper interview, college founder Dr. Warren Carroll said, “We were founding a Catholic college and had no doubt what that meant.” How do you envision maintaining and furthering the college's commitment to Catholic identity and academic excellence? And how will these commitments inform the college’s mission?
There are three touchstones to which we must be constantly returning. First, there is the particular founding vision of Christendom College—its particular DNA—and the organic and historical development of that founding vision. Since every truly important founding is complex and an inexhaustible source of reflection, we must keep the founding vision constantly in view but not in a superficial way. We must not let it become a cliché. Instead, we must ever seek to deepen our understanding, teasing out the nuances and clarifying the distinctions, sifting to discover what is essential and what is accidental. And it is often the case that one part of the founding vision must be emphasized more at a given historical moment than another.
Second, there is the specific nature that belongs to all Catholic colleges and universities worthy of that name. With this touchstone we will look to magisterial teaching about Catholic higher education—Fides et ratio, Ex corde ecclesiae, and Benedict XVI’s address at the Catholic University of America in 2008. We will also look to the writings of Josef Pieper, Cardinal Newman, and the writings of others who have reflected deeply on the nature of Catholic higher education. This touchstone will include the full range of ancient and medieval wisdom as well. We must never stop reflecting on these sources. All of these thinkers can help us clarify the specific nature of Christendom College.
And third, we will look with charity to the needs and opportunities of our present age. We must first clarify these needs and opportunities through dialogue with those who are wise about such matters. My hope is that over the next year we can engage a wide variety of Catholic friends and leaders across the nation in this dialogue. We will listen to alumni, friends of the college, faithful leaders in the Church and society, and enlarge the conversation to include many others. And through these efforts we will determine how Christendom can set the pace and lead with courage and prudence where such opportunities present themselves. The perennial truths have not changed but our world has changed.
At the same time, however, this leadership cannot become degraded into a kind of restless activism that wears away the contemplative foundation that must be at the heart of all that we do. Martha’s work was essential, but Mary chose the better part.
I believe that Christendom can—if we remain true to our particular founding, our specific nature, and see the present moment with absolute clarity—become the place to which thoughtful people from across our nation (and beyond) will look for wisdom and direction. Christendom can become the source that illuminates, nourishes, guides, and challenges those who will shape our future. And Christendom alumni will take this light and wisdom to the four corners of the globe, wherever God may call them. And once there, they will do the work God has called them to do.
Finally, just as there can be no place for institutional infidelity, we also must strive to give no place to mediocrity, either in our academic life or in any other dimension of our work. We are called to be good stewards of the full patrimony of the Catholic intellectual tradition and to be nourished by the liturgical, spiritual, and cultural treasures of the Church and historic Christendom.
Can you share your vision for Christendom College's role in shaping future leaders within the Church and society?
In a nutshell, we were founded to “form and send.” Each of these verbs contains a multiplicity of activities and possibilities. And there are the particular ways that Christendom forms and sends her students. It is not a cookie-cutter or reductive approach.
The formation we offer encompasses both the intellectual and moral virtues. And as a college we give a particular accent to the intellectual virtues. I am fond of the image—attributed to Newman—of the experience of liberal education being like a man who lives in a town near a high mountain. He has grown up in the town and knows it like the back of his hand. But one day he climbs the mountain and comes to see not only the town in a new way—as a whole and from above—but also within the much broader context, catching sight of other towns and even other mountains. But it does not end there. After he returns to his town, his vision is forever changed. His view of the part is forever mediated by his integrated view of the whole. And his vision is marked by humility. For while he may now have an integrated and expansive vision, he also knows how limited his previous vision had been and how much more he still has to learn. Forming such a vision in the heart and mind of each Christendom student is central to shaping future leaders for the Church and society.
But the intellectual virtues are not enough. Cardinal Newman understood very well that liberal learning was not sufficient to shape the will and character of students. And it is here that the other types of formation become central. Christendom’s rich Catholic culture must continue to be born anew each day from prayer and the liturgy, be constantly ordered to the sacraments, and continue to develop in accord with the Church’s two thousand years of experience in forming its people.
And with all of this, we are only beginning. If we do our work well, our alumni will undertake their own formation over the course of their lives.
But when we form our students we must also send them. If “Christendom” can be considered any place where Christ is honored as king, our students will not only seek to order their own lives and the lives of their families around Christ but will also seek to extend Christ’s reign in their parishes, communities, and the places where they work professionally.
How can Christendom send its students in order to fulfill its founding mission?
Two ways immediately come to mind: through partnerships and pathways. Every year, new initiatives within the ecclesial, non-profit, and professional worlds emerge with which Chris-
Christendom’s rich Catholic culture must continue to be born anew each day from prayer and the liturgy, be constantly ordered to the sacraments, and continue to develop in accord with the Church’s two thousand years of experience in forming its people.
tendom could become a partner, collaborating as an institution to further the College’s mission while building up the common good. And through such partnerships—formal and informal—we can create pathways for our graduates. Most of our alumni will serve faithfully and heroically in places that are more hidden, just offstage, and out of the limelight. They will be salt and light, fulfilling their vocations without public fanfare. But others will have more public roles and make decisive and pivotal decisions that will redirect the fundamental currents that shape our lives over the course of generations. Are there Christendom graduates serving and leading in the public sector at every level of government? Are there Christendom graduates creating and shaping media and popular culture? Are there Christendom graduates in the pivotal fields in higher education? And are Christendom graduates founding and leading the companies that will shape our economic future in ways that are fitting for human flourishing? Yes, we have made a beginning in sending our graduates into these places, but more can be done. We cannot give up on these institutions of media, government, higher education, and economic life. We must renew them by sending those whom we have formed.
What
excites you most about leading Christendom College?
Above all, the people. I am thrilled to do everything in my power to advance the mission of the college within a community of students, scholars, administrators, staff, and trustees who love the Church and love the Catholic intellectual tradition. The people are what make Christendom the very best place one could hope it to be.
How has your conversion to Catholicism impacted your approach to education?
When my wife and I converted to Catholicism, everything changed. It was a spiritual conversion but also an intellectual one.
Every aspect of our lives changed, and new sources of meaning, practices, perspectives, and even new foods became central to our lives. Before our conversion, my approach to education was largely a crazy quilt of ideas that I had discovered or received from my academic training. Entering the Church and discovering the intellectual riches of the Catholic intellectual tradition redefined every aspect. I learned to think in terms of natures and ends both with respect to students but also institutions. But I also developed a recognition of the mystery at the heart of teaching, learning, and scholarship. And I came to see—thanks to Newman—the activities of the scholar and teacher in a completely new light. I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of the tradition and one lifetime will not be enough even to begin to enter into it.
What is your favorite book and what’s on your nightstand now?
I return to Dante and the Divine Comedy almost every year. I do have a daughter named Beatrice, after all. My wife and I have an almost three-decade long dispute about whether Thomas Mann’s greatest novel is Doctor Faustus or Magic Mountain. (I am a partisan of the former.) My nightstand is creaking under the weight of a large stack of books. Among them are Pierre Manent’s Metamorphoses of the City, the annotated edition of Lewis’ Pilgrim’s Regress, Christopher Shannon’s American Pilgrimage, Gilson’s Dante and Philosophy, and Leon Bloy’s The Woman Who was Poor.
What is your favorite film?
