Jan 20, 2008 / 12:00 pm
Christendom College’s annual summer program for rising high school seniors will be held on its Front Royal, Virginia, campus in two different sessions from June 22 to 29 (one-week) and from July 6 to July 19 (two-week).
The program, now in its tenth year, gives rising high school seniors the opportunity to experience life as a student at an authentically Catholic college, where they will be fully immersed into a fully Catholic atmosphere where academics, friendship, culture, and fun are seamlessly woven together.
As in the past, the college is expecting approximately 100 students from across the country and abroad to spend time soaking up the Catholic Faith and culture in the sometimes hot and always Catholic climate found at Christendom.
“High school students today have so many colleges from which to choose,” says Admissions Director Tom McFadden. “I think that it is important for students to figure out which college fits their needs best. Spending two weeks at Christendom, experiencing dorm life, the culture, the professors, and even the food, can do much to help students determine whether Christendom is the right place for them to spend their college years.”
The program offers classes in literature, theology, philosophy, and history. Classes are held on weekdays from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm, leaving every afternoon and the weekends for a myriad of activities. Students participate in events such as a trip to nearby Washington, D.C. to attend Mass at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and tour the various museums, a Major League Baseball game, canoeing on the Shenandoah River, and a hike through Skyline Drive. A highlight for students last year was seeing “The Phantom of the Opera” at the Kennedy Center.
Students are also introduced to some traditions very particular to Christendom, such as swing dancing, contra dancing, and of course, learning the Virginia Reel while attending College President Timothy O’Donnell’s barn dance.
Mass, Rosary, Eucharistic adoration and the opportunity to go to Confession are part of the program’s daily schedule.
President O’Donnell believes the program is an important part of Christendom’s mission “to restore all things in Christ.”
“The program is an opportunity for students to get to know the college, but we have also seen year after year that this program changes these students for the better. Sometimes two weeks of Christendom-living is enough to change hearts—change lives.”
Over the years, the summer program has drawn nothing but praise from those who have attended.
“I really enjoyed this program!” Elizabeth Wagner of Mount Vernon, Indiana said. “I absolutely loved the dances we learned, how Catholicism is the center of daily life, how traditional everything is, and how much everyone bonded. I have made amazing new friends and love that there is a place where being a strong Catholic is not the minority.”
Catherine Marra of Clifton Park, NY had the same opinion: “It truly was one of the most beneficial and spiritual experiences in my life. I was ecstatic to meet other Catholic people my age, attend a reverent daily Mass, and hear teachers speak Catholic truth. What an atmosphere!”
Application forms for the High School Summer Program are available on Christendom’s website (www.christendom.edu) and limited financial assistance is available on a first-come first-served basis.