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Editor:
Tom McFadden
Managing Editor: Niall O'Donnell
Contributing Editors: Tom O'Connor,
Jack Anderson (Sports Center),
&
Emma Boyle (The Rome Report)
Contributing Photographers: Tyler Ament, Tom O'Connor
& Dean Reineking
Issue: March 14, 2008
Name: Scott Lozyniak
Age: 19
Year: Freshman
From: Ludlow, MA
Major: Undecided
Any Hobbies? Volunteering, altar boy, Shield of Roses, Legion of Mary
What's your favorite class or professor? Philosophy with Mr. Wunsch and Literature with Mrs. Linton are my two favorite classes.
Do you play any sports? I played in the Upper-Under Football game. It was fun—especially because as a new freshman it helps you meet a lot of the new freshmen guys.
Do you participate in any drama or music related activities? I am in the Schola Gregoriana
What is your favorite thing about Christendom College? The people, the activities, and the beautiful spiritual life on campus. The Tridentine Mass on Friday morning is great.
Why did you choose Christendom College? There are no truly Catholic colleges in Massachusetts and I loved the atmosphere and curriculum here. I also came to the summer program, which helped me in choosing Christendom.
What do you plan to do after graduation? Possibly teaching.
Christendom Players Shine in the Bright Lights
Audiences were delighted by The Christendom Players performance of The Winslow Boy on March 7-9 at the E. Wilson Morrison School auditorium. The Players received standing ovations for their rendition of this compelling and award-winning play by Terence Rattigan.
Based on a true story, The Winslow Boy is set in 1912 England and deals with the expulsion of a 14 year-old student from a naval prep school for stealing. Convinced of the child's innocence, the family hired the most famous attorney in England and brought the case to court. Newspapers at the time called it the trial of the century.
The production was directed by College alumnus Mike Powell and produced by English Professor Dr. Patrick Keats. A seasoned cast matched the talent and vision of Powell and Keats.
Senior Sam Phillips dominated the stage with a professional presence, playing the role of the shrewd and famous attorney Sir Robert Morton. Sophomore Bridget Randolph executed the role of Cate Winslow, brilliantly capturing both her femininity and strength. Senior Peter Smith played the challenging role of Arthur Winslow. Smith convinced all that he truly was an aging man suffering from arthritis.
Freshman Mary Harrington skillfully persuaded the audience that she was a small boy caught up in something beyond his understanding as the Winslow boy, Ronnie. The role of Mrs. Winslow was brought to life by Junior Hilary Schafer. Both she and Sophomore Cyrus Artz, as Dickie Winslow, enlivened the stage with dramatic color.
Sophomore Olivia Bushey, Freshman Steven Curtin, and Senior Katie Fitzpatrick gave memorable performances as well.
What adds to the magic of the performance of the cast and the production team is that they had a mere month to prepare the play.
“Due to several complications at the beginning of the semester, in two days we discovered that we didn’t have a play, director, or theater,” Professor Dr. Keats said the evening of the dress rehearsal. “I immediately contacted Mike Powell and we finally agreed on a play to produce and began work immediately. I am very proud of these students.”
“These students are incredible,” History Professor Anthony Sheehan said. “They aren’t just actors. They’re full-time students. It is truly impressive what they have done.”
Every year The Christendom Players produce two plays: one in the fall, usually a musical, and one in the spring. And because Christendom does not have a drama department, students from across all disciplines are welcome to audition for the performances.
A Papal Lottery
As you know, Pope Benedict XVI is coming to America and one of his stops is nearby Washington D.C.
Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde gave 65 tickets for the Papal Mass to be held in Nationals Stadium to Christendom College. Fifteen tickets were given to the faculty and staff in a lottery and the remaining 50 went to students.
The Student Activities Council held the lottery for the tickets and 50 blessed students were selected.
Below is the Pope's Schedule:
April 15 - Arrival in Washington
April 16 - Visit with President Bush at the White House
April 17 - Public Mass at National Stadium, CUA meeting with Catholic University presidents and diocesan heads of education, Interreligious event at John Paul II Cultural Center
April 18 - Leaves for New York
At the Cross Her Station Keeping...
