Nestled in Virginia\u2019s Shenandoah Valley amid the breathtaking sight of the Blue Ridge Mountains is Christendom College, a small, orthodox Catholic liberal arts college. For more than a generation, Christendom has been preparing undergraduates to live their faith within families, careers and religious vocations.

Catholic elementary school building in Tri- angle, Virginia, about 45 minutes south of the nation\u2019s capital. Two years later, a permanent campus was established at its present site in Front Royal, 70 miles west of Washington, D.C.

emphasizing its role as an educational apos- tolate, requiring all professors to be Catholic and teach all classes through a Catholic prism. This approach fosters a vibrant campus spiri- tual life and reinforces college regulations consistent with Catholic teachings. The spiri- tual emphasis is so comprehensive that the college says that Catholicism represents \u201cthe air that we breathe.\u201d

Founded:197 7
Type of institution: Small liberal arts college
Setting: Small town
Undergraduate enrollment: 421 (2008\u201309

arts. Christendom has an 84-credit core cur- riculum that constitutes about two-thirds of the four-year program, with heavy emphasis on Catholic theology and philosophy.

President Timothy O\u2019Donnell told us, \u201cThe college has a very clear vision. We stress academics and Catholicism. As a result, we at-

of 450 students, about 30 above its current enroll- ment. Despite its small size, the 421 students in the 2008\u201309 academic year came from 45 states and six other

countries. This was a record enrollment as was the number of freshmen. About half of these stu- dents had been homeschooled.

The portion of male students has increased steadily from 40 percent in 2004 to about 46 percent today.

students, re\ue001ected by a 91 percent freshman retention rate. A few students, a\ue004er receiv- ing the bene\ue000t of the rigorous core curricu- lum program of the \ue000rst two years, choose to

transfer to another college that allows them to major in disciplines other than the six at Christendom. The college understands this and awards a three-year Associate of Arts de- gree to those students choosing to move on. At the 2008 commencement, two students re- ceived an associate\u2019s degree.

ited by the regional Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, prepares students for graduate school and various professions. It also has seen about eight percent of its alumni enter religious life. And, in keeping with its atmosphere of like-minded students and sup- port for family life, approximately 250 \u201calum- nus-to-alumna\u201d marriages have taken place.

School in 1997. Located in Alexandria, Virgin- ia, across the Po- tomac River from Wash i ng ton, D.C., it awards a Master of Arts in

Theological Studies, mostly to adult students. The school holds summer sessions at the Front Royal campus.

cost of studying at Christendom is quite reasonable: $25,478 for tu-

rely on government assistance to pay college costs. The college and its students accept no federal funds or federal aid, including no fed- erally subsidized student loans, to avoid even the potential for government interference in the college\u2019s activities and Catholic identity. The college provides both need-based and merit-based aid and helps students obtain loans from private sources.

A 15-member board (which includes one priest) governs the college. Founding presi- dent Dr. Warren Carroll and current president Dr. O\u2019Donnell are members. Christendom is located within the Diocese of Arlington, and according to the college, \u201cis submissive to the authority of the Bishop of Arlington regard- ing the orthodoxy of Catholic doctrine taught at the College.\u201d Board members take an an- nual Oath of Fidelity.

Among members of a separate advisory board is Catholic journalist Mary Ellen Bork, who said recently of the college, \u201cIt is an is- land of Catholic culture in Northern Virginia that serves the Church and the country.\u201d

Dr. O\u2019Donnell has taught at Christendom since 1985\u2014before that at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles\u2014and was named its third president seven years later. He received both his licentiate and doctoral degrees in

Thomas Aquinas in Rome, known as the An- gelicum. Among other honors, Dr. O\u2019Donnell was named by Pope John Paul II a Consultor

of several television programs for the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) includ- ing Glory of the Papacy and Luke: Meek Scribe

fuller Catholic identity. It does truly permeate the campus. All faculty members are Catholic and annually make a Profession of Faith and take the Oath of Fidelity before the Bishop of Arlington. According to one of these profes-

sors, \u201cThe faculty believes this commitment to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church strengthens our academic freedom, since it frees us from error in fundamental principles upon which our research and teaching are

\u201cChristendom College has a strong com- mitment to providing a comprehensive Fi- nancial Aid Program for its students. The

sistance: need-based aid and merit-based academic scholarships. Financial aid is given to help defray all or some part of the tuition cost. Applicants are expected to pay the cost of room and board, fees, books and living expenses out of their own resources.

\u201cThe Financial Aid Program is funded through the consistent generosity of the College\u2019s donors. Christendom accepts no direct federal aid, nor does it participate in indirect programs of federal aid such

nancial aid applicants are ineligible for any form of federal assistance, either di- rect or indirect, except for Social Security

\u201cAcademic scholarships are based primar- ily on the student\u2019s SAT or ACT scores, as well as high school G.P.A. Because Chris- tendom does not accept Federal funds, it does not use the FASFA, but rather pro- vides its own Financial Aid Form, easily accessed at www.christendom.edu. For more information, please contact Alisa