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Editor:
Tom McFadden
Managing Editor: Niall O'Donnell
Contributing Editors: Matt Hadro (Sports), Matt Anderson (Rome
Report)
Contributing Photographer: Tom O'Connor, Dean Reineking
Issue:
November 2, 2007
Name: Douglas Streeks
Age:18
Year: Freshman
From: Rockville, MD
Major: Undecided, but I'm considering Political Science
Any Hobbies? Reading, drawing anime/manga, political activism (protesting at abortion clinics, making calls to House Representatives and Senators), playwriting, playing piano
What's your favorite class or professor? My favorite class is History of Western Civilization I with Mr. McGuire. I find history—particularly ancient history—fascinating, and I also enjoy learning it from a Catholic perspective. Mr. McGuire is enthusiastic about what he teaches and has a lively personality.
What is your favorite thing about Christendom College? I love having Mass and Adoration everyday, plus confession Monday-Saturday. Also the food is great.
Why did you choose Christendom College? Two of my pro-life friends recommended it, so I looked it up, visited it, and loved it. Before I discovered Christendom, I was lost. I wanted to go to a good, conservative, Roman Catholic college and Christednom fit my preferences perfectly.
What do you plan to do after graduation? I'm not positivley sure. I'm considering the possibilities of going to law school, studying psychology or becoming a college professor.
Parents Experience a Medieval Time
Parents Weekend was last week and was a huge success!
Despite Friday's rainy weather everyone's spirits remained high as parents arrived and registered. Not only were they able to attend classes with their children, but also attend special presentations on the College.
Literature Prof. Dr. Rice gave a brief history of the college, Career Development Director Tom McGraw told parents what exactly our alumni do in a session that featured alumni statistics. And finally parents got of taste of student life off the Front Royal campus in a session about the Rome Program and Missionary Trips.
The rain continued through the night, which put a damper on the scheduled bonfire, but the pig-roast continued. A few proud men of Christendom braved the elements and roughed it for a night keeping watch on the two roasting beasts. Others took advantage of the "Open Gym" and played racquet ball and shot hoops in the home of the Christendom Crusaders.
Saturday morning saw the rain fade away and brilliant blue skies come to life. It was gorgeous weather.
Mass, silent adoration, and confession were available for all in the morning and at 2:00 pm Medieval Fest began.
Knights and ladies, peasants and fishmongers came from all corners of Christendom's silvan campus to the Square in front of the grand St. John the Evangelist Library. There, parents, students, faculty, staff, and their families enjoyed a truly festive afternoon.
Librarian Stephen Pilon juggled balls, pins, machetes, and flaming torches, a live madrigal band played ancient dulcet tones, and History Professor Chris Shannon and Classics Professor Dr. Mark Clark took each other on in the now famous "Disputed Question," a comical philosophical debate.
Many booths were set up to the enjoyment of all: carmel apples, create-your-own-candy-castle, paint-a-pumpkin, create-your-own-medieval hair dress, decorate-a-cookie, face-painting, apple cider, baked goods, and pie throwing.
At 5:00 the pigs were removed from the flames and processed into the St. Lawrence Commons. There the King's Banquet began. It was a sumptuous feast of roasted chicken, potatoes, veggies, and of course the tastiest pork in the kingdom. To top it off, a moist apple cake was served with a choice of cinnamon or lemon sauce.
Later that evening a Faculty, Staff, and Parent Reception was held in St. Kilian's Cafe. The cozy cafe's ambience was enhanced with many candles, fall decorations, and choice beverages. Parents enjoyed casual conversations with their children's professors throughout the evening.
The dance started at 8:00 pm and was held in the St. Lawrence Commons, which had been turned into a medieval hall. Students and their families enjoyed learning traditional contra dances.
The weekend came to a close the following day with Sunday Mass and Brunch with President Timothy O'Donnell.
