Christendom College welcomed Robert Cardinal Sarah, George Weigel, Patrick Madrid and other distinguished guests for its annual Summer Consortium event, focused on the theme of “Preserving the Legacy of Pope St. John Paul II.” Featuring talks from Cardinal Sarah, Weigel, and members of Christendom’s faculty, the event provided a rich intellectual and spiritual journey for participants as they discussed how Pope St. John Paul II’s legacy continues to impact the world today.
Each year, Christendom hosts an exclusive Summer Consortium event for the college’s President’s Council, St, John Paul II Legacy Society members, and others, providing them with a weekend representing the height of the Christendom College experience. The weekend kicked off on Friday with Vespers celebrated by Cardinal Sarah in Christendom’s Christ the King Chapel, followed by the first public swinging of Christendom’s botafumeiro. The botafumeiro — a large, silver-plated brass thurible — will be a celebrated feature of the chapel, with the botafumeiro being swung on special liturgical occasions.
Following Vespers and the unveiling of the botafumeiro, radio personality Patrick Madrid, who served as Master of Ceremonies for the entire weekend, introduced the first talk from George Weigel. Weigel, who is the author of Pope St. John Paul II’s biography and a Distinguished Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, gave a talk titled “The Achievement of John Paul II: A Retrospective,” diving deep into Pope St. John Paul II’s life.
During his talk, Weigel explored Pope St. John Paul II’s many achievements and how he “embraced the great commission to go and make disciples of all nations.” Weigel explained how, over the course of his 26 and a half years as pontiff, Pope St. John Paul II revitalized the Church, promoted the “new evangelization,” and was instrumental in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, creating a lasting legacy that is still felt in the world today.
“This 21st century apostle, who urged 1.2 billion Catholics to become missionary disciples, ushered in the Church of the third millennium,” said Weigel. “He called this Church the Church of the ‘new evangelization,’ in which the ecclesiastical institutions defended and preserved by the Counter-Reformation Church would be transformed into platforms for mission. In doing so, John Paul II completed a transition that had begun in the late 19th century when Pope Leo XIII called the church to engage the modern world in order to convert the modern world.”
Following his talk, Weigel was also awarded the college’s Pro Deo et Patria Award for Service to God and Country, in recognition for his tremendous efforts to advance the Church in America during his illustrious career.
On Saturday, participants were treated to a full day of talks, hearing from Christendom professors Dr. Joseph Arias, Dr. Owen Vyner, and Dr. Daniel McInerny about Pope St. John Paul II’s impact on life issues, on the family, and even his legacy as an actor. McInerny’s talk, in particular, featured scenes from his upcoming play, The Actor, with Christendom students and alumni bringing Pope St. John Paul II’s time as an actor to life for the delight of the college’s benefactors.
Following the praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell and incoming president Dr. George Harne closed the afternoon with a seminar discussion, titled “Nove Millenio Ineunte: Charting the Path in the New Millenium.”
On Saturday evening, a delicious dinner, provided by award-winning college Executive Chef Don Higby, preceded the keynote address from Cardinal Sarah. Cardinal Sarah, who was awarded an honorary doctorate from Christendom in 2022, delivered an address aptly titled: “The Legacy of St. John Paul II.”
In his address, Cardinal Sarah reflected on Pope St. John Paul II’s impact and legacy, particularly emphasizing his unwavering commitment to the Catholic faith and the Church’s teachings.
“Through the challenges of the Church divided in the post-Vatican II world, Pope John Paul II melded an uncompromising commitment to the deposit of faith with a dynamic living understanding of that faith by staying centered on the truth who is Christ,” said Cardinal Sarah. “Christ is the source and summit of all that is Catholic, of all that is human.”
He concluded his address by pointing towards Pope St. John Paul II’s unwavering service to Truth, calling on the Catholic Church to continue following in his footsteps.
“Today, we desperately need a church that is a witness to the truth of the human person, that engages in the public square but is not political, that upholds the life-giving witness of the saints and the uncompromising commitment to the truth, that is not moved by ever-changing zeitgeist of secularism, that unifies around the person of Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life and that is not afraid to proclaim that Christ is as a mystical body of Christ,” concluded Cardinal Sarah. “This is our faith. This was the work of Pope St. John Paul II. May his great legacy be preserved by his successors.”
The next day, Cardinal Sarah closed the weekend by celebrating Mass for the community in the college’s Christ the King Chapel. Cardinal Sarah spoke glowingly of Christendom in his homily and visited with anyone who wanted to speak with him after Mass — a highlight of the weekend for the attendees of the Summer Consortium.
The 2024 Summer Consortium provided a unique opportunity for benefactors and friends of the college to pursue wisdom together, all within the context of a rich Catholic culture. The end result was an unforgettable weekend, as all forged ahead in the pursuit of restoring all things in Christ.
For more information on how to be a part of the President’s Council, the St. John Paul II Legacy Society, or how to give to the college, visit here.
To view all talks from this year’s Summer Consortium, please visit here.