Christendom’s Graduate School of Theology held its first academic symposium this past weekend, 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 Front Royal, Virginia, 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.
Fr. Emery De Gaal delivered a talk on “Mary and the Holy Trinity” during the Trinity Symposium.
“This past weekend, we were able to gather in this beautiful setting to step away from the noise that so often surrounds us, joining as friends, new and old, to listen, contemplate, converse, and pray together about the highest mystery of our Catholic faith—the Triune God who is our origin and whose communion is our end,” says Dr. R.J. Matava, Dean of the college’s Graduate School. “This gathering was a foretaste of the ways in which theological reflection contributes to living out daily the way of Jesus. It was beautiful to witness the ways in which this Symposium refreshed the faith of attendees, deepened their understanding, and enhanced their prayer so that they could go forth and share the fruits of this experience with others.”
The day began with a talk from Fr. Thomas Weinandy, O.F.M. Cap., focusing on “The Trinity and Creation.” Following this first talk, attendees attended Mass in Christendom’s new Christ the King Chapel, which was celebrated by Cardinal Burke.
Cardinal Burke celebrated Mass for attendees in Christendom’s new Christ the King Chapel.
In the afternoon, talks on the Trinity were given by Bob Conroy, Dr. Stephen Hipp, and Dr. Phil Rolnick, before Fr. Emery De Gaal delivered a talk on “Mary and the Holy Trinity.” Finally, the day concluded with the keynote address on the Most Blessed Trinity from Cardinal Burke. In his talk, Cardinal Burke explored the mystery of the Holy Trinity, offering a spiritual reflection that flowed from the theological doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
“Our happiness, our joy, and peace lie in Christ alone and in doing with Him all that the Father asks of us,” said Cardinal Burke. “If we trust the Holy Spirit, praying each day to respond obediently to His inspirations, we can be certain that God will give us the grace to accomplish all that He asks of us. The grace given to us by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and strengthened and increased in us through confirmation will not fail to accomplish its work if only we cooperate with it.”
During the day, attendees also had the opportunity to visit a Trinitarian art exhibit sponsored by the Kletschka Foundation, which was held at the nearby Trellis Venue just down the road from Christendom’s campus. The venue featured art from Cyd Wicker, who worked closely with Bob Conroy and Barbara Kletschka, wife of the late Dr. Harold Kletschka, to represent in art the theology of The Most Holy Trinity.
During the day, attendees also had the opportunity to visit a Trinitarian art exhibit sponsored by the Kletschka Foundation.
In addition, the Symposium also offered a Scholars Forum which ran concurrently with the event, offering further academic sessions for interested participants. These sessions were led by college faculty and philosophers from around the world, including from Sweden, who dug even deeper into the Mystery of the Trinity over the course of three days.
The entire Symposium was a beautiful opportunity to grow deeper in faith, as attendees grew in their understanding of the Most Blessed Trinity. Matava hopes that attendees will take what they learned from the Symposium to their communities and invites them to consider continuing to dive deeper into these topics through the Graduate School’s academic offerings.
“The experience had at the Symposium does not have to end with a single day,” says Matava. “If you are thirsting for a deeper knowledge of God, I further invite you to explore the rich courses we offer in person and online at Christendom’s Graduate School of Theology.”
Learn more about Christendom’s Graduate School at graduate.christendom.edu.