Give Blood, Play Rugby
On Saturday morning, a group of students got together to play rugby. The College does have an official rugby team, but their season will not begin until later next semester. Since it was a beautiful fall day, and many of their parents were in town for parents weekend, the students decided to hit the pitch and play a little rugby.
"There's nothing like it," says Junior K.C. Dufrain. "It's somewhat dangerous, it's fast-moving, and it gets your heart beating...real fast. I can't wait until the season begins next semester. Hopefully we will be able to get a couple of wins this year!"
Looking Back with a Laugh
On Monday, Founding Faculty member Dr. Kristin Burns gave a talk and slideshow presentation of the early years of Christendom. Her talk was filled with remarkable memories—many of them humorous.
"I remember waiting in the foyer of our building on arrival day," she recounted, "wondering, with Mr. O'Herron, if any students would actually come, and if they did, would they be normal?
"Although, I believe, Dr. Carroll had actually met most of the students as part of the application process, we hadn't met any of them and we were wondering how weird somebody would have to be to come to a college started by us," she quipped.
The college opened it's doors to 26 students in 1977, led by the five founding faculty members (Dr. Warren Carroll, Dr. William Marshner, Dr. Jeffrey Mirus, Mr. Raymund O'Herron, and Dr. Kristin Burns) who also served as the administration, along with a cook and librarian.
Many of the great Christendom traditions were started those first three years including Coffee House, Italian Night, St. Patrick's Day and the East-West Game.
"In the early years every student had a job," she said, "not only those who were on work-study but every student was assigned three hours of work per week either with the kitchen, the office, maintenance, or whatever. Everything from typing Dr. Carroll's letters to mopping the floor was done by students. This was necessary because we couldn't pay people to do this necessary work. But it also contributed to a sense of belonging and community. I think the chores helped the students to feel that they were really a part of the college and helping to build it."
Dr. Kristin Burns was the first woman to earn a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) in Rome. She is a former Richard Weaver Fellow. Dr. Carroll, the founder and first president of Christendom College, knew Kristin Burns (then Kristin Popik) from the Institute in Spain where she had taught Philosophy for two years and asked her to join the founding faculty in 1977. Dr. Burns has been teaching Philosophy at Christendom since its founding and has specialized in the Philosophy of Saint Thomas Aquinas. She has been the Dean of the Christendom College Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria, VA since 2002.
Editor's Note: As part of the 30th Anniversary celebratory year, Christendom's Major Speakers Program is playing host to the college founders, giving students the opportunity to hear a bit of history and vision from the founders themselves.
Dancing in Disguise
Students celebrated Halloween in style. A costume dance was held on the Eve of All Saints Day. They had a great time and danced late into the night. Check out the pictures below:
Bow Season Means Steaks for Students
Freshman Tom Flamminio knows how to use a bow and arrow really well.
It's bow-season in the Shenandoah Valley and he took advantage of it, nabbing two deer while hunting in Chirstendom's own woods.
He shared his fortune with fellow students at a deer steak cook-out. A group of students gathered in the woods and enjoyed the fresh and tasty meats grilled to perfection.
Senior Paul Provencher is helping Tom "dispose" of the 100 pounds of meat that the deer produced.
"We had chili last night and plan to make jerky," Provencher said, "and of course, more steaks."
As Seen on EWTN
On Monday, October 29, Bruce Sullivan stopped by Christendom to spend time with the students and to give away copies of his most recent book, Christ in His Fullness.
Bruce Sullivan is a former Church of Christ minister who was received into the Catholic Church in 1995. He has been a guest on EWTN's Mother Angelica Live, The Journey Home, Bookmark, and Deep in Scripture. He is the author of the newly released book Christ in His Fullness and is available to address parishes and other Catholic groups. Both his book and his primary talk address the question, "What did you find in Catholicism that you did not find in Protestantism?"
Mr. Sullivan is pictured with Junior Thomas Polak who is also a convert to Catholicism.
