A co-founder of Christendom College, he also pioneered Catholic Internet services. We pray intensely for those who have lost their lives, those in harm’s way, and all of the amazing everyday heroes who are providing medical care, ensuring that families have the food and supplies they require and helping neighbors in need. Thank you for all of the sacrifices that you made that contributed to a positive experience this semester. Classes will end on Wednesday, May 5 and the final exam period will take place from May 7 to May 13. Get sufficient rest, time outdoors, healthy food, and vitamins. Our official Christendom College diploma frames and degree frames are the perfect way to preserve your well-deserved diploma while also showing school pride. Details concerning some of the most important steps we are taking are listed below: With all of these steps and others to be detailed on our website, we seek to move forward in the new semester with prudence and common sense as a small residential college. This prudential judgment has been extremely difficult to make but is necessary given a number of factors, including the new recommendations of President Trump, the state of emergency declared by Virginia’s governor, and the recent recommendations of the Center for Disease Control. Immunocompromised students will be eligible for reasonable housing accommodations upon request. Check out this special video preview. We are closely monitoring the situation and looking to officials from the US Embassy and AACUPI, the Association of American Colleges and Universities in Italy, for prudential advice about keeping our students safe and healthy. Danielle recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Christendom College in 2017 with a major in theology. March 6. Promising ethical vaccines to fight COVID-19 have advanced to the later stages of testing. Weekend hours for brunch have been extended. ... Covid-19 is a new strain of coronavirus… Of course, Christendom will be providing in-person instruction again, thanks be to God. One thing is certain – we want students to return to campus in the fall so that our vibrant Catholic educational apostolate and community can again thrive in the way it is intended to. The more He strikes off of what is natural, the more He gives of what is supernatural. Christendom Graduate School’s Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Exercises will be held on Sunday, August 9, 2020, at the Christ the King Chapel of Christendom College (134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630). He is a graduate of the National Journalism Center and earned a B.A. She made the powerful statement that He “wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart in the world. Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, decided that its education “can only truly be offered in-person, with our students studying together and challenging each other to … In an address to Christendom College, Dr. Timothy O’Donnell shares words of encouragement and reassures students, faculty, and staff of his prayers during the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to seeing you very soon. Christendom College, founded in 1977, is a church-affiliated, liberal arts institution.  But if we do trust in Him, He will not disappoint us. Faculty Christendom College admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. I promise salvation to those who embrace it; and these souls will be beloved of God like flowers arranged by me to adorn His throne.” The consecrations to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart that we make regularly at the College reflect our trust in Our Lady’s promises. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever. We ponder the proper mode of human knowing through study, but also from example. Students will return on Sunday, January 17, and classes will begin on Tuesday, January 19. Students in isolation will have access to the internet, course materials, and recorded lectures posted online while in isolation. Students in isolation will not incur class absences. Dramatic steps are being taken in many places to limit the spread of COVID-19 in all sectors. While the college offered 100 percent of classes in-person, there were no recorded COVID-19 cases amongst the student body while classes were in session — a testament to God’s grace and the college community’s perseverance, planning, and … He is a graduate of the National Journalism Center and earned a B.A. I take this opportunity to announce the schedule and protocols that will be in place for next semester. We are located in a rural setting, and in a county that has seen 8 total deaths of those with COVID-19, as of today. The following update regarding the coronavirus was issued to participants of the college’s Semester in Rome and their parents on February 24 from Vice President of Student Affairs Amanda Graf: As I’m sure you are aware, there has been an outbreak of the Coronavirus in northern Italy. Current and prospective students: please visit our COVID-19 Updates pages. I am confident that we can focus on the well-being of our community members while still living out our educational apostolate in a full way. Students in isolation will be provided with meals from the Commons. We sincerely pray that students would be able to return as early as April 14, during Easter week, and that a celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection might coincide with a joyous reuniting of our Christendom Community. Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary for Protection. Senior Meagan Montanari is no stranger to hardship. Christendom College Small Catholic colleges are also preparing for the first school year begun in the shadow of the pandemic. While Christendom is taking reasonable measures consistent with guidance from the CDC and local health officials to manage the risk of COVID-19, it is important for students and parents to understand that the College cannot eliminate the risk of COVID-19 exposure and infections on campus. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. On-campus students who test positive will be isolated in an assigned campus house for ten days. Front Royal, Virginia 22630 In addition to enhanced, regular cleaning of classrooms,Â. Contact Us. We find ourselves in a difficult moment, and I understand that it is not easy to keep anxiety and anger at bay.  