To Restore All Things in Christ: Inside the Catholic College That Refused to Compromise
What happens when a former deist, converted Catholic, and Triumph magazine contributor decides the only answer to the collapse of Catholic higher education is to start over from scratch?
Meet Christendom College—the four-year Catholic liberal arts college in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley that has produced 108 priests, countless religious sisters, and thousands of faithful Catholic professionals since its founding in 1977. While other Catholic colleges compromised with secular culture, Christendom held the line—and flourished.
Nearly 50 years later, its largest-ever graduating class of 132 students walked across the stage in May 2025, and the college's stunning new $30 million Christ the King Chapel—blessed by Pope Benedict XVI himself—stands as a monument to what Catholic education can achieve when it refuses to compromise.
Born from Crisis, Built on Faith
The 1960s and 70s were a catastrophe for Catholic higher education in America. College after college abandoned its Catholic identity, watered down its theology, and embraced the sexual revolution and secular progressivism.
Dr. Warren H. Carroll saw this devastation firsthand.
Carroll had converted from Deism to Catholicism in 1968 and joined the staff of Triumph magazine—a bold, orthodox Catholic publication founded by L. Brent Bozell Jr. When Triumph and its summer programs came to an end, Carroll refused to let the vision die.
In September 1977, with just 26 students and five faculty members, Christendom College opened its doors in a borrowed parish facility in Triangle, Virginia. The mission was clear: "To restore all things in Christ" by forming men and women to contribute to the Christian renovation of the temporal order.
Two years later, the college purchased an abandoned AFL-CIO property in Front Royal, Virginia, for $275,000—establishing the permanent campus that now overlooks the scenic Shenandoah River with views of the Appalachian Mountains.
The Christendom Difference
What makes Christendom unique isn't just its orthodoxy—it's the intellectual rigor that orthodoxy demands.
The 77-Hour Core Curriculum
Unlike colleges where students can avoid philosophy, theology, or Western civilization, every Christendom student completes a demanding core curriculum of carefully selected subjects. This includes:
- Philosophy: 18 credit hours exploring the perennial philosophy
- Theology: 18 credit hours in sacred doctrine
- History: The full sweep of Western civilization
- Literature: Great books from Homer to the moderns
- Political Theory: Understanding the foundations of ordered liberty
- Latin: Because the Church's patrimony deserves to be read in the original
The result? Graduates who can think critically, write clearly, and articulate the Faith with precision and charity.
No Federal Funding, No Strings Attached
Christendom is one of the few colleges in America that refuses all federal funding—including federal student loans. Why? Because federal money comes with federal mandates. By declining federal aid, Christendom maintains complete freedom to uphold Catholic teaching without bureaucratic interference.
Christ the King Chapel: When Pope Benedict Said "It Is Beautiful"
In 2008, the cornerstone for Christendom's new chapel was brought to Vatican City, where Pope Benedict XVI blessed it and reviewed the building plans. His response: "It is beautiful."
That chapel is now complete.
Dedicated on April 15, 2023, the Christ the King Chapel is a $30 million Gothic masterpiece that would be at home in medieval Christendom:
- 2,850-pipe organ designed and installed by Kegg Pipe Organ Builders
- 12 bells from McShane Bell Company housed in twin bell towers
- Stunning stained-glass windows from Beyer Studio
- Restored High Altar and four side shrines by Rugo Stone
- Interior artwork by Christendom alumni artisans
Gothic architecture was chosen deliberately—to "epitomize the name Christendom" and lift hearts and minds toward contemplation of God. In an age of bland, utilitarian church architecture, Christ the King Chapel boldly proclaims the Kingship of Jesus Christ through sacred art and beauty.
The Fruits: 108 Priests and Counting
The proof of a Catholic college is in its graduates. By that measure, Christendom excels:
108 alumni priests have been ordained from Christendom—with four more ordained in summer 2024 alone. Countless alumni have entered religious life as sisters and brothers.
18% of alumni have earned graduate degrees from institutions including:
- Notre Dame Law School
- Harvard University
- University of Virginia
- Oxford University
- The Angelicum in Rome
- Catholic University of America
Alumni serve as:
- Professors at universities like the University of Dallas and Providence College
- The Director of Online Education for the Federalist Society
- Authors, theologians, and Catholic media professionals
- Lawyers, doctors, and business leaders
- Homeschooling mothers and faithful Catholic fathers
In February 2026, alumna Joan Watson '06 released Making a Pilgrimage: A Companion for Catholics—just one example of how Christendom graduates continue contributing to Catholic culture.
Why This Matters
Christendom College exists because one convert looked at the wreckage of Catholic higher education in the 1970s and decided to start over from scratch rather than reform what was already compromised. Nearly fifty years later, the results speak for themselves: 108 ordained priests, a 77-hour core curriculum that no other Catholic college matches, a $30 million Gothic chapel blessed by a pope, and complete financial independence from federal mandates. Christendom proved that a small, uncompromising Catholic college could not only survive but flourish — and its model has inspired a generation of faithful institutions that followed.
How You Can Support
- Consider enrollment: Visit christendom.edu to learn about undergraduate and graduate programs
- Support the mission: Donate to support scholarships and campus development
- Spread the word: Know a high school student seeking authentic Catholic education? Share Christendom
- Visit campus: Experience the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley and the Christ the King Chapel firsthand
- Pray: For the students, faculty, and continued mission of the college
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Are you a Christendom alumnus or current student? Has the college impacted your faith journey? Drop a comment below—we'd love to hear your story!
Find Christendom College:
- Website: christendom.edu
- Chapel: chapel.christendom.edu
- Graduate School: graduate.christendom.edu
- Location: 134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, Virginia
- Phone: (540) 636-2900
- DCB Listing: Find Christendom College on Discover Catholic Business
Sources: Christendom College, Wikipedia - Christendom College, National Catholic Register, Cardinal Newman Society