Summer Conferences

Msgr. Charles Pope discovered his vocation to the priesthood through his work as a church musician, serving as an organist, cantor, and choir director. He entered Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in 1985, earning a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Moral Theology, and was ordained on June 24, 1989, by James Cardinal Hickey. Named a Monsignor in 2005, he currently serves as Pastor of Holy Comforter–St. Cyprian Parish, where he returned in 2007. Msgr. Pope conducts Bible studies, including one at the White House, and holds roles such as Spiritual Director for the Washington Comitium of the Legion of Mary, Archdiocesan Coordinator for the Latin Mass, and Dean of the Northeast Deanery. He has written extensively, taught catechetical courses, preached retreats for priests, and enjoys his multifaceted work as a diocesan and media priest.

Harne is the fourth president of Christendom College. A widely respected and accomplished scholar of music history and the liberal arts, Harne earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University and received master’s degrees from Princeton, St. John’s College, and the University of Washington. La Rocca, Composer-in-Residence at the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Liturgy, is renowned for his Mass of the Americas, hailed as “a cornerstone of modern liturgical composition.” Poterack is an Assistant Professor of Liturgical Music at Christendom College, where he also directs the college choir and Schola Gregoriana, and coordinates the Beato Fra Angelico Fine Arts Program. Sweeney is an Associate Professor of Theology at Christendom College, specializing in sacramental theology, theological anthropology, and the New Evangelization.

Sullivan is an Associate Professor of English Language and Literature at Christendom College. She holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College, an M.A. in English from the University of Dallas, and a Ph.D. in English from The Catholic University of America. Dr. Sullivan specializes in 19th-century British literature, particularly the works of Jane Austen and epistolary literature. At Christendom, she teaches courses including English Romantic and Victorian literature and 19th-century Children’s Literature. Her scholarly contributions feature presentations such as “Saving the Distracted Student: Pedagogical Methods to Encourage a Love of Beauty in Literature” at the ALSCW Conference. Dr. Sullivan is an active member of the Jane Austen Society of North America and the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers.

Ahlquist is President of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, creator and host of the EWTN series “G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense,” and Publisher of Gilbert Magazine. He is the author of six books, and has edited fourteen. He is a Senior Fellow of the Chesterton Library at London, and has been called “probably the greatest living authority on the life and work of G.K. Chesterton.” Dale has given more than 900 lectures at universities, conferences, and other institutions, including Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Notre Dame, Oxford, the Vatican Forum in Rome, and the House of Lords in London. He is also the co-founder of Chesterton Academy, a top-rated Catholic classical high school in Hopkins, Minnesota, which is the flagship of the growing Chesterton Schools Network, which includes nearly 60 high schools in the U.S., Canada, Italy, Iraq, and Sierra Leone.

George Weigel, who is the author of Pope St. John Paul II’s biography and a Distinguished Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, gave a talk titled “The Achievement of John Paul II: A Retrospective" at Christendom's 2024 Summer Consortium.Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Renowned theologian Robert Cardinal Sarah celebrated Mass for attendees of Christendom's 2024 Summer Consortium in the college's Christ the King Chapel, speaking glowingly of Christendom during his homily. Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Christendom professor Dr. Owen Vyner delivered a talk titled “John Paul II on the Family: The Ark of the Domestic Church in the Flood of Modernity” at the college's 2024 Summer Consortium. Learn more about the 2024 Summer Consortium here: https://www.christendom.edu/2024/06/20/cardinal-sarah-george-weigel-patrick-madrid-and-others-discuss-pope-st-john-paul-iis-legacy-at-annual-summer-consortium.

Christendom welcomed President’s Council, Legacy Society Members, and friends for the 2023 Summer Consortium, which focused on the theme "The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis."Professor Michael Brown delivered a talk titled "St. Thomas on Why Freedom and Truth Go Together." He specializes in the study of medieval and modern philosophy. Brown received his B.A. in English language and literature from Christendom College and his M.A. in philosophy from The Catholic University of America. The coordinator for Christendom’s popular mission trips, he joined Christendom’s philosophy faculty in 1993.

Christendom welcomed President’s Council, Legacy Society Members, and friends for the 2023 Summer Consortium, which focused on the theme "The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis."College President Dr. Timothy O'Donnell gave a keynote address for the Consortium titled "Reflections on The Angelic Doctor: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Answer to a Culture in Crisis." He received his early education at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated with B.A. degrees in philosophy and history and an M.A. in Church history. He received a doctorate in ascetical and mystical theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome (Angelicum). Dr. O’Donnell is the president of Christendom College.

Fr. Rocky illuminated the importance of St. Joseph, particularly during this special “Year of St. Joseph” being celebrated in the Catholic Church in 2021. His example as a husband, father, and as protector of the Catholic Church is one to emulate during these confusing times, said Fr. Rocky, pointing to St. Joseph as a guide in the days ahead

On Saturday, participants were treated to a full day of talks, beginning with a lecture from College President Dr. Timothy O’Donnell titled “On Quas Primas — The Universal Kingship of Christ.” Turning to both theology and the history of the Catholic Church, O’Donnell spoke eloquently on the importance of recognizing Christ as King and the need for society to do so again.

Fr. Tom Shepanzyk delves into the demonic evil of Communism. He discusses the genocide, terror, and repression of Communist regimes in the twentieth century.

The speakers of the Summer Conference on Restoring the Divine Plan for Marriage and the Family hold a question-and-answer session.