- Timothy T.
- O'Donnell
- Professore Invitato
Academic degrees earned
Doctorate in Sacred Theology; Spirituality – Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum, Rome 1982
Licentiate Degree in Sacred Theology; Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum, Rome 1980 Degree received Summa Cum Laude
Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology; Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum, Rome 1979 Degree received Summa Cum Laude
Master of Arts in History; Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles 1977 M.A. Thesis in Irish History; Inducted in Alpha Sigma Nu, National Jesuit Honor’s Society
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy/History; Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles 1974; Inducted into Phi Alpha Theta – National History Honor’s Society
Courses at the Angelicum
Brief biography
Dr. Timothy T. O’Donnell is the President of Christendom College, a four-year, Roman Catholic, liberal arts college with a graduate program in theological studies. Christendom’s 200 acre campus is located on the beautiful and historic Shenandoah River in Front Royal, Virginia. Dr. O’Donnell describes the education offered by Christendom as one “which leads the student to the consecration of the intellect and will to Christ.”
Dr. O’Donnell received his early education at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, California, where he graduated with B.A. degrees in Philosophy and History. He continued there, achieving the M.A. in Church History. He completed his academic pursuits at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome (Angelicum), where he was the first layman to receive a doctorate in Ascetical and Mystical Theology.
In 2002, Dr. O’Donnell was appointed a consulter to the Pontifical Council for the Family by Pope St. John Paul II. Pope Benedict XVI renewed this appointment in 2009. He is a Knight Grand Cross of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and is a member of many other organizations, including the Catholic Academy of Sciences and The Fellowship of Catholic Scholars. He is also on the Board of Advisors for the Institute on Religious Life, the Cardinal Newman Society, and the Institute of Catholic Culture. He received the Cardinal Newman Society Award for “Excellence in Catholic Higher Education,” in addition to the 2012 Bowie Kuhn Special Award for Evangelization from Legatus.
Dr. O’Donnell is the author of Heart of the Redeemer, a theological investigation and spiritual guide to the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; and Swords Around the Cross, a historical investigation of a crucial period in the history of Catholic Ireland. He is a frequent lecturer for EWTN, producing numerous programs of theological and historical interest. Dr. O’Donnell and his wife, Catherine, have nine children and 20 grandchildren. They reside on their farm “Tir Connaill” in Stephens City, Virginia.
Areas of Academic Specialization/Interest
History/Theology of the Papacy; Catholic Apologetics; Catholic Pilgrimage; Irish History; Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; The Nine Years War; Sacred Scripture; The Ancient and Biblical World; Rome;
Associations and Memberships
Consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Family; Knight Grand Cross of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem; Academy of Catholic Theology; The Fellowship of Catholic Scholars; Institute of Catholic Culture; Institute on Religious Life; The Society of Catholic Social Scientists; Cardinal Newman Society; Apha Sigma Nu; Phi Alpha Theta
Academic honors and awards
1995 Recipient of “Cardinal Newman Award” for excellence in Catholic higher education; 2003 Recipient of the Christian Law Institute’s “Christ the King Award” for outstanding service to the cause of Christianizing civil society in America; 2007 Recipient of The Brent Society’s “Distinguished Service Award” for1995 Recipient of “Cardinal Newman Award” for excellence in Catholic higher education; 2003 Recipient of the Christian Law Institute’s “Christ the King Award” for outstanding service to the cause of Christianizing civil society in America; 2007 Recipient of The Brent Society’s “Distinguished Service Award” for constant and courageous commitment to authentic Catholic education; 2010 Named as one of the top Irish Educators in the U.S.A. by Irish Voice; 2012 Legatus Recipient of the Bowie Kuhn Special Award for Evangelization; 2016 Don Bosco award for Catholic Leadership by Angelus Academy; 2016 Named as one of the top Irish Educators in the U.S.A. by Irish Voice; 2024 Defensor Ecclesiae Award, Holy Family Academy constant and courageous commitment to authentic Catholic education; 2010 Named as one of the top Irish Educators in the U.S.A. by Irish Voice; 2012 Legatus Recipient of the Bowie Kuhn Special Award for Evangelization; 2016 Don Bosco award for Catholic Leadership by Angelus Academy; 2016 Named as one of the top Irish Educators in the U.S.A. by Irish Voice; 2024 Defensor Ecclesiae Award, Holy Family Academy
Select Publications
Devotion to the Heart of Christ, J. Aumann, P. Mulhern, T. O’Donnell (Institute of Spirituality, Angelicum, Rome: 1983) and Devotio a Cordi Cristo, Italian trans.
Heart of the Redeemer – 1st edition – Trinity Communications: 1989; 2nd edition – Ignatius Press 1989; 3rd Revised and Expanded Edition – Ignatius Press: 2017 with introduction by Gerhard Cardinal Mueller
Devotion to the Sacred Heart – Legatus, Ann Arbor, MI: 1993
Swords Around the Cross – Christendom Press, Front Royal, VA: 2001
“Reflection on Pope Benedict XVI’s address to Catholic educators.” Anthology of papers of the Catholic Academy of Sciences in the USA, ed. by Lee T. Grady. (McLean, Va.: Catholic Academy of Sciences, 2010. pp. 127-131)
50th International Eucharistic Congress, 2012
Priests after His Heart, June 13, 2012
The Sacred Heart and Mary’s Unique Role as ‘Woman of the
Eucharist’ June 15th, 2012
“Is the Catholic Church in Ireland Dead?” – Principles print and online edition
“Hidden Treasure: The Catholic Vision of History” – Principles print and online edition
Curriculum Vitae