Our hope is in Jesus Christ, and He will not abandon us. The following update regarding the coronavirus was issued to Christendom students, parents, faculty and staff from College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell: Pax Christi! At the same time, I am profoundly grateful for the tremendous faith and abandonment to God’s will that I have seen from you in so many ways. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you. Pope Francis was surrounded by symbols of God’s power and fidelity, the ancient icon of Mary Salus Populi Romani from the Basilica of St. Mary Major, and the miraculous crucifix kept in the church of San Marcello which helped to eradicate the great plague in Rome in 1522. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world.” – 1 Peter 5:6-10. Since I last communicated with you, circumstances in the United States concerning the COVID-19 virus have changed rapidly. Yet God’s ways are not our ways, and in this challenging time we should deepen our prayer, asking for insight in how we can best act for his greater glory even now. Most classrooms will only be filled to 2/3 capacity of the normal seating. Based on their information, we do not have any concerns about exposure to the Coronavirus here, but we can minimize the spread of illness by all taking some basic but essential precautions: Thank you for being mindful about keeping our campus healthy! This is a powerful test of our trust and ability to rely exclusively on the One whose sacrifice for our sake shook the heavens and the earth as He conquered death itself. The coronavirus situation and the events it has triggered have affected many in our community, and has also required us at the Graduate School to make some difficult decisions regarding our summer program this year. Sundays Mass will be at 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 8:00 p.m. They will also have access to online resources and recorded lectures. One deep blessing from our time apart is a growing appreciation—for all of us—of how important the in-person, on-campus experience is for a school such as ours. Additionally, $1,000 of the Rome fee will also be refunded to the students as a credit to their account. We will enter the semester planning to have a spring break from March 6 to March 14. She developed a deep appreciation and love for Christendom after transferring to the college after attending two universities in Canada, where she was born and raised. We feel it is important to limit the possibility that our students could be detained in other countries or put into mandatory quarantine. “This plan has been reviewed by the State Council of Higher Education and has been found to be compliant in containing the required components of the ‘Higher Education Reopening Guidance,’ which was developed in consultation with the Virginia Department of Health.”, Christendom College Like St. Augustine and his companions, we need not be afraid. We will update you as the situation progresses. Given the latest restrictions, however, and the spread of the COVID-19 virus, this possibility is beginning to appear less and less likely. If the situation with the virus appears to stabilize and prudence allows us to resume on-campus classes with the short delay, we will do so on Monday, March 23. I pray that all is well with you and that you are enjoying Spring Break. We are making arrangements for faculty members to teach classes via correspondence. We will be contacting students with more information about these courses in the coming days. Christendom College has decided to take the following steps to ensure the health and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff, especially the most vulnerable members of our community: I am deeply saddened that our students cannot receive their full residential educational experience during this time. Cast all your worries upon him for he cares for you.  Be sober, be watchful. Front Royal, Virginia 22630 He is the founder of Trinity Communications and CatholicCulture.org. Christendom Graduate School’s COVID-19 Response: Important... Facebook; Twitter; © 2019 Christendom College Graduate School of Theology Off-campus students who test positive will ask to isolate at home for ten days. Monitor yourself regularly for signs of COVID—a fever of 100.4 or higher, loss of taste or smell, unexplained fatigue or muscle aches, or respiratory problems. Pax Christi! We also wish to provide professors with adequate spacing from students in each classroom. Mar 19, 2020. Naturally, with the COVID-19 virus growing in intensity in the United States and around the world, many of you have questions about returning to campus, as well as the College’s current plans and those that may be put into effect should the risk in the area around the College rise. He is loved at first for His gifts, but when these are no longer perceptible He is at last loved for Himself. I have been truly inspired by the efforts of our tremendous faculty to deliver high quality instruction in less-than-ideal circumstances. In addition, the College has: The College has taken the following measures for the benefit of our Faculty and Staff: Dear Christendom students, faculty and staff. For Christendom College in … Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today, especially for protection and healing for all peoples, entrusting to you our College community, parishes, priests, religious, Bishops, families, healthcare workers, and each one of us. I pray that this email finds you well. Thanks be to God, we had a blessed and successful semester, in large part thanks to your prayers and attentiveness to your health and the well-being of others. February 24: Update to Semester in Rome Participants & Parents. What a powerful message God can convey through us if we let Him, showing others our faith in a life after this earthly existence, and our hope in Our Savior who bears our suffering and sin to make possible our eternal happiness. I am grateful to these College leaders for their excellent and timely work. In light of these realities, we are moving forward with reasonable modifications for the good of our particular community. The following update regarding the coronavirus was issued to parents of participants of the college’s Semester in Rome on February 29 from Vice President of Student Affairs Amanda Graf: As we mentioned in our previous communication, we are watching the situation in Italy concerning the Coronavirus very closely.  