Residency Program

Within the hostile world of contemporary politics, idealistic and capable young people often start public service without the kind of peer and community support they need to navigate the public sphere. These young men and women end up jaded by what seems to be mere political maneuvering rather than meaningful projects to advance human dignity. Those with the most to offer our crumbling society risk burnout, or they flounder, isolated within an anemic quagmire of special interests, foggy ideology, and the persistent implication that morality must be something detached from public policy, laws, and society.

Virtuous and educated believers have essential gifts to offer our nation. The Western tradition and Judeo-Christian proposition offer desperately needed infusions of wisdom and hope for any society desiring to safeguard human dignity and the common good. We must ensure that students seeking to enter political life receive not just the academic and professional formation but also the community and peer support that enables them to confront contemporary political life. It is our responsibility to foster the common good of our communities by fostering community, itself, among our future leaders.

The Intentional Catholic Student Residency Program is thoughtfully designed to foster community, with men’s and women’s facilities adjoining the Belmont House, ample gathering places for both casual and intentional interaction, and a dignified chapel. In short, this program will provide a needed residence, learning, and formative place for student interns in the heart of the nation’s capital.

Currently, rental and real estate costs price many student interns out of the market near Capitol Hill workplaces – the places best adapted to leveraging opportunities and impacting civil society. Moreover, these same interns suffer the lack of healthy cultural environments and, in particular, of meaningful opportunities for camaraderie with peers who share their goals and values. These challenges invite the synergy between Belmont Abbey College’s academic programming, student life activities, professional development seminars, networking events, and more.