This is a tough one. I have several favorites. In graduate school I watched everything I could by Kurosawa, Bergman, and Fellini. And I’ve always been interested in the earliest years of film when there was such a fruitful exchange between filmmakers such as Jean Cocteau and Sergei Eisenstein and composers such as Elliot Carter. But I keep returning to On the Waterfront, which is great in so many ways, and as a musician I’m particularly fond of Bernstein’s soundtrack. Among the work of more recent filmmakers, I’ve enjoyed Terrence Mallick’s Tree of Life and A Hidden Life More recently we watched Interstellar with my older kids. It is also one of my favorites.
Your background is in music and music history. Can you recommend any composers or pieces that should be on everyone’s playlists?
I always enjoy introducing students to the American art-music tradition, especially the music of Aaron Copland, the early works of Elliot Carter, and the music of Samuel Barber. As a kid I discovered Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, and Billy the Kid. But I find his chamber music, especially the Piano Variations, Sextet,
and Violin Sonata to be perennially rewarding. As a medievalist, I never tire of the music of Machaut, Ciconia, and Dufay.
What individuals have had the greatest influence on your personal and professional journey?
I have learned the most from my wife, but I have also been shaped by my teachers and friends. And I’ve learned so much from my children. I thought that I would be one of the primary teachers in our family, but it turns out that I’ve also been one of the primary students.
Above: Dr. Harne and his family (L-R: children Elliot, Abigail, Beatrice, Sophia, and Lillian, with his wife Debbie). Below: Dr. Harne converses with Dr. O’Donnell during a meeting in the presidential office. You can visit christendom.edu/harne to watch videos and learn more about Dr. George Harne.
A Counter-Cultural
WHY THE PIROCHS AND OTHER FAMILIES CHOOSE CHRISTENDOM
BY ZACH SMITH
“How can you attend college and not lose your faith?” One look at the news is all it takes to see that this question only becomes more relevant with each passing day. According to a survey performed by Barna Research in 2018, roughly 70% of high school students who enter college as professing Christians will leave with little to no faith—a distressing statistic, and one that plagues faithful Catholic families across the country.
The Piroch family, like so many others, saw these statistics and desired better for their own children. After homeschooling each of them, they wanted their children to continue to thrive academically in college, while also keeping their Catholic faith intact. After years of searching, beginning with their oldest child, Theresa ‘21, they found what they were looking for at Christendom—a school that was academically demanding and deeply, authentically Catholic. Sibling after sibling followed in Theresa’s footsteps, resulting in four Pirochs enrolling concurrently during the 2023-24 academic year.
Enrolling five students in college, including four at the same time, is a momentous decision. But it’s one that the Pirochs would make over and over again.
Education
Christendom succeeds where many fail by marrying a fervor for the truth with a focus upon the needs of the individual student. The small student body plays a massive role in this aspect. Unlike most college students, I recognize all my classmates, and know almost all of them.
DEVELOPING THE WHOLE PERSON
This past year, siblings Joseph ’24, Maura ’25, Anastasia ’26, and Lauren ’27 all studied together at Christendom. There were many blessings born from that reality, ranging from support, to encouragement, to love. Even more so, each was able to witness their siblings growing both academically and spiritually, thanks to studying in an environment that runs counter-culturally to what is currently found on college campuses.
“I don’t think young people today realize how much college has an impact on their formation,” says Maura. “For many, it is simply a degree-machine and so the school you choose doesn’t really matter, as long as it advances your career. The problem is that the teenager’s mind is so impressionable that secular schools can form your intellect to think against your faith, most times without you even knowing it. Christendom is different in that it offers a full education and steps to a successful career, but from a Catholic viewpoint. The whole person is developed at Christendom, both academically and spiritually. It is since coming to Christendom that I began to attend daily Mass, frequented the Sacraments and spiritual direction, and have been able to foster a prayer life—and not at the expense of my
academics or social life. The fabric of Christendom is woven with the threads of religion so that the college experience itself is inseparable with Christ. I am forever thankful for such a counter-cultural education as it has kept my siblings and myself fervent and faithful Catholics.”
Joseph, who recently graduated with the Class of 2024, also saw the college’s spiritual life, in addition to the intentionally smaller student body size, as a huge draw. For him, the “camaraderie that accompanies this environment provides a positive peer pressure to stay true to Christ.”
“The statistics regarding the importance of collegiate formation in spiritual life speak for themselves,” says Joseph. “Christendom succeeds where many fail by marrying a fervor for the truth with a focus upon the needs of the individual student. The small student body plays a massive role in this aspect. Unlike most college students, I recognize all my classmates, and know almost all of them.”
For Anastasia, who was a sophomore this past year, the opportunity for an education that would form her not only academically and socially but, above all, spiritually was enough to convince her to follow in her siblings’ footsteps. Getting to attend at the same time as Joseph, Maura, and then Lauren this past year as well was a happy bonus.
Joseph Piroch ’24.
“I have been fortunate enough to attend Christendom with three of my siblings, which has been such a blessing,” relates Anastasia. “A lot could be said about our shared experience, but perhaps the most notable is our ability to communicate and share our Faith. At home or at school, all of us continue to pray and attend Mass together, talk about our Faith, and pass it on to those around us.”
Anastasia further notes that this situation is not at all uncommon in Christendom circles. Why? Because the Pirochs are not the only large family to send multiple children to the college at the same time.
“Big Catholic families continue to send child after child to this school,” says Anastasia. “Why? No other school can match the true Catholic formation and Christian culture that Christendom fosters. Large families like my own continue to return after seeing both significant academic growth and spiritual flourishing in their children. On top of this, parents recognize that all students at Christendom share the same base values and, consequently, their children are being immersed in an incredibly faithful culture and are enabled to form beautiful, long-lasting friendships.”
A FAMILY EXTENDED
When Christendom was first founded in 1977, the decision was made to keep the student body size intentionally small in order to foster close connections between the students, faculty, and staff. This choice has resulted in a familial atmosphere at the college—one only increased by the number of families with multiple siblings attending the college at the same time.
During the 2023-24 academic year, the Pirochs were one of eleven families with three or more children enrolled at Christendom concurrently, including the Sullivans, Altmanshofers, Byers, Eviches, Colemans, O’Haras, Schaus, Simpsons, Twyfords, and Bellevilles. Sending multiple children at the same time can seem daunting, especially financially. According to Piroch parents Joe and Christen, this decision was more than worth it for their children, however.
“This year, we had a senior, junior, sophomore, and freshman at Christendom—all at the same time,” says Christen. “People ask us how we do it. Admittedly, it has been a sacrifice, but we know the worth of a superior education from an orthodox Catholic school. We wanted that for our children, and God made it possible.”
The Pirochs, like many other families, took advantage of Christendom’s many financial aid opportunities, including the Padre Pio Full-Tuition Scholarship Competition and the college’s sibling discount.
The college, by aiming to form every aspect of the person, has enabled me to think critically and meld to whatever situation I am placed in, an essential skill for any career path which most now lack.
Anastasia Piroch ’26.
“Don’t let the sticker price scare you away,” says Joe. “Unlike many schools, Christendom offers both financial need scholarships and merit scholarships. We’ve graduated two children from Christendom so far, and several more will follow.”
LEARNING THE TRUTH AND LIVING THE FAITH
Since arriving at Christendom, each of the Pirochs have actively participated both in the classroom and outside of it, taking advantage of all that Christendom has to offer. Joseph played on the college’s varsity baseball team, served as Student Body Vice President his senior year, and participated in the college’s Chester Belloc Debate Society. Both Maura and Anastasia have served as resident assistants, as baristas at the college’s Sacred Grounds Coffee Shop, and have participated in clubs like Swing ‘n Sundaes. Lauren, meanwhile, is a part of one of the college’s Strongholds—student-run groups for male and female students to grow in virtue and support each other spiritually.
