Christendom College officially launched its 2026-27 academic year over the weekend of August 21-24, welcoming 166 new students to campus.
This year’s incoming class hails from across the United States, with 27 different states represented, along with the country of Brazil. The class achieved an average SAT score of 1270, with 80% earning academic scholarships, and two CLT10 National Award-winners featured in the class as well. A record 30% are children of Christendom alumni, while 56% competed in the college’s popular Padre Pio Full-Tuition Scholarship Competition. The college’s Best Week Ever (BWE) high school summer program continues to be the largest driver of enrollment at Christendom, with a record 81% of the Class of 2030 attending the Best Week Ever before enrolling—the highest percentage in the program’s history.
New students began arriving on campus on Friday, August 21, for Freshman Move-In Day. Following move-in, new students were welcomed by College President George A. Harne, Ph.D., before participating in Freshman Orientation Seminars on Saturday morning. Once again, members of the faculty led the incoming class through C.S. Lewis’ classic essay Learning in Wartime, providing a fundamental orientation to the intellectual formation that freshmen will undertake over the course of the next four years.
The academic year officially began on Sunday with the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit in Christ the King Chapel, celebrated by the Diocese of Arlington’s Bishop Michael Burbidge. During the Mass, Harne and the college’s entire faculty took the Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, reaffirming Christendom’s unwavering commitment to faithful Catholic higher education.
The academic year officially began with the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit in Christ the King Chapel, celebrated by the Diocese of Arlington’s Bishop Michael Burbidge.
A major new addition to Orientation Weekend came Monday afternoon with Christendom’s inaugural Academic Convocation, formally welcoming students into the college’s academic community and celebrating the start of another academic year.
During the convocation, Dr. Jakub Voboril, director of Christendom’s Honors Program, reflected on the enduring importance of Catholic liberal education before recognizing the first recipients of the college’s new Academic Excellence Student Awards. Each honoree received a scholarly work in recognition of their achievement, with Joseph Harrigan ’29 receiving Boethius’ The Consolation of Philosophy, Marcellina Cavalier ’28 receiving St. Augustine’s City of God, and Clare Rodriguez ‘27 receiving a Greek edition of the New Testament.
Harne also provided a welcome address to the college during the convocation, encouraging students to, much like an orchestra before a performance, “tune” both their minds and hearts before embarking on another year of study.
“Tuning is a kind of orientation,” said Harne. “We’re bringing together disparate individuals into a harmonious whole. This convocation is a chance for us to tune our hearts and our minds in preparation for the coming academic year.”
The college honored the academic achievements of select students during the Academic Convocation, including Clare Rodriguez ‘27.
Harne urged students to cultivate both a desire for wisdom and a deeper communion with Christ while developing a personal “rule of life” to guide their academic, spiritual, and human formation over the course of the coming academic year. He reminded students that their education is not an end in itself, but preparation for service to the Church and the world.
“You were brought to Christendom for a purpose: to participate in and receive a formation for Christ, His Church, and the world,” said Harne. “So, let us pray for one another and set out on this year’s pilgrimage together, inspired by the faith, hope, and charity given to us by our Heavenly Father. Let us run the race set before us.”
Christendom enters the new year on strong financial footing after another record year of fundraising, thanks to many generous donors providing the financial aid needed for students without relying on federal funding, as well as supporting needed updates to campus facilities. These benefactors also helped support the rapid expansion of the college’s free online educational platform, with more than 40,000 new online students encountering the truths of the Catholic faith through courses such as Proving God’s Existence, Theology of the Body, and Becoming a Saint.
To support the college’s continued growth, Christendom welcomed several new staff members over the past year as well. The college’s Student Life Office added Brian Hicks as Associate Dean of Students, Fr. Joseph Rampino as Head Chaplain, Fr. Joseph DeCaria as Assistant Chaplain, and Margaret Catalano as Rome Coordinator. Advancement welcomed John Echaniz as Executive Director of Advancement, Joan FitzPatrick as Director of Advancement Communications, Anastasia Piroch as Advancement Digital Manager, Emily Meli as Alumni & Donor Engagement Assistant, Therese Sullivan as Advancement Events Coordinator, and Luke Rozmajzl as Data Manager. Enrollment welcomed Ben Nguyen as Executive Vice President of Strategic Enrollment & Partnerships and Johnny Hand as Admissions Counselor. Additional hires included Clare Witter as Special Events Manager, Agnese Janaro as Assistant to the Dean of the Graduate School of Theology, and Mary Healey as Academic Success Coach.
Campus facilities likewise saw continued improvements over the summer. St. Kilian’s Café received a refresh as a dedicated student recreation space, St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium mezzanine was renovated with new flooring, paint, and furnishings, and a new music rehearsal space with a practice organ was created in St. Pius Hall. In addition, the college purchased a new property, St. Rita’s, which will now be used as the college’s counseling center. Construction also continues on the new expansion to Madonna Hall as well.
Looking ahead, the college will host a number of major events this fall, including the annual weeklong Eucharistic Mission in September and Homecoming Weekend in October. These initiatives, alongside new programs, staff, and campus improvements, reflect Christendom’s continued commitment to academic excellence, Catholic formation, and vibrant community life.
Watch the full Academic Convocation below:
