The life of the college is ordered to Wisdom in its fullest sense, an ordering that engages the whole person. In light of this orientation, it is natural that the spiritual growth of the college’s members is of great importance. In a felicitous phrase, our college has been called “the Church at study.” This observation unites our immediate purpose–the study that leads to wisdom–with our identity as Christians. As the latter we recognize that the Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life” and for this reason the college invites its students to enter deeply into the sacramental and liturgical life of the Church during their four years.
At Magdalen College we seek to provide our students with liturgies marked by beauty and reverence, drawing deeply on the great liturgical traditions of the Church. Our chaplain celebrates Mass in the Ordinary Form throughout the week and the Extraordinary Form (a sung High Mass) once per week.
The college’s academic year unfolds according to the rhythms of the liturgical year. The liturgical highlight of the year comes during the liturgies of the Paschal Triduum. On Feast Days such as the Immaculate Conception, the college’s offices are closed and the distinct nature of the Feast is marked in special ways.
“The goal of our pastoral and catechetical work, the object of our preaching, and the focus of our sacramental ministry should be to help people establish and nurture that living relationship with Christ Jesus our hope’”.
– Pope Benedict XVI from the address given to the US Bishops during his visit to the US on April 16th, 2008
Magdalen College is honored to have Father Stephen Rocker serving in the Office of Spiritual Life. Father Rocker celebrates Mass on campus on Sundays and on weekdays. He also has appointed times for confession each day and is available for spiritual direction.
Fr. Rocker is liberally educated and has earned degrees in philosophy and theology. He has twenty years of experience teaching undergraduate courses in philosophy. He was ordained in 1979 as a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg, NY. Most recently, he served as pastor of parishes in Colton and Potsdam, NY.
At Magdalen College we seek to integrate a rich liturgical life with the great devotional traditions of the Church. Students gather each day in the chapel to pray Morning and Evening prayer and the rosary. Compline is sung each evening in the residential chapels (where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved). Adoration is offered on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, and on Sunday evenings, Benediction and sung Compline are included. Confession is offered after every Mass. Students gather to recite the rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily. A wide variety of other devotions play a role in the spiritual lives of our students.
Spes Vitae (Hope for Life) is the pro-life club at Magdalen College. The mission of the club is to actively promote a culture of life through concrete means such as pro-life holy hours, volunteering at local pregnancy help centers, witnessing in prayer at abortion clinics, participating in local pro-life events (e.g., annual N.H. March for Life, etc.). Through these activities, the club benefits the college community as well as society at large by providing a formal means of public discipleship. The clubs pro-life efforts are complemented by the work of the Dignitas Scholars, the World Youth Alliance chapter, and the college’s Knights of Columbus council.
In the fall of 2012, a new confraternity, the Confraternity of Saint Joseph, was established on campus. This group meets bi-weekly at the president’s home for a home-cooked meal, spiritual reading, prayer, and fellowship. All of the incoming freshmen men are welcome to join the Confraternity each year, marking their entrance formally with the reception of the scapular of Saint Joseph.
In the Sodality of Mary, young women from the college gather bi-weekly with the wife of the president for a time of food, prayer, fellowship, and mutual encouragement. Each gathering begins with prayer (often including lectio divina) and is followed by discussions of topics that affect Catholic women at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Following the discussion, the women enjoy a good home-cooked meal and great conversation.
Students will have the opportunity to take one of the following courses for college credit. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and consider whether they might like to pursue that academic discipline as a potential college major. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Theology of the Body: The Deeper Meaning of Love, Sex, and Marriage (1 credit) – Dr. Ryan Messmore
LIMITED SPOTS REMAINING
When it comes to romantic relationships and marriage, today’s culture is awash in confusion. The Church calls people to see a deeper meaning to sexual desire and marriage. But what is that, and how can it be pursued in modern times? Saint Pope John Paul II has provided valuable teaching in this area. Along with his “Theology of the Body,” this course will explore the nature of love, the meaning of betrothal and marriage, and sexual ethics from a Christian perspective. Class discussions will be theological and philosophical as well as practical.
