Christendom College’s late Athletic Director Tom Vander Woude will be posthumously honored with the St. Gianna Molla Award for Pro-Life Heroism at the West Coast March for Life this coming January, as announced by the organization this past week. Vander Woude, who sacrificed his life in 2008 to save his son, is currently having his cause for sainthood investigated, with this award bringing renewed national attention to his extraordinary witness of sacrificial love.
Vander Woude died on September 8, 2008, in a tragic accident at his home in Nokesville, Virginia, while saving his 19-year-old son, Joseph, who had fallen into the family’s septic tank. His heroic death has inspired people around the world in the 17 years since his passing, ultimately leading to a group forming the Tom Vander Woude Guild to promote his cause for sainthood this past year. Christendom’s home Diocese of Arlington has even taken preliminary steps toward opening Vander Woude’s cause for sainthood, including appointing a postulator and vice postulator to investigate and promote it.
Vander Woude with his son, Joseph.
The St. Gianna Molla Award will bring more attention to Vander Woude’s story, helping to promote his cause for sainthood even further. Named for St. Gianna Molla, the Italian physician who chose to carry her child to term despite a life-threatening illness, the St. Gianna Molla Award honors individuals who demonstrate heroic virtue in defense of the sanctity of human life, often through profound personal sacrifice.
Chris Vander Woude, one of Tom’s sons and a Christendom alumnus, is currently traveling throughout the United States to promote his father’s cause and will accept the award on his behalf in January.
“Dad was deeply committed to honoring and safeguarding the sanctity of human life,” said Vander Woude in an interview with Catholic News Agency. “He lived by these values right up to his last breath when he saved my brother Joseph’s life. Following St. Gianna’s example, Dad selflessly gave his life out of love for his child. In a world that often devalues people with Down syndrome, Dad’s final act of love for my brother serves as a powerful testament to the sanctity and dignity of every human life.”
Vander Woude was Christendom’s Athletic Director from 2002-2007.
Vander Woude served as Christendom’s athletic director from 2002 to 2007 and coached the men’s basketball and soccer teams. He also served as the college’s career development director from 2002 to 2005. During his time at Christendom, he mentored countless students both on and off the court, encouraging them to pursue lives of heroic virtue. He was the father of seven sons, five of whom are Christendom alumni.
Seventeen years after his death, Vander Woude’s legacy continues to shape campus life. His name and portrait are displayed at the entrance to the basketball court in St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium, serving as a daily reminder of heroic virtue to student-athletes and visitors alike. A scholarship has been established in his name as well, helping student-athletes attend and excel at Christendom year after year, and his family’s connection to the college endures, with five grandchildren now alumni and four currently enrolled.
To learn more about the Tom Vander Woude Guild, visit here.