Students gathered in Christ the King Chapel last Friday—as they do every Friday in Lent—for Stations of the Cross. The warm lighting of the chapel was the perfect setting for the students who were led in this traditional devotion by Assistant Chaplain Fr. Seamus O'Kielty.
Also called the Way of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa, the Stations of the Cross have their origin in the Holy Land. The erection of the Stations in churches did not become at all common until towards the end of the seventeenth century. The custom originated with the Franciscans and some say St. Francis himself.
Reach Out and Grab a Canned Good
Student Outreach has organized a campus wide drive for canned goods for the local Parish soup kitchen.
"We are asking students to donate a few bucks so that we can help the soup kitchen continue to provide for those in need," Senior Elli Ampi said.
"We tried putting boxes in dorms and having students fill them up with canned goods themselves, but that didn't get the high response that we were looking for," Senior Tim Cavazos said. "Students are busy people, so we came up with the idea of saving them time—give us the few dollars and we'll get the canned goods. It's easier for everyone."
Student Outreach has an active calendar every month: visiting nursing homes, working at soup kitchens, volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, and running diaper drives for the local Crisis Pregnancy Center.
Spring Can't Be Far Away
In fact, it's less than a week away. The sun has been shining bright against dappled skies here in Front Royal and it seems that spring certainly is on its way.
Chef Ron and the kitchen crew seized the opportunity and celebrated the closing of midterms with a barbeque at lunch on Thursday. Students enjoyed marinated chicken fresh off the grill and classic cook-out fare like mac 'n' cheese, baked beans, and corn on the cob.
March 20 starts the spring season officially, but it seems like it's already here at Christendom College.
Midterms and a Respite
Midterms have been in full swing this week, creating quite a buzz on campus and keeping the study carrels full in the St. John the Evangelist Library. Freshmen had a lot to prepare for, with such infamous midterms as Mr. O’Herron’s Theology 102 exam, and Dr. Cuddeback’s Philosophy of Human Nature midterm.
Sophomore Colin Kunath organized a movie night, Thursday, for the freshmen guys who have completed their midterms. “I understand how stressful midterms can be second semester,” Colin explained. “I think it’s good to have something to look forward to.”
The feature film for the night was the American classic, The Sandlot—a film about a boy who moves to a new neighborhood with his mom and stepdad, and wants to learn to play baseball. The neighborhood baseball guru takes the boy under his wing, and soon he's part of the local baseball buddies.
Those freshmen that attended were also able to enjoy hot dogs, homemade chili, and an assortment of desserts provided by various upperclassmen.
“I want to give the freshman an opportunity to rejoice in the fellowship and camaraderie here at Christendom,” Kunath said.
Station Churches and Lenten Graces
Hello once again from the sunny city of Rome!
I was looking back at one of Matt Anderson's Rome Reports from last semester (don't ask) and he said that the hardest part of writing this is coming up with clever greetings and send-offs... I totally agree.
As we come to the end of Lent, I wanted to share with you a very special Roman tradition: station churches. Christendom students who have come to Rome in the past will be familiar with this ancient tradition, but since I wasn’t really sure what it was until I got here, I figured I would offer some enlightenment.
A station church is one that is chosen, usually during Lent but also sometimes during Easter or on other holy days, for special morning and evening Masses. This tradition goes back as long as Christianity itself in Rome, so all the way back to the third century A.D. In ancient days, the practice was an opportunity for the Holy Father to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass with faithful all over the city as they venerated the relics of the martyrs.
The twenty-five oldest churches in Rome, called titular churches, are always included as station churches, as are the larger, more famous churches like St. John Lateran and St. Maria Maggiore. For us English-speakers, Masses are held at 7:00 a.m., making attendance quite the Lenten penance!
All of this explanation is merely a long build-up to what we experienced this past Sunday when St. Peter’s was the station church. That day was significant because it is the one day each year when Veronica’s Veil is brought out for veneration.
The high altar was covered in beautiful gold reliquaries, the choir chanted the Latin psalms, and we all processed around the nave immediately following Vespers. The liturgy was led by dozens of priests, bishops, and cardinals (including the Patriarch of Constantinople, who was in Rome visiting the Holy Father).
