President O’Donnell Reflects on Over 30 Years as President

In the spring semester of 1985, Dr. Timothy O’Donnell came to Christendom to teach. He visited the campus in November 1982 and later in the fall of 1984 and was impressed with the college’s core curriculum and with the fact that each aspect of the college—academic and social—was directed toward the consecration of the intellect and will to Christ. From 1985 to 1992, Dr. O’Donnell taught history and theology and served as the vice president of student affairs. He was, additionally, the chairman of the Theology Department, Editor of Faith & Reason, director of student activities, and dean of the Summer Apologetics Institute. In 1992, he was appointed as the college’s third president—a role he would lovingly serve in for the next 32 years.

In this special reflection, Dr. O’Donnell looks back on his time at the college, considers its ongoing importance for the Church, and offers thanksgiving—and a farewell—after over three decades of joy-filled service to the students, faculty, staff, families, benefactors, and friends of Christendom College.

A MISSION NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER

Part of my joyful task as president has been to keep the mission and vision of the College before our eyes. This mission, which has a perennial value, has become even more important given our current cultural confusion and increasingly toxic society.

We are witnessing great advances in science and technology and at the same time horrific moral confusion. The greatest example of this can be seen in the fact that a mother’s womb, the great sanctuary of life and love, has now often become a place of unspeakable violence.

We are a deeply wounded society in need of healing. We live in a world which desperately needs study, reflection, profound prayer, and community. How urgently do we need young men and women deeply educated in the truths of faith and reason to help transform this culture and society, which views tradition as nothing more than a legacy of oppression. Many believe that most etiquette and customs are simply forms of patriarchal stereotyping. The notion that men and women are created in the image and likeness of God is seen as “an illusory barrier to an autonomous self-expression.” The fundamental ends and principles governing society used to be agreed upon and the debate centered on the means best suited to achieve those ends. Today the very ends and principles are no longer held in common and are themselves the subject of debate.

“Tim is the first college president that I really knew well personally and professionally. He is the yardstick by which I measure his peers and I haven’t found any that match him in the excellence he brought to the numerous facets of the job. His legacy will live on not only at Christendom but in the graduates and their families, of which we are blessed to have four. He excelled even more at his other two vocations—which inspire and continue to challenge me to emulate—his love and dedication to his family and church.” — Hon. Rick Santorum

Psychologists have observed a steep rise in adolescent depression, chiefly caused by divorce and the breakdown of the family. Many adults and children are emotionally scarred as a result. Despite multiple means of communication, loneliness has become increasingly characteristic of our modern society. We are not meant to be alone. We need again to return to who Our Blessed Lord proclaimed Himself to be: “the way, the truth, and the life.” He came “that we may have life and have it to the full. For then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

I knew that the answer to our societal problems was here in the Shenandoah Valley when I first visited Christendom in the fall of 1982. After getting off the plane from my home in California, I was struck by the beauty of the surrounding landscape and taken aback at the pioneering spirit found on what then existed of Christendom’s Front Royal, Virginia campus. At that time, very few buildings were on campus, and the college’s student body was just a fraction of what it is today.

After spending time touring the classrooms, I was told that it was time for Mass. Initially, I was shocked that all classes were suspended in order that the entire college community could attend Mass together. That shock only became more pronounced when I witnessed students and families kneeling not only in the chapel but outside of it as well, joyfully awaiting their Eucharistic Lord.

It was in that moment, kneeling on the hard ground, outside of that small chapel, that I knew the answer to society’s problems was here. Forty-two years later, I still believe that to be true.

TRUE FREEDOM IS THE FRUIT OF CATHOLIC LIBERAL EDUCATION

Christendom College has played a vital role in the educational mission of the Church, forming young men and women in the Truth, preparing them not only to be leaders, but also to live a life in pursuit of wisdom. As our mission statement proclaims so beautifully:

“The College provides a Catholic liberal arts education, including an integrated core curriculum grounded in natural and revealed truth, the purpose of which at both the undergraduate and graduate levels is to form the whole person for a life spent in the pursuit of truth and wisdom. Intrinsic to such an education is the formation of moral character and the fostering of the spiritual life. This education prepares students for their role as faithful, informed, and articulate members of Christ’s Church and society.”