Lauren believes that, since arriving at the college and participating in one of these groups, her spiritual life has grown exponentially—just as her family always hoped.
“The Christendom community has been extremely welcoming and helpful in my personal and spiritual growth,” says Lauren. “I genuinely believe it is the Christocentric nature of campus. The importance of strengthening your faith before being fully immersed in society is so extremely important, and Christendom College is the perfect platform for that. My experiences with community college have made the differences even more stark,
as without a Christian basis to your education, everything that flows from day-to-day life is affected.”
Each of the Pirochs has big plans for after college as well, believing that the college’s Catholic liberal arts education has prepared them for future success. Joseph has already accepted an IT job with an Air Force contractor for this summer, before he attends Ohio State University to pursue a Master’s degree in computer science and engineering. Anastasia and Lauren both intend on pursuing careers in medicine, thanks to taking necessary prerequisites at Christendom, while Maura is hoping to pursue missionary work and then perhaps a career in forensic anatomy.
“Although I was constantly assured that Christendom’s education would prepare me for any future I decided upon, I never truly understood or believed that to be possible until I showed up,” says Anastasia. “And yet, the college, by aiming to form every aspect of the person, has enabled me to think critically and meld to whatever situation I am placed in, an essential skill for any career path which most now lack. In sum, I am incredibly pleased with the Christendom education and its permeation in every aspect of my life.”
PREPARED FOR THIS LIFE AND THE NEXT
How can you attend college and not lose your faith? The Pirochs found this answer at Christendom, with each of their children thriving at the school since arriving. For this, the Pirochs are deeply thankful.
“We express our deep gratitude to the generous benefactors at Christendom and elsewhere who have made this education a reality for our children,” says Christen. “It is a pearl of great price, and our children will be forever grateful.”
The Pirochs, like many families before them, wanted more from their college experience than just a degree and a path to a successful career. They wanted an education that would help them grow in their Catholic faith, while at the same time preparing them to strive for greatness and achieve success in whatever vocation God has called them to fulfill. The five Piroch siblings that have attended thus far are proof that getting a faithful, rigorous Catholic education is possible and affordable, thanks to the college’s sibling discount and other financial aid offerings.
At campuses across the country, students may be losing their faith. At Christendom, students are working hard, conversely, to instead increase their faith, preparing them for success in this life—and the next.
In addition to studying on campus together at the same time as siblings, the four Pirochs are also proud aunts and uncles to their sister Theresa’s two children. They are joined by students Mark and Rachel Cermak as aunts and uncles of the two children — one of the first times that six aunts and uncles have all been enrolled concurrently.
I genuinely believe it is the Christocentric nature of campus. The importance of strengthening your faith before being fully immersed in society is so extremely important, and Christendom College is the perfect platform for that.
The whole person is developed at Christendom, both academically and spiritually. It is since coming to Christendom that I began to attend daily Mass, frequented the Sacraments and spiritual direction, and have been able to foster a prayer life—and not at the expense of my academics or social life.
Lauren Piroch ’27.
Maura Piroch ’25.
GLORY All and
LAUD HO N OR
BY JULIE WELLS AND PAT HAGGERTY
If you travel across the Atlantic to visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, you will find the famous botafumeiro—a large, silver-plated brass thurible, or censer, used for centuries to the delight and awe of pilgrims and faithful. It is hung from a pulley high above the crossing tower of the cathedral and on special occasions swung across the Sanctuary by eight men pulling the other end of the rope. This historic practice of reverencing Christ the King with such beauty and grandeur inspired the Christendom community, and, thanks to God’s grace, talented craftsmen, and generous donors, the traditional structure has made its way across the pond—the college’s very own botafumeiro now residing in Christ the King Chapel in the Shenandoah Valley.
From top left, clockwise: Silversmith Emilio León in his workshop in Cordoba, Spain; Emilio León explains his process and passion for his work in an exclusive interview; A close-up view of one of the silver lion gargoyles positioned around the basin of the thurible; A group of senior men volunteered to help test the initial swinging of the botafumeiro in the chapel; Pat Haggerty, Project Manager and Architect for Christ the King Chapel, assist seniors John Paul Vander Woude and Alex Evans in lifting the lid to fill the thurible with incense; The first time the thurible is tested in the chapel on April 23, 2024; A close-up view of the base of the thurible, etched with the college seal.
‘Our prayer is an incense which God receives with pleasure.’
–St. John Vianney; Catechism on Prayer
Several challenges presented themselves for this unique chapel project. The first was locating someone with the talent to create a thurible of such a large size that would be a worthy cousin of the Santiago piece. Artist and college alumna, the late Mandy Hain, suggested speaking with Heritage Liturgical. Led by Enzo Selvaggi, Heritage specializes in designing and crafting fine liturgical furnishings for churches nationwide. In addition to the Christendom botafumeiro, Heritage Liturgical provided art direction for the Pietà sculpture and the bronze Christ the King sculpture in the chapel piazza.
In the fall of 2021, the college began working with Heritage on the design which originally resembled the Santiago censer. Later, a far more ambitious—and larger—Gothic-styled design was proposed in keeping with the style of the new chapel. Heritage presented renowned silversmith Emilio León, based in Cordoba, Spain, to execute the design finalized by Enzo Selvaggi and the Christendom team. Interestingly, León had taken part in the restoration of the original Santiago thurible in years past. Maestro León took on the laborious process of working the metal—modeling, sculpting, turning, and chiseling—that would take nearly two years to complete.
Emilio León’s life is marked by the love of his craft. Early in his life, the fellow members of his Cordoban confraternity tasked him with safekeeping the gold and silver pieces unveiled during special Holy Week processions. The elaborate craftsmanship of these pieces inspired a young Emilio, and he felt the calling to create more pieces like them for the Church. He pursued gold and silver smithing classes in Cordoba to master the trade.
León’s work philosophy is centered on the quality of the finished product. He says he strives to do great things, “never with any airs, rather, simply because the work is well done, both mine and my team’s. And every day, that’s the battle [...] for the value of the work itself.”
The college thurible shares some common traits with its Spanish inspiration, including a large brass basin sitting on a pedestal or “foot” that will contain the charcoal and incense. Above the bowl rests a unique, eight-sided lid presenting as a Gothic-styled architectural cupola. Four structural chains are attached to gargoyle lion heads around the bowl, passing through standoff loops at the lid and terminating several feet above at an ornamental cap piece affectionately called a sombrero. A welded steel frame inside the bowl and the cap provides the necessary structural support to withstand the gravitational forces that triple the thurible’s 180 pounds when
weighed at full swing. All the intricate details over the surface were hand-chased or embossed, including various arches, trefoils, and tiled roofing. The base of the foot, only viewable from below, is engraved with the college seal. The entire structure was finished by plating in a silver bath.
The second major hurdle was designing the support, rigging, and specialized pulley system to make the thurible swing. The chapel architects, O’Brien & Keane, proposed the initial concept of a fixed pulley supported midway up in the crossing tower, suspended above the main chapel sanctuary. Because the whole system is not a permanent part of the chapel and needs to be installed and removed after use, this added another layer of complexity to the process.
Structural engineer John Stevenson of Morrison Engineers joined the team to provide system and loading support design. Additionally, former Disney Imagineer Jason Davis was brought on board to manage the design and fabrication of the specialized pulley system, a massive 2-inch diameter rope, and certified rigging cabling. Local steel fabricator Albert Andersen of Greenway Welding produced the steel A-frame structure that holds a twoton chain hoist located at the top of the crossing tower.