Philosophy & Humanities: Friendship in Western Culture (1 credit) – Dr. Brian FitzGerald and Dr. Erik Van Versendaal
LIMITED SPOTS REMAINING
One of the most important features of human experience is friendship. Drawing on the great books of Western culture in literature, history, philosophy, and theology, from Aristotle and St. Augustine to Jane Austen and C.S. Lewis, this course will reflect on the nature of friendship across the centuries. Why do we need friends? What makes a good one? What are some obstacles to friendship? What happens as friends grow and mature in different ways?
Christ in Scripture (1 credit) – Deacon Karl Cooper
LIMITED SPOTS REMAINING
“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” In this course we will seek to meet and understand Christ as he presents himself in all the Scriptures. We will read, discuss, enjoy, and pray through the most crucial texts, and focus our work on the living and present Christ.
$395.00 USD
Tuition includes room and board. The purchase of a book may be required for some classes. Students should bring spending money for off-campus trips.
Students will have the opportunity to take one of the following courses for college credit. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and consider whether they might like to pursue that academic discipline as a potential college major. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Physics: Understanding Boomerangs, Billiard Balls, and Balance Beam Routines (1 credit) – Mr. John Klucinec
ENROLLMENT OPEN
This course explores the laws of motion as described by Galileo and Newton by reading and discussing these authors and through classroom experiments. Students will gain an understanding of physics in concrete phenomena through studying air flight, fluid dynamics, the aerodynamics of the boomerang, the motion of billiard balls, and the physics of gymnastics and diving.
Poetry and Politics in the Western Tradition (1 credit) – Dr. Mary Mumbach
ENROLLMENT OPEN
This course will examine poetic form and political form in the tradition of the West. Students will explore, in particular, how the Incarnation shapes the roles of imagination, prudence, and the heroic in literature and political philosophy. Readings in poetry, fiction, and American Founding documents will be considered.
Moral Philosophy: How Do We Make the Right Decisions? (1 credit) – Rev. Fr. Stephen Rocker
THIS COURSE IS NOW FULL – A WAITLIST IS AVAILABLE
Natural law morality and utilitarianism are incompatible frameworks of moral reasoning, yet elements of both are mixed in the public mind. Catholic moral teaching and the Western system of law are grounded in natural law. This course will present these two moral frameworks and apply them to moral issues.
$395.00 USD
Tuition includes room and board. The purchase of a book may be required for some classes. Students should bring spending money for off-campus trips.
Students will have the opportunity to earn one college credit by taking one of the following courses offered at Magdalen College. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and discover if it could lead to a college major or area of focus. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer liturgy, and sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Myth in Philosophy: Seeking Wisdom through Poetry and Story (1 credit) – Dr. Erik van Versendaal
What is the relationship between poetry and philosophy? Why does speaking about ultimate things lead philosophers into the realms of poem and story? This course considers philosophical works that are undertaken in a poetic mode alongside poems that express philosophic truth.
Physics: Understanding Boomerangs, Billiard Balls, and Balance Beam Routines (1 credit) – Mr. John Klucinec
This course explores the laws of motion as described by Galileo and Newton, by reading and discussing these authors and through classroom experiments. Students will gain an understanding of physics in concrete phenomena: through the aerodynamics of the boomerang, the motion of billiard balls, fluid dynamics, air flight and the physics of gymnastics and diving.
Theology of the Body: The Deeper Meaning of Love, Sex, and Marriage (1 credit) – Dr. Ryan Messmore
When it comes to romantic relationships and marriage, today’s culture is awash in confusion. The Church calls people to see a deeper meaning to sexual desire and marriage. But what is that, and how can it be pursued in modern times?
$325.00 USD
Students will experience the joy of learning in a variety of liberal arts fields, including courses in literature, philosophy, theology, and politics. Taught primarily in Socratic-style seminar discussions, these courses allow students to read classic texts and wrestle with big questions across a range of disciplines. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, and sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
$125.00 USD