“May God bless Dr. Timothy O’Donnell for the enormously important work he has done at Christendom College, with amazing success. I was moved to tears at the dedication of Christ the King Chapel, not only because it was a most important addition to the campus, but because it was
a triumphant sign that the renewal of faithful Catholic education in the U.S. has firmly taken hold and will only grow from here. Dr. O’Donnell will always hold a high place in the history of Catholic education, thanks to his extraordinary leadership and example.” — Patrick J. Reilly, President and Founder, The Cardinal Newman Society

This mission and vision inspired Dr. Carroll and our founding faculty and harmonized with the best in our Catholic tradition, affirmed in Saint John Paul’s great encyclical Fides et Ratio, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis’s Lumen Fidei, and of course the Apostolic Constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae.

Pope Benedict in his historic address at Catholic University stated that “Catholic education is central and essential to the Church’s mission to evangelize.” This is why we rejoice that every year our entire faculty voluntarily make the Profession of Faith and take the Oath of Fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium.

I recall when Belgian Cardinal Jan Schotte visited Christendom College for commencement some years ago, Professor Ray O’Herron went up and thanked him for coming all the way from Rome to be with us. The Cardinal put his hand on Ray’s shoulder, looked him in the eye, and said: “I don’t think you fully realize how important this College is for the life of the Church.”

Our students, as they pursue wisdom through their course of liberal studies, are working to achieve an arduous good —a good that will require a great deal of effort.

For over 45 years now, we have had an outstanding group of faculty mentors: men and women of intellect and moral courage who helped students see what is true, good, and beautiful. We have also been blessed with a gifted staff and team of chaplains who are deeply committed to this educational mission. To this end, ultimately there is only one Master and we are all disciples. The pursuit of wisdom and virtue leads a student to embark on the noble journey to know reality and seek God, learning to use their intellect to think clearly, make distinctions, and act coherently. None of this could happen without your gracious support.

“With the entire Christendom College community and on behalf of the priests, religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Arlington, I offer my sincere thanks to Dr. Timothy O’Donnell for his steadfast leadership and commitment to faithful Catholic higher education. I have often described Christendom as a treasure in this diocese and to the universal Church, and Dr. O’Donnell has played an indispensable role in making Christendom the shining beacon that it is today. For more than 30 years, Dr. O’Donnell has prayerfully guided and built up the college to be a place that forms men and women into Catholic leaders. He is a model for all college and university presidents, and we owe Dr. O’Donnell a debt of gratitude for what he has accomplished for Catholic higher education in this country.” — Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington

As I close out my time as president at Christendom College, I remind our students that they are not alone, but they are in a community of learners. Theirs is not only a community which strives for prudence, justice, courage, and temperance, but also a community in which faith, hope, and charity are operative. It is important for all of us to remember that we have a spiritual mother who conquered “not with a sword in her hand but with the sword in her heart.” She accepted that wound to show us all how much she loves our Blessed Lord and all the members of His mystical body.

She is called the Seat of Wisdom because she has a Son, a Divine Son who is also fully human who let His Heart be pierced that we might enter therein and learn meekness and humility. He loves us more than we could ever love ourselves and desires “all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” Let us recall the overwhelming words of our Blessed Lord to St. Teresa of Ávila when He said, “I would create the whole world just to hear you say ‘I love you’ once more.”

LOOKING BACK WITH GRATITUDE

As I look back on my 39 years at Christendom College, 32 of which were spent as president, my heart is filled with gratitude.

Our Blessed Lord and His Mother have showered countless graces on our college over the years, and words simply cannot do them justice.

There are so many people who must be thanked, who have made Christendom College the thriving center—indeed “the gold standard”—of the renewal of Catholic education.

I would like to thank Dr. Warren Carroll, our beloved founder, for his faith, confidence, and affection he always showed for me.

