Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, DC, to speak at Notre Dame Forum event on ‘Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life’
Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., will join University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., for a conversation titled “Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life” at 4 p.m. Friday (Oct. 17) in Room 215/216, McKenna Hall, as part of the 2025-26 Notre Dame Forum on the theme “Cultivating Hope.”
This event is free and open to the public.
In a political landscape where many Americans believe political discourse has become unproductive, stressful and disrespectful, Cardinal McElroy will explore the roots of America’s societal divides and offer strategies to move forward together toward a more unified future.
Cardinal McElroy was appointed by Pope Francis to be the sixth bishop of San Diego in 2015, where he led a diverse community of nearly 1.4 million Catholics. Pope Francis then elevated him to the College of Cardinals in May 2022 and named him the eighth archbishop of Washington on Jan. 6, 2025.
A member of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, Cardinal McElroy is a steadfast advocate for the Church’s social justice mission, seeking to address the causes of social inequality, homelessness and immigration reform.
In his installation homily delivered at the National Shrine in Washington, D.C., on March 12, Cardinal McElroy emphasized the role of the Church in addressing suffering, saying, “We are called to be pilgrims of hope in a wounded world, not ignoring the suffering that abounds, but seeing it as a call to strive even more deeply to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ into our lives and our nation and our world.”
Cardinal McElroy, who was born in San Francisco and grew up in nearby San Mateo County, has said he felt called to the priesthood from a young age. He earned a bachelor’s degree in American history from Harvard University and a master’s degree in American history from Stanford University before entering St. Patrick’s Seminary, where he earned a master’s degree in divinity.
Following his ordination in 1980, Cardinal McElroy continued to pursue advanced studies and received a licentiate in sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California, a doctorate in political science from Stanford University and a doctorate in moral theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
He has written two books, “The Search for an American Public Theology” and “Morality and American Foreign Policy.” He has also written articles on theology and public policy for a variety of journals.
Cardinal McElroy is no stranger to Notre Dame. In August, he, along with Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, led a delegation, including Father Dowd, to Japan as part of a “Pilgrimage of Peace” to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The pilgrimage included Notre Dame faculty, staff and students, along with representatives from other U.S. Catholic universities. In 2023, then-Bishop McElroy came to the University of Notre Dame to lead a discussion on the moral challenges of war and nuclear arms, as part of the 2022-23 Notre Dame Forum on the theme “War and Peace.”
The event will also be broadcast via livestream.
Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, 574-993-9220, c.gates@nd.edu
Latest ND NewsWire
- University of Notre Dame and FIA team up to reduce online abuse in sportsThe University of Notre Dame has announced a research collaboration with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile to lead an initiative addressing the rising threat of online abuse in sports. As the governing body for world motor sport and the federation for mobility…
- Notre Dame Research, Under Armour reach historic partnership to pursue innovations in materials, data analytics and human performanceOver the next decade, both organizations will co-invest in research initiatives that span multiple colleges and disciplines, and allow Notre Dame’s faculty, staff and student researchers to work alongside Under Armour personnel to identify research questions and design solutions for impact on campus and beyond.
- Internationally recognized physician Tom Catena to visit Notre DamePhysician, humanitarian and medical missionary Dr. Tom Catena will visit the University of Notre Dame on Nov. 12 (Wednesday) to deliver the 2025 Rev. Bernie Clark, C.S.C., Lecture at 5 p.m. in the Eck Visitors Center Auditorium. Catena’s lecture, titled “Hope and Healing,” is also part of the 2025-26 Notre Dame Forum, which is organized around the theme “Cultivating Hope.”
- On the eve of COP30 in Brazil, Notre Dame convenes faculty in São PauloSince its founding, the University of Notre Dame has sought to address the world’s most pressing challenges through scholarship, partnership and service. Responding to the growing urgency of environmental change requires precisely this kind of collaboration, bringing together universities, researchers and communities to create solutions that are just, sustainable and grounded in shared responsibility for our planet. This November, COP30 will convene in Belem, Brazil. Capitalizing on Notre Dame’s presence in São Paulo, Notre Dame Global and Notre Dame São Paulo will host a conference together with Notre Dame Research and the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership (NDDCEL), the week before the international climate summit.
- Catholic Peacebuilding Network releases new report on global mining, using Catholic social teaching lensNotre Dame's Catholic Peacebuilding Network released a new report, Catholic Approaches to Mining: A Framework for Reflection, Planning, and Action, a nearly 50-page report identifying the problems associated with mining — social, economic and environmental among them — and analyzing these issues through Catholic social teaching to provide a path forward for mining-affected communities.
- Karen Deak named executive director of Notre Dame’s IDEA CenterKaren Imgrund Deak has been selected as executive director of the IDEA Center at the University of Notre Dame, where she has served in the interim role since September of 2024. She will lead the unit and oversee the roll out of its recent strategic reorganization. Deak brings to the role knowledge of developing partnerships at the IDEA Center, across the University, and beyond.