If you would like to have Bruce speak in your parish, please contact him by either telephone or e-mail. His phone number is (270) 428-4280 and his e-mail is bsullivan@scrtc.com.
College Offers Extraordinary Form of the Mass for Students
On Friday morning, November 2, the Feast of All Souls, Associate Chaplain Fr. Seamus O'Kielty took advantage of the Pope's recent Motu Proprio allowing for a more generous celebration of the Mass of Blessed John XXIII (Tridentine or 1962 Latin Mass), and for the first time in the College's Chapel of Christ the King, the extraordinary form of the Mass was offered.
Fr. O'Kielty was ordained prior to the Vatican II changes in the Mass, and as such, spent the beginning years as a priest celebrating the so-called Tridentine Mass. For the past number of weeks, he has been working with some altar boys and brushing up on his gestures in order to be able to offer this great gift to the College family. Friday morning's 7:15 am Mass was very well attended. Plans for future Masses in this extraordinary form have not be laid out as of yet, but the students, faculty, and staff who attended this historic event are eagerly waiting for more.
The College currently offers two Masses a day for its students, with the majority of them being the normal "Novus Ordo" Mass said in English, and then three of them being the "Novus Ordo" Mass said in Latin. Having this other option available will only enhance the liturgical life of the College and hopefully help the students connect with the so-called "Mass of the Ages."
Find out more about the spiritual life at Christendom College by clicking here.
Touched by the Real Presence and Michelangelo
Welcome back to the Rome Report! After a few weeks of rest at the main campus, although little rest was had here during midterms, I hope everybody is ready to catch up. So, a couple weeks ago, while the rest of Christendom was on break, we had mostly midterms and papers, so very little actually happened.
Last weekend, the whole group went on a trip to Orvieto, a small town just two hours outside Rome. Orvieto is known primarily for its Eucharistic miracle. Indeed, in the Cathedral of Orvieto we were able to venerate the corporal that soaked up blood from a host.
The story goes that a priest who did not have faith in the Real Presence was celebrating Mass when, at the Consecration, as he held the Host in his hands It started to bleed. The priest tried to initially cover the miracle up by wiping the Blood with the corporal, but the Host just kept bleeding. Even to this day, the bloodstains are visible on the corporal.
On Tuesday we went to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. All of us were blown away by the incredible beauty and grandeur of Michelangelo's work. Particularly striking was the fresco of the Last Judgment behind the altar.
This picture, portraying the saved and the damned, threw into light our ultimate goal as Christians. Indeed, even now as students, the main purpose of our work is to grow closer to Christ so that we may spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Especially striking was the tenderness that Michelangelo painted in Mary. The same man who portrayed Mary suffering in the Pieta, also portrays her beautifully here as pitying and sorrowful over all of the damned.
Once again, through the simple day to day things we do in Rome, we learned more about who we are as Christendom students and who we are as Children of God. Until next time, God bless!
In
honor of the 30th Anniversary of Christendom College
the Chronicler Online takes a peek into the past
of the college each week.
A New Setting: Christendom Moves to Front Royal
In the Summer of 1978, the school realized that it would be unable to reach the quota of 40 students which were needed for financial stability. Through the assistance of an anonymous donor in Minnesota who ended up contributing $41,000 over the succeeding years, and with the aid of other donors, the school managed to survive on but 34 students.
With the lease of the school hall in Triangle, VA, expiring after the second year, President Warren H. Carroll and the other members of the
faculty began searching for a new location. Mr. Raymund O'Herron, Dean of Men and Professor of
Philosophy, with the aid of a real estate agency, headed the search. There was a strong desire to stay in
the Diocese because Bishop Thomas J. Welsh had supported the College from its beginning. Moreover, it was through Bishop Welsh that Father Cornelius O'Brien, who encouraged the College project from the first, became the first Chaplain.