Immediately afterwards, the Veil was brought out in a jeweled reliquary onto the balcony about the statue of Veronica holding her Veil, near the main altar of St. Peter’s. After we were blessed by this sacred relic, it was taken back to where ever it will remain until next Lent. That same day was also the feast day of our patroness, St. Frances of Rome, and several students made the pilgrimage to her house to see the convent that she founded and lived in for several years.
As the Christendom campus prepares for a long Easter Break, the Rome Program students are just gearing up for a jam-packed Holy Week. We will begin this weekend with St. Philip Neri’s Seven-Church Pilgrimage and Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square. We should have a chance to catch up on a lot of last-minute Lenten penances while waiting in line for all the Holy Week services. I hope that you all have an excellent break and a grace-filled Holy Week.
St. Lawrence and St. Frances of Rome, pray for us!
Ciao!
In
honor of the 30th Anniversary of Christendom College
the Chronicler Online takes a peek into the past
of the college each week.
A Thespian Tradition
The students of Christendom have a great tradition of dramatic talent. Under the guidance of faculty and staff (or often under their own direction) students have produced countless productions.
One of the first productions ever was Barefoot in the Park, which was directed by Barbara Hamond who worked in the college’s business office.
Past Christendom Productions have included: Our Town, The Mouse Trap, Hamlet, Fiddler on the Roof, Cheaper By The Dozen, Much Ado About Nothing, Harvey, You Can’t Take It With You, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lady Windermere's Fan, The Cocktail Party, An Ideal Husband, and many others.
Christendom Rugby: Round Two
Last year Crusader Rugby made its highly anticipated debut as it played several games last year against the likes of Washington and Lee and the Franciscan University of Steubenville. The team proudly displayed their new polos in class last spring and then proceeded to dirty them in some hard fought matches.
In their inaugural game against Washington and Lee, one official told the team that they looked like a seasoned, experienced squad; nothing like a first year program. The ruggers took pride in that and continued to push forward. Now with that praise still ringing in their ears, the team has been focusing on building from last season’s initial campaign. They practice everyday with a top-notch work ethic, running Campion Field ragged and often emerging in the cafeteria every night for dinner caked in mud.
Coach Mike Miller works the team hard, running drills, intense exercises, and of course working the team out on the scrum sled. The dedication the players have to the sport plays a huge role in spurring the team forward. Captains Kieran DuFrain and Zach Miller make sure the rest of the players are serious about playing and participating. DuFrain in particular is a solid athlete who also plays on the soccer team and he plays with a tremendous passion for the game. “Kieran is a great captain,” said freshman Bill Waller. “He’s small and yet a fierce competitor.”
Obviously, the players devote a large portion of their time to rugby, but like all the other sports programs they still gather for weekly study hall where they also stay focused on academics. Said Waller, “We really come together as a team not only on the playing field, but also in the classroom.”
This second year of Christendom rugby should be an interesting one and will definitely excite all of Christendom as it watches its new program take on opposing schools. “We have put a lot of preparation into the upcoming season. We practice two hours a day, Monday through Thursday and at least three hours every Saturday, rain or shine and we are looking forward to the results,” said Waller. With the heart and effort the team puts into it, there can be no doubt opposing schools will be hard pressed to come up with wins.
Q: Would Christendom ever allow artwork on campus that contradicted Church teaching or that was insulting to God, Mary, or the Saints? I heard recently that another Catholic university had problems with this and that the president talked about balancing academic and artistic freedom with preservation of "Catholic character." My question to you is, how would Christendom have handled something like this?
–G.K., Dallas, TX
A. This is an easy question to answer. We would always know what kinds of things are going on our campus PRIOR to them happening. We have a very good system by which anything gets done around here, whether it is a student activities event, a lecture by a certain academic department, or a performance by an artist or musician.
All events have to be schedueld with one person, and that person works directly under our President, Dr. O'Donnell. We have had lots of various art shows, plays, performances, and speakers, and none of them have ever been contrary to the Catholic Faith, in fact, normally, these events help the students in their appreciation of Catholicism.
So, the chances of something like this ever happening on our campus is slim to none, and in our 30 year history, nothing like this ever happened in the past.
Thanks for asking!
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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