Christendom College hosted a record-breaking summer for its Best Week Ever high school program (BWE), with 330 rising high school seniors coming from 38 states as well as from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Spain, attending five week-long sessions. The most popular, well-attended, and highly ranked program of its kind, the Best Week Ever immersed students in Christendom’s academics, spiritual life, and vibrant Catholic culture, with each weeklong session offering students a chance to learn the Truth, live the Faith, and thrive with like-minded young Catholics.
“Christendom stands out among Catholic colleges for the joyful Catholic culture that permeates all aspects of life—from the classrooms and chapel to the Commons, residence halls, and athletic fields,” says Director of Admissions Sam Phillips. “Summer program participants are consistently struck by how impactful and life-changing a single week can be as they experience the joy of learning this time-tested education and living a fully integrated Catholic life.”
That joyful immersion left a lasting impression on many students, including Gwenevere from South Plainfield, New Jersey.
“I was able to spend a week immersed in joy, wonder, and the transcendentals,” she shares. “I lived and prayed on a beautiful campus and adored in an ethereal chapel. I was surrounded by like-minded students from diverse backgrounds, all united by a common yearning for the Lord. This experience has changed me. Christendom didn’t simply label itself Catholic—it was rooted in it. The students lived it, breathed it, and invited everyone into it.”
Each day during The Best Week Ever, students took classes in history, literature, theology, and philosophy, learning from Christendom’s engaging professors and getting a taste of the college’s challenging and rewarding curriculum.
“I’ve never experienced more in a single week,” says David from Mableton, Georgia. “The professors were so knowledgeable and engaging. I felt like I learned more in just that week than I had the whole previous year.”
Jude from Austin, Texas, echoed that sentiment, reflecting on the spiritual and intellectual depth of the program.
“There was joy in the thought-provoking classes, the wonderful food, the fun activities, and the all-enveloping context of prayer, sacraments, and the Christian life,” he says. “From the time I converted to Catholicism until now, I have longed for a deep Catholic community with fellow peers who are striving for the same goal of holiness as I am. As I was reflecting over my experience on my flight home, I came to see how much that one short week had shaped—and will continue to shape—not only my life but also my experience of the Catholic faith.”
Each summer, on the end-of-the-week survey, BWE participants give an average rating of an incredible 4.75 out of 5. At least 65% of each year’s freshman class are BWE alumni, a powerful testament to the program’s impact.
“In just a week, I felt formed for the better intellectually, socially, and spiritually,” says Laura from the Woodlands, Texas. “The week cemented my love for the thoroughly Catholic culture at Christendom and inspired me to spread that culture everywhere. In one week, I grew so much as a person and a Catholic.”
Christendom will offer five one-week sessions of The Best Week Ever again in Summer 2026. The Early Bird Application will open November 1 at www.thebestweekever.com.
To view photos and testimonials from past sessions, visit here.