The real estate agency finally found a location: the AFL-CIO training camp in Front Royal. Many of
the staff were familiar with the site through summer lecture programs which Catholic organizations had
held there in the past. Happily, George Meany of the AFL, a practicing Catholic, agreed to hold the
property open to a future College bid.
A wealthy friend of the College agreed to finance the property, but a $75,000 down payment was still
needed. With the help of the DeRance Foundation, College Board members, the readers of College
publications, and other individual donors, the goal was reached in time.
And so, when school opened in 1979, it was in a totally new setting.
The primary difference, however, was that the dormitories were on the school campus. Therefore, instead of jumping on a bus at the conclusion of classes or evening meal, students were more inclined to visit in the common room.
The chapel and library buildings were a prime factor in the establishment of the school. Since the property was owned, major renovations could be made without financial loss. The new campus came complete with a pool, shuffleboard courts, and an atheltic field. In the summer of 1980, on the advice of the Christendom Board, St. Teresa Hall, a private home near the campus, was purchased for overflow space. Likewise St. Augustine Hall was purchased soon after.
Hoop! There It Is! Crusader Basketball Begins
Basketball season is officially here! The men’s and women’s teams began their regular season play with their respective home contests over the weekend. The Crusader women took on Northern Virginia Community College, while the men faced off against perennial Parents Weekend opponent Maryland Bible College.
The girls battled to a close halftime deficit against NVCC in the first contest, trailing by as much as 7 in the first half, down 27-23 at halftime. But the upperclassmen came through in the clutch for the Crusaders, as they stormed back to take the lead before allowing a basket at the end of regulation to carry the game into overtime at 52-52.
The overtime contest was exciting, and the Crusaders were able to win one for the parents as they closed out a close contest, 63-60 in OT. Junior Becca Harris was phenomenal from the free throw line, going 11/13 from the charity stripe, including 9/11 after halftime. “I was really impressed with her shooting,” added coach Nancy Bauer. “She came through in the clutch for us.”
Newcomers Abby Hill and Bethany Hepler also contributed to the team’s second half success. Hill’s effort included 11 rebounds and 10 points in the second half and overtime, with freshman Hepler adding 7 points of her own. Hill is a junior transfer.
The men had their own struggles with Maryland Bible College, facing a sound opponent in their first game of the season. Maryland possessed a wealth of offensive talent and athleticism, and the Crusaders found themselves in a halftime deficit.
But the men’s offense will hopefully come around in the next few games. Multiple players noted that things will be different once the offense can get going. There may be some growing pains early on in the season, but that’s all the more reason why defense and rebounding are important. The Crusaders lost the turnover and rebounding battle, but did win the battle at the free throw line, with Marion Miner going 4/4, Pate Quest 6/10, and Greg Monroe hitting almost 100% from the line in the second half.
Monroe finished with 19 points and 7 boards, with Quest adding 10 points to the effort.
Q: If I wanted to apply for this upcoming Spring semester, what do I have to do, and when? –M.G., Acworth, GA
A: If someone wishes to enter Christendom in the Spring, they need to fill out our regular application and simply mark on it that they are interested in attending in Spring 2008. Both first-time freshmen and transfers are accepted at this time. For those who are transferring, I need to receive all the necessary college transcripts before we can send their applications to our Admissions Committee.
Applications should be submitted prior to December 14, although I would recommend submitting it much earlier, if at all possible. The Spring 2008 semester begins on January 12. We will not know for sure how much room we have available and therefore how many students we will be able to bring on to campus until sometime near the end of December.
If someone is interested in applying for financial aid, the financial aid form (found on our website) must be completed and filled out in a timely fashion as well.
So, anyone applying for the Spring semester must be willing to be patient and always pray that God’s will be done. So apply today!
If
anyone has questions about applying, visiting, scholarships,
financial aid, campus life, rules and regulations, majors,
core curriculum, transfer credits, or even about the food
here at Christendom, please do not hesitate to contact me
at any time: 800.877.5456 ext 1290 or tmcfadden@christendom.edu.
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