“Timothy O’Donnell was the ideal successor.” — Warren H. Carroll, Founder, Christendom College

I would like to thank my predecessor, Dr. Damian Fedoryka, who placed me in charge of student life, and from whom I learned a great deal.

I owe thanks to the many members of the Board of Directors, especially the former chairman, Donna Bethell, for so many years of inspired and dedicated service.

Special thanks to our current chairman and alumnus, Stephen O’Keefe, for his steady hand and courageous leadership.

My deep gratitude is also given to all my colleagues in the faculty for their mentorship of our students, the excellence of their teaching, and their commitment to our educational apostolate.

My heartfelt gratitude is also given to all the members of our wonderful staff who kept the college moving forward and have sustained our growth with their professionalism and dedicated service to our mission.

“If Warren Carroll founded and began the building of Christendom, Dr. O’Donnell continued the building and brought the college into the glory of Christendom. Dr. O’Donnell’s profound Catholic Faith, his sincere love for his students, his commitment to Christendom’s goal of restoring all things in Christ, and his inspired leadership have made Christendom what it is today and prepared it for the future. May Tim and his beloved wife, Cathy, who was united with him every step of the way, enjoy a future richly blessed by the loving God they have served so well.” — Anne Carroll, Founder, Seton High School

A special thanks to our beloved alumni and students who have been such an inspiration and gift to me as I witnessed their pursuit of the arduous good of an authentic Catholic liberal arts education. It has been a source of great joy to witness them grow in wisdom and grace over the years.

For all our beloved benefactors and friends, who are essential members of our Christendom family—thank you for all your support over so many years! We simply would not be here, nor have witnessed the growth and success we have achieved together, without your prayers and generosity.

I would like to thank in a special way Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI for the support they showed for the work of Christendom College. I must also acknowledge the faithful support of our shepherds here in Arlington, Bishop Thomas Welsh, Bishop John Keating, and Bishop Paul Loverde, who have been so supportive of our efforts to renew authentic Catholic higher education and given us so many wonderful chaplains over the years. A special thank you for our current shepherd, Bishop Michael Burbidge, who has become a good friend and a source of encouragement and support of our work here at Christendom.

I would like to thank so many Cardinals, Princes of the Church, who have been so supportive over the years, including our beloved Cardinal Jan Schotte as well as Cardinal Burke, Cardinal Dulles, Cardinal Mueller, Cardinal O’Brien, Cardinal O’Malley, Cardinal Pell, Cardinal Sarah, Cardinal Stafford, and our dear friend Cardinal Arinze.

I want to thank all of my assistants over the years with a special word of thanks to my wonderful executive assistant, Mrs. Brenda Seelbach, for all her hard work and support over so many years.

At this time, I would also like to thank my successor, Dr. George Harne, for taking up the task of leading this great institution. I have full confidence in him and know he will be a great president who will defend and advance our mission.

Lastly, I wish to express my love and devotion to my wife, Cathy, who has been with me and supported me with her love, encouragement, and wisdom every step of the way. I wish to thank my beloved children for their support as well during so many years of travel and work. Thank you, Colleen, Niall, Hugh, Bridget, Dubh, Rory, Conor, Kieran, and Declan!

It has been a joy and honor to serve this vital educational apostolate and I look forward to continuing my support until the good Lord calls me home.

To one and all I say thank you and may God bless us all, everyone!

A LASTING LEGACY

Dr. Timothy O’Donnell faithfully served the college as president for over 30 years—two-thirds of the college’s lifetime. Under his leadership, the college has grown exponentially, with new campus buildings—such as Christ the King Chapel—an alumni base that has grown to nearly 4,000 with 166 alumni priests and religious among their ranks, and growth of the college’s endowment from $200,000 to over $38 million while adhering to its commitment of no government funding. Further, under his leadership, Christendom merged with the Notre Dame Institute to form the Christendom College Graduate School of Theology, expanding its offerings to graduate-level theological and catechetical programs. Christendom also expanded internationally during his tenure with the launch of the Junior Semester in Rome in 2002 and the St. Columcille Institute in Ireland in 2013.

Read more from Instaurare Magazine here.