When I tell people I go to Christendom College, the reaction is almost always the same: a raised eyebrow, a polite smile, and then, “Wait, that super strict Catholic school?”
Yep. That’s the one.
To be honest, I kind of thought the same thing before I enrolled. I wasn’t raised Catholic. I’m a convert who came up through public schools and a typical suburban youth group. From the outside, schools like Christendom seemed rigid, irrelevant, and out of touch with the real world. I figured religion and real life should stay in separate lanes.
Orthodox. Faithful. Free.Sign up to get Crisis articles delivered to your inbox daily
Email subscribe inline (#4)I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Today, I see the genius of a college where faith isn’t just fused to an after-school young adult group but is, instead, integrated into the heartbeat of campus life. Christendom hasn’t just offered me a degree. It has given me clarity and direction. It has given me a foundation—one I didn’t even know I needed.
. . .
More than that, I’ve learned how to think, how to lead, and how to stand firm in a chaotic world. A political science professor of mine once said, “The world can train you in skills. What it can’t train is virtue. That’s up to you.” That stuck with me. Turns out, employers are starving for people who are grounded: people who aren’t swept away by every trend or talking point. Christendom forms people like that.
So, is it “too Catholic”? Maybe—and thank God it is.If you’re on the fence about choosing a faithful Catholic college, especially one as radically Catholic as Christendom, take it from someone who once laughed at the idea: don’t settle for less. Don’t be afraid of a place that challenges you. Don’t write off a school just because it doesn’t chase the culture.
You’ll hear the critics: “It’s too small.” “Too old-fashioned.” “Too Catholic.”
But ask yourself: “Too Catholic for whom?”
I used to think schools like Christendom were weird. Now I wonder how anyone becomes a faithful Catholic adult without them. And I wouldn’t trade my decision for anything.
I Picked One of the Most “Extreme” Catholic Colleges—and It Changed Everything