A Man I Knew So Little but Owe So Much

The characters who affect our lives can often times be larger than life and small children in the Father's house at the same time. Truly great men are humble, unassuming, and may never realize the great effects that they will have on history and on the world. They touch other people's lives by faithfully following the will of the Father for them. They may not be saints, and we can't know if they are (well, unless the Church says so or until we get to Heaven ourselves), but they are surely disciples in the truest sense.

Yesterday, Dr. Warren Carroll, who I believe to be one such man, passed away. He was a true Christian scholar, and he was not afraid to bring his Faith with him into his works. It's not that Catholicism tainted or distorted his view. Rather, Catholicism was the lens through which he knew he could see the truth. His "History of Christendom" is Catholic in its thinking because Catholicism is the guardian of truth. His writings and works are of incredible value, and I can only hope and pray that they will continue to inspire people to study history.

The further work he did in founding Christendom College will be of inestimable value. It already has been. The College he worked so hard for has deeply affected the lives of thousands of people. I think of my friends, my sister, Liz and myself. So much of who we are and what we think is tied up with our time at Christendom. Through study, community, and friendship at Christendom, we gained a clearer vision of the face of Christ. He founded a place that could be a bastion of Tradition, giving students a place of their own within the history of the Church. There are thousands of us that have received the fruits of his labor.

Personally, I never had the opportunity to really know the man. I read his books, I heard stories about him, but by the time I arrived at Christendom in the Fall of 2005, he had already retired from teaching at the College. I'd see him occasionally - for lectures, special events, and of course, St. Patrick's Day celebrations. For me personally, though, Dr. Carroll remained a great figure of local history. He was instrumental in the place that I was, though I did not know him myself.

However, this local connection to him is something that is powerful in its own right. Sure, I may not have had a personal relationship with him, but there is still an incredible bond. I was in his tradition. I am an heir to his intellectual work, and as such I owe him a great debt of gratitude. I was formed in the community that he worked so hard to start. My wife and I met and grew closer to one another in an environment envisioned by his great intellect. Though I may not have personally known the man, I do know him. All of us Christendom students do. Much of who he is formed much of who we are.

Already today on Facebook, many Christendom students and alumni have been pouring forth praise for this man who affected all of us. I'd like to join my voice to theirs. Some knew him personally, others only distantly, but we all knew him. So far, the pre-dominant sentiment seems to be, "This one man affected so many." Thank you, Dr. Carroll. Requiescat in pace.