A full-size wooden mockup was created for testing purposes, and initial support structures and rigging were installed in March 2023. The botafumeiro was shipped from Spain and arrived on campus in February 2024 after nearly two years of work. In April, the college conducted extensive testing using the botafumeiro and all pieces worked as designed. A guild of students has been formed for the purpose of swinging the thurible, and a group of seniors was able to assist in the testing.
The botafumeiro will be used on special occasions, tied in with Vespers and other liturgical functions, though not during Mass. When swung, the piece will be used to offer to God a holy incense and bring to mind the words of Revelation 8:3-4: “And another angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he might offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne. And with the prayers of the saints, there went up before God from the angel’s hand the smoke of the incense.”
READY FOR
THE NEXT CHAPTER
COMMENCEMENT 2024
BY ZACH SMITH
Commencement is bittersweet. There is much to celebrate, yes. Countless hours spent working, studying, and preparing for life after graduation, all culminating in a single moment as a tassel goes from the right to the left. And yet, there is a profound sadness that tinges this moment as well. The graduates of Christendom’s Class of 2024 spent four significant years growing together, beginning in the days of a pandemic that tested them greatly and ending on a beautiful summer day, surrounded by their loved ones.
After these life-changing years spent studying and praying together, each member of the Class of 2024 was forced to say something enormously difficult: farewell. But the graduates were not alone in this. 2024’s Commencement also marked a farewell for Christendom’s longest-serving president, Dr. Timothy O’Donnell. After over 30 years of service, he joined graduates on the commencement stage, walking across it for the last time as president.
Bittersweet might be an understatement when describing all this. But this year’s commencement also served as an exclamation point, not only to the end of the Class of 2024’s remarkable time on campus, but to Dr. O’Donnell’s nearly 32 years of humble service to Christendom College.
The weekend began on Friday, May 10, with the Baccalaureate Mass in Christendom’s Christ the King Chapel. College chaplain Fr. Marcus Pollard offered the homily, providing the soon-to-be graduates with sound advice on how to remain close to Christ as they leave the college.
“Yes, you will have negative experiences and, yes, you will be hurt,” said Fr. Pollard. “But, if you can take the hit and come back, you will be able to recover from whatever comes at you. Ask for the grace to have more realistic expectations, focus on the relationships you have, and be realistic about what you can control, because there you can have the peace and the confidence the Lord wants you to have. I ask you to pray that, whatever you need, your mind and heart be given that. Not only for your benefit, but for the benefit of us all.”
Following the Mass, graduates and their families retreated to nearby Shenandoah Valley Golf Club, which overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains that surround Christendom. There, parents of the Class of 2024 shared cocktails and dinner with the college’s faculty and staff, while the soon-to-be graduates celebrated with each other on their final night as Christendom students.
The Diocese of Arlington’s Bishop Michael Burbidge joined the graduates for the dinner as well, taking the opportunity to praise and thank O’Donnell for his sacrifices, his love for the college, and for the incredible legacy he leaves behind.
“Dr. O’Donnell, thank you for your many years of service to this college,” said Bishop Burbidge. “Your reputation in the Church in the United States is very well known. Upon arriving here in the Diocese of Arlington, I knew immediately what a treasure this diocese has in Christendom College. Dr. O’Donnell, you have built upon this tremendous foundation given to you, and you have brought this college to where we are today, and we have a bright and promising future because of you. We will honor you by building upon the great work you have done here.”
Toasts punctuated the rest of the evening, with O’Donnell, Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Greg Townsend, Senior Class President Thomas Yee, and Student Body President Meg Williamson all raising their glasses to the parents, the student body, and the college’s faculty and staff.
The next morning, the Class of 2024 gathered one last time to make their way to St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium. Processing from Old Chapel Hall, they walked purposefully into their commencement ceremonies, ready to take their first steps into the larger world.
Top: Students at the Baccalaureate Mass. Middle: Graduates process out of the Baccalaureate Mass. Bottom: Maria Simon and her parents at the baccalaureate dinner.
Top: Bishop Burbidge, Senior Class President Thomas Yee, and Student Body President Meg Williamson deliver addresses at the baccalaureate reception. Middle Left: Halyna Charba (left) and Regina Swope (right). Middle Right: President Timothy O’Donnell presents Honorary Doctorate to Commencement Speaker Dr. Tracey Rowland. Bottom: Graduates show their excitement before the procession. Bottom Right: Uncle and Nephew Sam Wright (left) and Hugh Wingate (right) prepare to graduate together.
Top: Meg Meehan celebrates with her parents.
Center: Professor Sharon Hickson congratualtes John Paul Vander Woude. Right: Elizabeth Jensen celebrates the moment. Middle: Sarah Hicks in the procession.
Bottom: Recently engaged, Liliana Speier and Peter Ethridge.
Once inside St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium, salutatorian Aidan Moorehouse welcomed the hundreds of guests present to this year’s commencement exercises, offering thanks for all that the Class of 2024 received during their four years at Christendom.
“We have sought truth and been freed by that truth and come to understand in our very selves just a little more of what it means to live in the freedom of the children of God,” said Moorehouse. “If you want an example of the transformative power of a liberal arts education given to the service of Christ, I would look no further than the faculty and staff of Christendom College. To guide someone on the path to freedom is no small thing, and you have given yourselves entirely to that global mission. At this time, I would especially like to thank Dr. O’Donnell for his decades of tireless devotion to Christendom College. The monumental grandeur of the new Christ the King Chapel is a fitting legacy only surpassed by the zeal for Christ which you have kindled in countless hearts. And so, in gratitude for an education which has freed us and profoundly thankful for all those faculty, family, and friends who made this day possible, we rejoice.”
Following Moorehouse’s welcome, O’Donnell awarded the college’s Pro Deo et Patria Award for Service to God and Country to Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese of the Military Services. Archbishop Broglio then delivered remarks to the Class of 2024, encouraging them to go out and restore the world in Christ.
“You have heard the sound of the great classics, the unchangeable moral virtues, and the Gospel mandate,” said Archbishop Broglio. “You have worshipped in a magnificent church. Reassure us about the future. Do not waste time whining about the state of the world. Go out and make a difference. You have the keys to greatness. You have been taught how to think…The world is waiting for you. Congratulations and God bless you always.”
At the conclusion of Archbishop Broglio’s address, O’Donnell awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters to this year’s commencement speaker, Professor Tracey Rowland, the
St. John Paul II Chair of Theology for the University of Notre Dame Australia. To begin her commencement address, Rowland praised the graduates for choosing to undertake the great adventure of a Christendom education, rather than be limited by the secular worldview found throughout much of the world today.
“Since you are now graduates of Christendom College, this means that you are not the kind of people whose cultural horizons are limited by whatever is fashionable in Hollywood,” said Rowland. “You will understand that a Catholic culture is built upon truth and goodness and beauty, not woke ideology, virtue signaling, self-promotion or narcissistic glamor. The late Father Benedict Groeschel argued that each of us tends to have a primary attraction to one of the three transcendental properties of being. For some people, it is truth, for others, goodness, and for others, beauty. We should aspire to be interested in all three.”
Rowland spoke at length about the issues currently facing the world, comparing them to those found in the Fifth Century. Rather than be discouraged by the darkness, Rowland claimed that graduates have been well equipped to not only make a difference in today’s world but be well prepared for life in the next as well.
“When I asked myself the question, why did Christ not complete the defeat of Lucifer on the cross, why did He leave us with a certain amount of fighting still to be done? The only answer I can give is that He wants us to enjoy friendship with Him in heaven, and this would not be possible if we had not played at least a small role in the battle,” said Rowland. “I think that Christ is allowing us to do some of the mopping up work so that when we meet Him in Heaven, we can meet as fellow veterans…So, my final piece of advice is to hold firm to the faith of Christian centuries. Don’t be intimidated, and make lots of friends along the way. They will be standing with you shoulder to shoulder in the battles that lie ahead.”
