Students get ‘foolish’ for Christ on campus

A few weeks ago, Eric Hasenbein weathered lots of strange reactions to him from people in public — from stares and laughter to outright finger-pointing.

That’s not surprising because the 20-year-old junior at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., walked around campus sporting a tonsure — a truly medieval haircut that raised more than a few eyebrows.

Before the Christmas season, Hasen­bein of Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in Cedar Knolls joined 19 other fellow Catholic men of Virginia Tech in wearing the old-looking, out-of-place, and out-of-time hairstyle for charity.

In an age when Catholics aren’t encouraged to wear their faith on their sleeves, these young men wore it loudly and proudly on top of their heads — in a campus community of 30,000 people. The tonsure — a bald spot created at the crown of the head — once marked a monk’s entrance into the clergy. Now, these men, mostly from a Knights of Columbus College Council at the university, used the Middle Ages hairstyle to evangelize the faith while having fun with their strange appearance.

“Some people were in shock. They would ask me, ‘Where’s your hair?’ or ‘Have I lost it?’ or say, ‘I didn’t know there is a monastery nearby,’ ” said Hasenbein, who is studying industrial systems engineering.

The group cut off their hair before Thanksgiving. For him, it grew back by early December — into Advent.

“For those who don’t know, it was a chance to explain what a tonsure is: something that monks used to wear. We also told people we were doing it for a good cause.”

Their so-called “Tonsure Drive” raised $8,543 for several good causes: for a Rwandan priest building a school, the local Pregnancy Resource Center of the New River Valley, and KOVAR. It’s the Virginia Knights’ charity to provide financial help through grants and home loans to tax-exempt organizations that provide training and opportunities for persons with intellectual disabilities.

The group originally set a goal of raising $5,000. It was set up as a benchmark. The first man got a tonsure when they raised $250, the next man after raising $500, and so on, ending with the Knights’ chaplain, Father David Sharland, with $5,000. After that, donations kept pouring in.

Then, each man bravely sported his shiny dome for the week before he left for Thanksgiving break, walking each day to class. They weren’t allowed to wear caps. This was the second time Hasenbein participated in the “Tonsure Drive.”

During those weeks, the men took great care to honor the tradition of the tonsure, which also symbolized a monk’s religious devotion, rejection of worldly possessions, and vow of celibacy.

Hasenbein was reminded of St. Philip Neri, who walked around in clown shoes, dressed in bizarre clothes, and shaved half his beard to deflect others’ admiration of him and downplay his reputation for sanctity. With abundant joy, the saint lived and served as a “Fool for Christ,” he said.

“Despite what society may think of those who live such a life for Christ, that week, we 20 men may have looked like fools, but we were living our lives for Christ. I think all should live life a little less seriously and live foolishly for Christ,” Hasenbein said.

Several years ago, when the young Knights were considering ideas for a fundraiser, they discussed shaving their entire heads or getting mohawks. They chose to get tonsures, Father Sharland said.

“These young men showed that they are Catholic and proud — and did it for people in need,” Father Sharland said.