The U.S. State Department has just advanced their travel advisory for all of Italy to Level 3 based in part on the CDC’s increased Level 3 warning that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Italy. Given the likely increased restrictions both here and abroad that will result from this decision (in Italy and countries receiving travelers from Italy) as well as the complexities that will result in Rome itself for our program, I am very sorry to inform you that we have decided to end our semester in Rome. This decision was not made lightly, and it breaks our hearts that the students will not be able to experience the entire Rome semester. Our faith and peace of soul is surely meant to be a shining light needed by a weary and broken world. May our quiet reflections on the Holy Family’s journey toward the manger prepare our hearts for all He will ask of us in our lives both now and always. Each frame is made here in the USA and custom-sized to fit the official Christendom College diploma. President Trump just announced an extension of social distancing guidelines until April 30.  Today, Virginia’s governor, Ralph Northam, announced a “stay at home” order for Virginia, which, at this time, extends through June 10.  The order explicitly requires institutions of higher learning to cease any in-person classes and cancel all gatherings of more than 10 individuals.  Given these developments, and for the safety and well-being of our Christendom Community, Christendom College will extend “online-only” instruction and keep the residential aspects of its programs closed for the remainder of the semester. The opportunity to deepen our love of Christ, especially in this moment of crisis, is especially great. Christendom College, based in Front Royal, Va., decided Feb. 29 to suspend its Rome-based study abroad program beginning March 6. 2:43. The College is prepared to safely and prudently quarantine and isolate on-campus students while providing them with housing, meal services, and access to class lectures and materials. I write primarily to update you regarding the College’s response to the Covid-19 virus. We provide the following information related to our decision to offer only online instruction through the end of the semester: In this moment it feels as if so much of what we rely upon is being stripped away. I was deeply moved to see our Holy Father, alone and seeming somewhat frail, interceding for us in the Piazza of St. Peter’s Basilica last week, delivering his special Urbi et Orbi message. We all bear responsibility for prudent restrictions at this time. While there have been some cases outside of China, there are only 5 confirmed cases in the U.S., none of which are in our area. Our liberal arts education is bolstered and supported by a robust faith environment and critically important social formation. Christendom is blessed to be a small, residential College with less than 500 students living on campus. We are located in a rural setting, and in a county that has seen 8 total deaths of those with COVID-19, as of today. Count on my continued prayers for you and your families as we move forward in trust and peace. While not required, students are welcome to wear face coverings and practice social distancing. The following update regarding the coronavirus was issued to the Christendom community on Jan. 30 from Vice President of Student Affairs Amanda Graf: You may have heard of the Coronavirus, a respiratory virus that has been spreading in China. Let us turn to her now as we return to campus in the days ahead. Current mandatory government restrictions on group tours and outings are already limiting our ability to conduct our normal program. March 9: Update to Christendom Students, Parents, Faculty and Staff. Please review the updates from the Dean of the Graduate School on our COVID-19 response page. In the event of a move to online instruction, we hope this will be temporary and to be able to resume regular on-campus classes by Easter. There are now more than 800 known cases of coronavirus in Italy. Christendom@ Project. Yet we must still be prudent in this moment of difficulty for the world. COVID-19 is here. Since I last communicated with you, circumstances in the United States concerning the COVID-19 virus have changed rapidly. Neither is she a stranger to grace. I ask that you join me in prayer for the situation worldwide.  We must pray for calmness, charity, and care for the affected, as well as an end to the outbreak.  The Holy Father’s prayer for these intentions can be found below.  We will be praying this prayer together at the college for the foreseeable future and hope you will do so as well. 100% ONLINE OR IN THE CLASSROOM. With COVID-19 transmission continuing nationally, it is possible that some students will be exposed to COVID-19 during the upcoming academic year and that infections will result. Registrations will be accepted through June 15, 2020. 134 Christendom Drive Ultimately it is our care and concern for the students that motivates us to make this decision. The college was founded in 1977 and is located in Front Royal, Va. We trust to your gentle care and intercession, those whom we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting. Monitor yourself regularly for signs of COVID—a fever of 100.4 or higher, loss of taste or smell, unexplained fatigue or muscle aches, or respiratory problems. With this reality in mind, we will take the following steps in the area of student life: The College has adopted a set of infectious disease quarantining and isolation protocols that include best-practice steps for COVID-19. Christendom College. Pax Christi! You are all in my prayers as we continue along our Holy Season of Lent. Christendom College brought its fall semester to a close on Thursday, December 11, marking the end of a remarkably successful semester. As schools reopen this fall, some Catholic colleges are shifting to online courses due to the coronavirus pandemic, accelerating a trend toward digital learning even … Masses are closed to everyone except students, faculty, and staff to ensure they have access to Mass while seating is reduced in the Chapel. 540.636.2900 | 800.877.5456 As you know, the College has been working for many months now to navigate current events and work toward safely reopening in the fall of 2020. While we hope all of our students will be able to engage fully in our programs, students who are suspected or confirmed to have a COVID-19 infection may be required by the College to quarantine or isolate if recommended by guidance from the CDC, local health officials, or as required by a medical provider and College policies. Our Lady of Fatima outbreak that countries can make sudden decisions about quarantines and travel. Through June 15, 2020 remarkably successful semester Institute this year able receiveÂ. 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