After the address, Director of Alumni Relations Vince Criste presented the Student Achievement Award to John Paul Vander Woude in recognition for his many outstanding contributions to the college community. Throughout his four years, Vander Woude was an inspiration on campus, serving as head resident assistant, head counselor of the college’s Best Week Ever high school summer program, captain of the men’s basketball team, and much more. He 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 delivering of degrees, valedictorian Ambrose Cavalier provided the farewell address for the Class of 2024.
Reassure us about the future. Do not waste time whining about the state of the world. Go out and make a difference. You have the keys to greatness. You have been taught how to think…The world is waiting for you.
-Archbishop Broglio
Above: Valedictorian Ambrose Cavalier (left) and Salutatorian Aidan Moorehouse (right) speak to their classmates. Below: Archbishop Broglio delivers address to graduates.
Director of Alumni Relations Vince Criste presents the Student Achievement Award to John Paul Vander Woude.
Whatever happens after we leave this campus, whether we meet again in this veil of tears or whether we only meet at the gates of our heavenly homeland, whether the world returns to sanity or whether the world slips again into chaos, I know, O Class of 2024, that the darkness of this life will be but a flicker preceding the light that shall never cease.
-Ambrose Cavalier, Valedictorian
Cavalier offered a touching tribute to his class, embracing the bittersweetness of the day while directing his fellow classmates towards the greatness that lies ahead.
“We can be assured that the immeasurable greatness of the Beatific Vision is offered equally to those who are visible and to those who are hidden, to those who lived under Christendom and to those who live now under secularism,” said Cavalier. “This is the greatness towards which we step today. This is the greatness which we will begin to experience in our lifetimes and the greatness we will experience only fully in heaven. This is the greatness which will surpass everything we have known in these four years and everything we have ever desired. Whatever happens after we leave this campus, whether we meet again in this veil of tears or whether we only meet at the gates of our heavenly homeland, whether the world returns to sanity or whether the world slips again into chaos, I know, O Class of 2024, that the darkness of this life will be but a flicker preceding the light that shall never cease. And, although I say with a pang of sadness, goodbye, I’m not troubled overmuch. For I know, O Class of 2024, I know that I shall see you in an instant.”
Closing the Commencement Ceremonies on Saturday, College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell delivered his final charge ever to the graduates.
Only a few moments later, the Class of 2024 looked up towards Heaven, watching as their caps and tassels rained down on them. Commencement was now over — a chapter of their lives at last complete.
Each member of the Class of 2024 took a moment to bid that hardest of words to each other: farewell. Over the course
of four years, the graduates grew extraordinarily close in a way only possible at a place like Christendom, where the size is kept intentionally small enough to allow — and encourage — these tight-knit friendships. While they bid farewell, they did so with the knowledge that their goodbyes would not be permanent — not the final word. Each member of the Class of 2024 came to Christendom united in a shared Faith. That shared Faith will bring them together again.
Christendom’s 2024 Commencement was indeed bittersweet, as the college bid goodbye to not only the 126 members of the Class of 2024, but to the presidency of O’Donnell as well. There was much to feel sad about — but even more to be grateful for and rejoice in.
Four years of time spent in the shared pursuit of the kind of greatness that can only be found in Christ. Over 32 years spent preparing students to go out and impact the world for the better. The shared completion of these chapters for the Class of 2024 and Dr. Timothy O’Donnell are a cause for gladness — and a poignant reminder that, while this chapter is complete, the journey of Christendom is far from over. The next chapter must now begin, as the hard, joy-filled work of generations past continues on, united in the mission of “restoring all things in Christ,” now and forever.
Top: The Harrison family members show their proud Hawaiian heritage. Bottom: The Charba family.
Top Left: Faustina Whittaker celebrates with her 11 older siblings, all of whom are Christendom alumni. Top Right: Sarah Morales and her family. Sarah will be joining older brother and alum Sam as part of the Christendom staff after graduation. Lower Left: Marra siblings celebrate the newest alumna. Lower Right: The McFadden family.
One hundred and twenty-five bachelor of arts degrees were awarded to the members of the Class of 2024 — tying a college record — including: Isabel Abernathy, Anthony Accurso, Audrey Altmanshofer, Rebecca Anderson, Nathaniel Andres, Dominic Asan, Michael Belleville, Peter Boyne, Patrick Brezinsky, Joseph Burns, Bayley Byers, Alejandra Carlo, Patricia Carlo, Ambrose Cavalier, Mark Cermak, Halyna Charba, Anne Chavez, Dominic Clark, Samia Clerico, Amelia Coleman, Grace Collins, William Connor, Mary Coyne, Christian Dauchess, Madeline Davis, Jonathan De Los Reyes, Peter Dean, Doris Dewey, Dominic Di Falco, Roarke Dooney, Zachariah Durgin, Theresa Dwane, Laurel Eckenrode, Mary Eidem, Peter Ethridge, Alexander Evans, Amanda Evans, Kevin Farley, Margaret Fleischer, Maria Francis, Amelie Garnand, Madeline Gecosky, Rachel Grande, Elaine Gunthorpe, Kiele Harrison, Erin Hatley, Andrew Heisler, Sarah Hicks, Mary Anne Holler, Mary Clare Jamieson, Elizabeth Jensen, Michael Katreeb, Elizabeth Kaufman, Maria Kelly, John Kennedy, Georgius Korban, Samuel Kristine, Elizabeth Kuss, Keaton Leach, Benjamin Leiching, John Paul Luvera, Joanne Marra, Karla Martinez, Christopher Mathias, Mary Mattus, Alexander McDonald, Cecilia McFadden, Travis McFaden, Catherine McLaughlin, Andrew Mead, Megan Meehan, Madalyn Messier, Katharine Michael, Anna Milinovich, Peter Miller, Aidan Moorehouse, Sarah Morales, Monica Nachtegall, Margaret Nussio, Aidan Oakley, Daniel O’Hara, Philip O’Herron, Megan Okula, Gabrielle Olmstead, Veronica Pegis, Rita Penny, Rachel Piazza, Joseph Piroch, Clara Raabe, Giovanni Riguera-Petta, Christina Rodriguez, Mary Russo, Nicholas Schau, Samuel Schirra, Catherine Schmidt, Clare Sebestyen, Paul Sheedy, Laura Sigler, Maria Simon, Stephen Simpson, Elizabeth Speer, Liliana Speier, Anna Stachyra, Anna Staggenborg, Viginia Stahl, Anna Stein, Thomas Sullivan, Mary Swerda, Regina Swope, Kathleen Thomas, Gabriella Trause, John Paul Vander Woude, Faustina Whittaker, Anna Williams, Clare Williams, Peter Williams, Margaret Williamson, Andrew Willson, Nicholas Wilson, Hugh Wingate, Julia Wojtkun, William Wolfe III, Faith Woods, Samuel Wright, and Thomas Yee. One associate of arts degree was also awarded to Amelia Howell.
PHOTO ALBUM
1. Students of the Class of 2025 pose outside St. Peter’s Basilica during their semester abroad.
2. Spring Formal 2024 was held at Trumpet Vine Farm, providing a beautiful venue for the joyous occasion.
3. Brothers Tom ’24 and Peter ’26 Sullivan pose around their cousin, Alex Evans ’24, after the Crusader baseball team’s final doubleheader of the season.
