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Celebrating Over 500 Alumni Marriages
Models of Christ-like Love
Christendom Celebrates 500 Alumni Marriages
BY JOHANNA BURKE
The world needs holy marriages more than ever. Given that the majority of social issues have their roots in difficulties that begin with a fractured home life, it is clear that loving marriages and families are the medicine our suffering society desperately needs.
Christendom graduates strive to be part of this solution, seeking to “Restore All Things in Christ” by living out virtuous marriages and starting families of their own. Hundreds of Christendom graduates have pursued this vocation, often with a fellow alumnus as their spouse. Equipped with a thorough understanding of the sacrament of marriage, these alumni seek after holy marriages and form flourishing families that serve their communities and bring Christ to the world.
On August 15, Ian ’20 and Annemarie (née Speer ) ’19 Heisler became the 500th alumni married couple, a beautiful milestone for the Christendom community. While 2020 was a difficult year to plan a wedding, with many couples enduring changed plans, canceled venues, and limited guest lists, Christendom couples such as Ian and Annemarie focused on preparing for the sacrament of marriage, as opposed to just details of the wedding day.
“In today’s society, it is so easy to get caught up in all the details of a wedding celebration—the reception, the flowers, dresses, and so on,” shared the Heislers. “While all these things can be exciting and fun to plan, they are all for the sake of something so much bigger—the sacrament of holy matrimony. While we wanted all our guests to have a fun time, we wanted the true focus of the day to be on the sacrament. Our wedding day was just one day; the vow we made to each other in the sacrament of holy matrimony is until death. Preparation for the sacrament is of much greater importance.”
In the thirty-three days leading up to their wedding, Ian and Annemarie prepared for their marriage by completing St. Louis de Montfort’s Total Consecration to Jesus though Mary. Married on the Feast of the Assumption, the Heislers made their Marian consecration during the wedding Mass. In addition, Ian and Annie professed their wedding vows while holding a crucifix to remind them of the sanctifying nature of matrimony.
“We made our vows while holding a crucifix, signifying that we are accepting each other as our cross, that true love is the gift of total self, and the absolute necessity for Jesus in our marriage,” the Heislers explained.
On August 15, Ian and Annemarie Heisler became Christendom’s 500th alumni couple.
The Heislers exemplify how Catholic couples should prepare for their wedding—focused on the sacrament of marriage and their future as spouses.
Like the Heislers, Garrett and Chloe (née Herrmann) Quigley ’18 focused on the sacrament of matrimony as they prepared for their wedding day. The Quigleys faced many uncertainties as they planned their July wedding. From family members not being able to attend, to their original venue canceling their reception just weeks before the wedding, Garrett and Chloe certainly had their fair share of wedding-planning challenges. But the Quigleys clung to prayer and focused on their vocational calling to marriage, which helped them overcome the stress of altered plans.
“Christendom helped instill in us a beautiful appreciation for the sacrament of marriage,” the Quigleys shared. “Therefore, we were able to approach the sacrament of marriage knowing that whatever misfortune befell us, whether it was COVID-19related or not, it wouldn’t matter, as long as we exchanged our vows before the priest. Even if we had to sacrifice the pomp and circumstance of a larger wedding reception, we knew that the most important part was making those vows to each other on that day.”
Now, in their first months as spouses, the Quigleys are finding that their Christendom education is helping them navigate how to live out their calling to marriage.
“Our formation at Christendom helped us strengthen our spiritual lives, and discover the responsibilities of living our faith as Catholic adults,” share the Quigleys. “Surrounding ourselves in the Christendom culture, and with wonderful friends who share our values, has given us a great example of what real love and marriage should look like.”
John Paul and Emily (née Farabaugh) Janaro '19, who were married in August, agree that their Christendom formation was excellent preparation for marriage. According to the Janaros, the personal and spiritual growth achieved at Christendom, in tandem with classes that taught them about the vocation of marriage, have been great blessings as they embark upon married life.
“Preparation for marriage was definitely an indirect side effect of a more important goal at the time [we were at Christendom]. We both dedicated ourselves to our vocations as students and spent a lot of time in the chapel trying to grow as individuals. The Christendom community offered us so many opportunities to grow in authentic friendship that we were able to truly get to know each other before falling in love,” the Janaros shared.
In addition to the community life at Christendom fostering authentic friendship and personal growth, the curriculum also helped the Janaros to better understand their call to marriage. In theology and philosophy classes, the purpose of marriage, the complementarity and distinct contributions of men and women, and the vocational nature of matrimony were frequently discussed.
On July 17, Garrett and Chloe Quigley were wed, becoming Christendom’s 494th alumni couple.
Married on September 5, Matthew and Eileen Hill are Christendom’s 503rd alumni couple.
“I think the reason that many alumni couples tie the knot is because they have a well-formed appreciation of just how wonderful the sacrament of Catholic marriage can be,” shared the Janaros. “Th rough classes like Th eology of the Body and the Philosophy of Family and Household, as well as through the role models of married faculty and staff , students can see how desirable marriage is in all of its truth, goodness, and beauty.”
Married in September, Matthew ’20 and Eileen (née Williamson) ’19 Hill also believe that their Christendom formation helped them prepare for marriage, and that it will continue to help them fl ourish.
“In class, we were taught the Church’s teachings on marriage and family directly from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and notable encyclicals, such as Casti Connubii. We discussed the theme of marriage in literature, observing the gravity of spouses’ infl uence on each other, which can lead to either salvation or destruction,” the Hills shared.
In addition to studying the nature of marriage in the classroom, the moral and spiritual formation received at Christendom are helping them to live out their vocation.
“Christendom gives individuals the tools essential to lead a virtuous life. While everyone can merit from such instruction no matter their calling, it is especially critical in the vocation of marriage, as spouses are required to die to self for the sake of the other,” the Hills explained.
As the Hills embark upon their married life, they are thankful for the understanding of marriage, and the personal formation that Christendom provided.
Th ese couples are just a few of the many Christendom couples who are living beautiful marriages and bringing Christ to the world in the process. Th e intellectual, moral, and spiritual formation received at Christendom is excellent vocational preparation, no matter what that vocation may be.
“Christendom leads to so many marriages because it has a strong Catholic culture,” remarked the Heislers. “Th e culture has not only led to 500 marriages, but also many vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. Christendom’s culture is founded in the Catholic belief that God has a plan for every person—a vocation—and the formation one receives at Christendom helps each individual actualize God’s plan for his vocation.”
Especially in 2020, when so many couples decided to postpone their weddings so they could have their desired reception, it is inspirational to see young Catholic couples forging ahead, setting their focus on marriage as a sacrament, and starting families of their own. Christendom couples, through their Christ-like and sacrifi cial love, have a powerful role to play in restoring the culture in Christ.