4. The Lady Crusaders softball team recognized the senior players with special gifts at their final game on April 21.
5. The Crusader rugby team competed in the Collegiate Rugby National 7s championship at the end of April, placing fourth in the tournament.
6. The female students of Christendom process in the annual May Crowning.
7. Joe Burns and other Communications Practica students had an immersive tour of EWTN’s newsrooms and the Guadalupe Radio Network’s studio in Washington, D.C, in April.
8. Students, faculty, and staff gathered at the observatory to witness the solar eclipse in April, assisted by Dr. Gregory Townsend at the telescope.
9. The college community joined together in praying for the unborn at the biannual Mega Shield event, led by Shield of Roses.
10. On April 3, Christendom’s Career and Professional Development Office hosted its final Life on Tap of the semester. Alumni Quinn Beekwilder ’04, Joe Dotson ’23, and Sean Kiely ’08 shared their insights with the student body about their successes working in sports and athletics.
11. The Christendom Players, directed by Liz Foeckler, performed a jaw-dropping masterpiece, bringing Little Women: The Musical to the Christendom stage.
12. Students perform at the Last Day of Classes celebration.
13. Dr. Andrew Beer presents Monica Nachtegall with the Classics and Early Christian Studies Department’s St. Jerome Award for Greek and Latin Scholarship at the annual Senior Awards Luncheon.
14. Stephen Pilon, assisted by other library staff, hosted the annual Community Art Show. The exhibit was displayed for a month in the library and viewers were encouraged to vote for their favorites.
15. Seniors from various sports teams pose for a photo to commemorate the student-athletes from the Class of 2024.
UNTIL THEY
restless rest in thee
2024 GRADUATE FINDS UNEXPECTED VOCATION
BY LIANNA YOUNGMAN
Typically found with coffee in her hand and a smile on her face, Karla Paulina Martinez finds it difficult to believe that in five short years, God has transformed her life from a deeply unhappy liberal agnostic to a beaming graduate about to enter religious life. Her journey, with all its unexpected moments of grace, has been guided by a yearning for truth and a desire to find home.
The beginning of Martinez’s story is an all-too familiar tale: she left the Church as a young teen, influenced by harmful and deceitful ideologies. The people of her workplace, a self-proclaimed “inclusive” coffee shop, encouraged her in a very left-leaning lifestyle, and soon her life was absorbed in liberal activism. She decided she was agnostic and then threw herself into a self-destructive new life.
“It becomes your entire personality,” Martinez says, “My identity was so wrapped up in ‘being liberal’, and once you accept part of it, they’re not happy until you’ve accepted all of it.”
Martinez’s drastic new lifestyle and activism caused much tension within her family, characterized by many bitter fights. Despite this, her mother refused to give up hope. She continued to present Martinez with opportunities to find her way back to the faith, much to her daughter’s annoyance.
Years passed, and Martinez’s lifestyle came to a hard stop after a difficult falling out with her circle. Despite their promises of tolerance and love, they turned their backs on her, leaving her feeling devastatingly lost and empty. In the midst of this unhappiness, she agreed, mid-fight, to attend Mass with her mother.
“It was a Holy Spirit moment,” Martinez says, “I don’t even know why I said it. But before I even realized what I was saying, my mom was shoving me out the door before I could change my mind.”
Martinez laughs to recall this moment, attending Mass for the first time in years, sporting a pink pixie cut, a nose ring, and tattoos, with her mother happily beside her. The Mass had a profound effect on her, and though still resistant, her reversion was sparked.
Still, her transformation would take years to complete. Not fully convinced, Martinez was driven by a need to know all the reasons “why”. Just as her journey of reversion was gaining momentum, however, the world went into lockdown in 2020 and Martinez’s world turned upside down again.
Though difficult, it led to the next crucial step of her journey: Christendom. Searching for a job led her to a summer camp at the Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Winchester, Virginia, where she worked with several Christendom students. She felt intrigued by their confidence in their faith. It was during this time, one sleepless night, that Martinez looked up Christendom College and found herself feeling a connection to founder Dr. Warren Carroll.
“He was a convert,” Martinez says, “I felt like he got me.”
Martinez remembers feeling struck by Carroll’s mantra “Truth Exists, the Incarnation Happened.” She had been looking for truth for years. Reading about Carroll’s mission of “going out and restoring all things in Christ,” she felt even more compelled. Without fully processing how or why she was doing it, Martinez applied and was accepted. Everything fell into place in a bewildering summer of grace and providence. Martinez was now a Crusader.
She remembers her first semester as being a difficult transition. Adjusting from her previous life left her feeling overwhelmed with life on campus. She kept more to herself and struggled with joining the community. Despite the difficulties, she was increasingly drawn to the academic life at Christendom, excited that she had access to the “reasons why” of Catholicism. She especially credits Dr. Cuddeback’s Ethics course in helping her persevere through the difficulties she faced her first year.
“What is on campus, in the people, the professors, is something so transformative.” Martinez says, “These people are so whole, and it made me realize how broken I was. It made me want to be like them.”
Martinez’s newfound confidence helped her step out of her shell, finding immense joy in the community, especially drawn by her love of coffee to volunteer at Christendom’s Sacred Grounds coffee shop. She continued to heal and grow, fully embracing the culture on campus, until she was confronted on Holy Thursday of 2022 with a calling. After listening to a homily about how “there is no lack of vocations, just a lack of responses.” Martinez felt a strong conviction that the words were meant for her. The feeling did not go away with time, and she began to question seriously what this feeling meant. She found herself remembering two sisters who gave a talk on identity at the Sacred Heart summer camp all those years ago, remembering only that they wore gray habits and a bright blue scapular. She recalled being especially struck by their names: Sister Splendor of the Cross and Sister Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Feeling an irresistible desire to know more, Martinez tracked down the order and paid a visit to the Institute of the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará.
The experience was magnetic. As soon as she walked in, she knew with complete comfort, peace, and certainty that she had finally found what her heart had been longing for.
Martinez met with the Mother Superior, Mother Mary of the Crucified, who, in the course of their long conversation,
used the phrase “The Incarnation Happened,” echoing Carroll’s words that helped draw Martinez to Christendom years prior. Thrilled, Martinez shared her desire to join immediately, but Mother Crucified encouraged her to finish her final semester and graduate. “Mother said that if it were a different college that would cause me to lose my faith, she would understand,” Martinez relates, ‘but she said I was at Christendom! So my vocation was safe, and I should graduate first.” By the end of her visit, Martinez was already referring to herself as one of the sisters.
The Institute of the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará is the sister branch of the Religious Family of the Incarnate Word established in 1984. Their mission, one that Martinez considers a natural progression of “restoring all things in Christ,” is that they embrace a desire to live the apostolic adventure – to go where no one else wants to go. In addition to poverty, chastity, and obedience, each sister also takes a fourth vow to Mary, and is given the name of a Marian title, so that their name becomes a perpetual litany of praise.
Martinez is grateful for Christendom not only for her education, but her holistic formation as a person. She could have read the books on her own, studied at another college, but nowhere else could she have had the life-changing experiences she had at Christendom.
“Our rational capacity cannot flourish outside of a culture and these last four years have taught me just how true that is,” she says. “It wasn’t just the classes; it was the movie nights, the coffee dates, the Thomistic dinners, and laughter; it was debates, office hours, Strongholds, pub nights, and Dorm Wars. It was the community coming together for Mass, holy hours, and prayer. . . . It was everything.”
Martinez graduated this May with a bachelor’s in English Language and Literature and will be spending the summer preparing and fundraising to pay off miscellaneous debt. Christendom College forgives the outstanding debt of any student who commits to religious life, which Martinez credits as allowing her to join the order in the fall, as opposed to delaying another year.
The order embodies, as one of their non-negotiables, a charism of not being afraid to confront the reality of things. This continues the journey Martinez started so long ago, as a teenager restlessly searching for truth. This journey led her to Christendom where she encountered truth, and finally to the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará, where she found home.
Our rational capacity cannot flourish outside of a culture and these last four years have taught me just how true that is. It wasn’t just the classes; it was the movie nights, the coffee dates, the Thomistic dinners, and laughter; it was debates, office hours, Strongholds, pub nights, and Dorm Wars. It was the community coming together for Mass, holy hours, and prayer. . . It was everything.
OUR HOPE FOR GOD’S WILL IN THIS WORLD
CHRISTENDOM FAMILY SHARES DEVOTION TO ST. THÉRÈSE
BY SEAN HILBERT
Rob and Beth Deucher have been members of the College community for nearly two decades. The two met at Emory University in Georgia on their way to Mass. They began to date soon after, and they got married after graduation. Rob is a physician by profession, and his wife works to educate their children.
The two were introduced to Christendom via The Newman Guide. Visiting campus with his daughter for the first time, Rob was struck by “the beauty of the scenery, the peace of the campus, and the joy of the students.” Rob states, “I likened it to West Point...the students are defenders of the faith, as opposed to defenders of the country.”
Impressed by the academic, cultural, and spiritual life cultivated there, the Deuchers sent several more of their children to Christendom. They also began to donate generously to the college, becoming involved in its Sponsor-A-Student Program to provide student financial aid while helping the college maintain its zero federal funding stance.
she can inspire the youth as they continue their humble walk with the Lord.
The Deuchers felt that the Little Flower’s missionary spirit and humility would resonate well with the next generation of Catholic missionaries. Even in small things, her “Little Way” provides a beautiful model for all students to “restore all things in Christ.” As Beth puts it, “She’s such a missionary soul... she can inspire the youth as they continue their humble walk with the Lord.”
Rob and Beth continue to support the college, sponsoring students and providing financial support for Christendom. Beth praises Christendom’s work to provide strong catechesis and understanding of the Faith. Rob takes joy in donating, since the college’s work to bring Christ’s love to a broken world is “work that makes a difference.” They both agree that it is “hard to relay the gift Christendom is to us, to the youth, and to our hope for God’s will in this world.”
Upon hearing of the plans for the new Christ the King Chapel and Dr. O’Donnell’s vision for the project, the Deuchers were impressed and felt moved to contribute. They decided to dedicate a window to St. Thérèse because they believed she would be a great inspiration for the youth of the college.
As Christendom continues to grow and send students out into the world, St. Thérèse’s intercession is undoubtably present in the lives of its graduates. Christendom students leave the college and spread the light of Christ to countless others in their professional and personal lives, and the Deuchers are proud to help contribute to their inspiration and formation.
Left: Detail of stained glass widow of St. Thérèse of Lisieux in Christ the King Chapel. Above: Rob and Beth Deucher with their children and grandchildren.
In the Classroom
HIGHLIGHTING A COURSE FROM OUR RICH CURRICULUM
HISTORY 102
BY DR. ALESSIA BERARDI
This class is the ‘second step ’ in our History core curriculum and covers the period between the birth of Christ and 1291. This long span of time includes the development of the Roman empire, the spread of Christianity and its complex interactions with the pagan world, and finally the rise of Christendom, that is, of that fundamentally Christian society that constitutes the religious and cultural foundation of contemporary Europe. These developments are explored through the reading of several foundational texts: The Life of Anthony by St. Athanasius, St. Augustine’s Confessions, The Rule of St. Benedict, Einhard’s Life of Charlemagne, the anonymous The Song of Roland, and a plethora of documentary sources, such as Constantine’s Edict of Milan and selections from the canons of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215).
Through this class, I trace with my students the development of many different institutions and pivotal elements of the Western world, including the idea of Christian
kingship, the formation of the papal state, the creation and development of monasticism, and the recurrent themes of reform and renaissance. In doing this, and thanks to the close reading of primary sources, I also show that history is not only a series of facts, causes, and dates, but that it is primarily a study of the consequences of individual actions. It is far more interesting to understand the world of the Late Antique Christian Roman empire through the struggles and words of Augustine, rather than through an impersonal narration of events. In this way, not only the past is the object of history, but necessarily also the present. As Marc Bloch, an eminent medievalist, wrote reporting the words of one of his colleagues, Henri Pirenne: “‘If I were an antiquarian, I would have eyes only for the old stuff, but I am a historian. Therefore, I love life.’ This faculty of understanding the living is, in very truth, the master quality of the historian.” ( The Historian’s Craft, 44)
Illustration to The Song of Roland, Heorhiy Narbut.
7TH ANNUAL GIVING DAY REACHES 117% OF GOAL
Once again, generous alumni, parents, benefactors, and friends joined together for Christendom College’s annual Giving Day. Hosted on April 9, the 2024 Giving Day raised $294,059 from 865 donations in support of The Carroll Fund. In addition to the fundraising efforts, this initiative also featured an informative and fun online program later in the evening that included: a chapel tour and Divine Mercy Chaplet (both led by Dr. O’Donnell), a quod libet with Drs. Mark Wunsch and Joseph Arias, and ever popular trivia contest emceed by Professor Mike Brown. Students on campus celebrated one of the college’s most generous donors, the late Dr. John Ward, with a huge campus-wide pizza party while many alumni gathered for a social at 2 Silos in Manassas, Virginia. This was the 7th annual Giving Day for the college, which supports the Carroll Fund, a restricted fund that covers the following critical needs: student financial aid, counseling and spiritual development, career services, faculty and staff support, and athletics. Financially supporting Giving Day is another way to keep Christendom College free of federal funds, allowing this faithful Catholic institution the ability to teach the Truth without compromise for the next generation of students.
$294,059 RAISED
865 DONORS PARTICIPATED
The 2024 Senior Philanthropy Board comprised 11 dedicated Seniors who worked hard to educate their classmates on the benefits of a Christendom education while fostering an attitude of gratitude on campus. The Philanthropy Board planned, organized, and executed multiple events over the course of the academic year and ended up achieving a Senior giving rate of 70% and a 36% monthly recurring giving rate. Congratulations to the members of the Senior Philanthropy Board and thank you for your dedication and service to the college.
Members of the 2024 Philanthropy Board.
4–6 FEATURING CLASS REUNIONS FOR 1984, 1994, 2004, AND 2014
CLASSMATES YOUR
PAPER & INK ALUMNI SOCIAL NETWORK
1980s & 1990s
Gloria (née Falcao) Dodd ’87, and Michelle (née Guettler) Castellan ’88, had a happy reunion in Front Royal, VA, on December 26, 2023. 1
2000s
Amy (née Germann) ’08 and Anthony Almeter welcomed Thomas Edmund Almeter on February 29, 2024. He was baptized March 17 by Fr. Jake Almeter ’06 2
Jacinta (née Whittaker) ’05 and Jeff Whiting welcomed Stephen Daniel Whiting on January 25, 2024.
Alexandria (née Chiasson) ’05 and Michael McCormick welcomed Mary Rose McCormick on February 6, 2024. She was baptized on St. Patrick’s Day at St. Patrick’s Church, Woodbury, NJ. 3
Deacon Gerard-Marie Anthony ’02 published Peaceful Hearts, Zealous Hearts: How the Sacred Heart and Divine Mercy Devotions’ Complementary Messages Make Us New through Sophia Press on May 21. 4
Elizabeth (née Kelly) ’06 and Joseph McMahon welcomed James Joseph McMahon on February 2, 2024. 5
Ben Hatke ’00 embarked in May of 2024 across the Atlantic by boat as he commences a circumnavigation of the globe in the spirit of Jules Verne’s classic Around the World in 80 Days and real-life historical circumnavigators. The thumbnails and travel journals of his trip will be published by First Second Books, an imprint of Macmillan, in 2025 but you can follow his adventures as they happen on his Patreon atwww.patreon.com/benhatke and on instagram.
2010–15
Julie Wells ’15 recently illustrated a beautiful book celebrating children with special needs. A Little Extra Jayne by Summer Adamson will be published this fall by Jumelle Press. 6
Deacon Philip Gilbert ’15 was ordained a priest of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church on May 25 at Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Redwood Valley, CA. 7
Marie (née Miller) Hunt ’11 released a new EP album The Way of Love. The album artwork was created by Mary (née O’Reilly) Teller ’16 It is available on Spotify and Apple Music. 8
Leif ’15 & Andrea Pilegaard welcomed Ladislaus Chrysostom Pilegaard on April 4, 2024. 9
Lisa (née Hudson) ’10 and Ross Birkenfeld welcomed Molly Kate Birkenfeld on April 5, 2024. 10
2016–19
Gabrielle (née Donlon) ’18 and Michael Trout welcomed their fourth child last month. 11
John Paul and Emily (née Farabaugh) Janaro, both ’19, welcomed Anna Rose Janaro on November 28, 2023. 12
Sophie (née Adams) and Jeremy Mersch, both ’19, welcomed Sebastian Robert Mersch on December 19, 2023. 13
Jake ’16 and Bernadette (née Hibl) Wagner ’19 welcomed Gemma Marie Wagner in March 2024. 14
Jacob Hiserman ’16 graduated with his PhD in History from The University of Alabama on May 4, 2024. 15
Bethany (Thornton) and Joe Wilson, both ’18 , welcomed Edmund Joseph Wilson on March 30, 2024. He was baptized by Rev. Br. Linus Mary OP (John Martz) ’18 The godparents are Morgan (Witt) and Matthew Trojacek, both ’18 Many alumni were present, including Josh Wilson ’19, Caleb and Angela (Goddard) Wilson, both ’21, and Clare Wilson, ’22.
2020s
Theresa Crnkovich ’20 and Jadon Lippincott were engaged on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024. 16
Colette Hazinski ’20 and Spencer Gregoire were engaged on May 3, 2024. They will be married in December 2024.
Rose (née Norris) and Daniel Llera, both ’22, were married on May 4, 2024 in Christ the King Chapel. 17
Anna (née Williams) and Zach Durgin, both ’24 , were married on May 24, 2024 in Christ the King Chapel. 18
Alexis (née Miller) ’20 and Michael Ngo were married on April 6, 2024 at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Fairfax, VA. 19
Therese (née Rose) ’21 and Joshua Butek ’19 launched a blog (www.outlinesoftheheart.com) on Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 2024. Anthony Piazza and Katelyn Stafki, both ’26, were engaged on March 23, and will be married on January 25, 2025. 20
Dario Spinelli ’21 graduated Cum Laude from Antonin Scalia
Law School of George Mason on May 11, 2024. 21
Brendan Byers ’22 was engaged to Rose Peyton ’26 on March 30, 2024.
Ashlianna (née Kreiner) ’22 and Isaac Thompson welcomed Benjamin Robert Thompson on May 12, 2024. 22
Requiescat in Pace
Cathy Burch ’84
Compiled by the Alumni Relations Office.
OMNIA IN CHRISTO
CHRIST’S REDEMPTIVE HUMAN ACTIONS AND THE MASS
BY DR. R.J. MATAVA
How does the Mass make Calvary present? Jesus purposely structured His sacrificial action in such a way that we would have a means whereby to participate, as members of His body, in His priestly, saving act. This priestly offering, just like His love of and obedience to the Father, is an act of His human intellect and will. This act remains, like other human acts, in Christ’s human soul so long as he does not repent of it. His intercession therefore is not limited to the “then” of His passion and death—the “then” of our space and time—but continues perpetually in the “now” of the new creation. This is especially significant for understanding the sacrificial, priestly character of Jesus’ death and our own participation in the liturgy of the Mass.
In the Old Testament, animals to be offered on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) were slaughtered outside the tent, or later temple, as a preliminary stage of the ritual action. The crucial moment occurred when the priest took the blood of the sacrifice into the meeting tent or temple and bore it beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies— the dwelling place of God—to sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat. This, and not the actual killing of the animals, was the decisive moment of sacrifice. In it, propitiation was made, and communion between God and his people was restored.
Now this Old Testament ritual was a type foreshadowing its fulfillment in Jesus, the more excellent priest. Jesus, killed on Calvary, must bear His sacrifice into the presence of God. This He does when He enters beyond the veil into the heavenly sanctuary at the time of His ascension. When He appears before the Father, Jesus does not show up empty handed. He bears the marks of His passion (His pierced hands and feet) and death (His pierced side)—bodily evidence of a past event—but also His human will, shaped presently as it is by His free human choices of loving obedience to the Father and the willful acceptance of the side-effects of carrying out those choices. Jesus bears not only the marks of
the bodily consequences of His choices into the presence of the Father, but also His ratified human intentions to offer both His choices and their bodily consequences as a sacrifice for the remission of sins. There, at the right hand of the Father, Jesus, the high priest, unceasingly intercedes for each one of us.
This brings us to the Mass. At the Last Supper, Jesus not only designates His passion and death and the intentions of loving obedience that they embody as an offering for sin, but He also externalizes through the celebration of a ritual meal His intention to offer His life as a covenantforming sacrifice. In this ritual meal Christ makes Himself wholly and personally present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the forms of
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.
bread and wine. The entire personal presence of Jesus is “contained” within each of the Eucharistic species. Yet in respect to the sacramentalism of these signs, the bread becomes His body, and the wine, His blood. When Jesus makes His body and blood present under different sacramental signs, their separation from each other is also signified. This symbolic separation of the body and blood signifies death, wherein the lifeblood of the body is spilled out from it.
The significance of this is that Jesus externalizes His saving intentions not only in the physical laying down of His life on the cross, but also in the ritual celebration of the Eucharist. The Eucharistic liturgy, just as much as Calvary, is the bodily execution of Jesus’ loving choice to do the Father’s will, whatever the cost, and to offer this as the material of a covenant-forming sacrifice for the remission of sins. Because the Mass externalizes the same interior act that Calvary externalizes, the Mass and Calvary are two aspects of the one, unitary, saving act of Jesus.
In this way, the Mass supplies us with a means of externalizing our own internal, spiritual sacrifices—a means that allows us to unite ourselves with Jesus’ interior spiritual sacrifice because both his interior act and ours are externally completed in the same bodily act, which is the Eucharistic liturgy. This highlights the importance of what we bring to the Mass: Unless we bring a spiritual sacrifice to join to the exterior ritual action supplied by Jesus, we have only the external shell of genuine worship, however beautiful or ancient that external form may be. But herein lies also the extraordinary privilege we have through our baptism and the key to the real meaning of full, conscious, and active participation in the liturgy.
R.J. Matava, Ph.D., is the Academic Dean and a professor at Christendom College’s Graduate School of Theology.
Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Hubert and Jan Van Eyck.
Saturday, September
Saturday, October
Homeschool
Saturday,
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I want as many young people as possible to have the opportunity to study in an environment like Christendom, receive a
