Pope Francis’s lasting impact on Notre Dame
In February 2024, Pope Francis met with the University of Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees at the Vatican for the final time.
During the meeting, he praised Notre Dame for dedicating itself to “advancing the Church’s mission of proclaiming the Gospel through the formation of each person in all his or her dimensions” and shared what he saw as the “secret of education”—asking the University to continue to educate students in three languages: “the head, the heart, and the hands.”
“Always remember,” Pope Francis said, “this is the crux of the matter.”
A Catholic university must expand not only the mind, but also the heart, he said, helping its students to cultivate “an openness to all that is true, good, and beautiful.” And a Catholic education then commits us to building a better world with our own hands, he said, by teaching “mutual coexistence, fraternal solidarity, and peace.”
“We cannot stay within the walls or boundaries of our institutions, but must strive to go out to the peripheries and meet and serve Christ in our neighbor,” Pope Francis said. “In this regard, I encourage the University’s continuing efforts to foster in its students zeal for meeting the needs of underprivileged communities.”
It is one of many lessons from the late pontiff that the University has taken to heart.
Latest ND NewsWire
- Notre Dame student uses ‘American Ninja Warrior’ spotlight to fight world hunger via his nonprofitOn July 14 (Monday), a University of Notre Dame business student will compete in the semifinal round of NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” to advocate for an end to world hunger, an ambition he works toward by making knotted dog toys and collecting donations to his nonprofit.
- In sub-Saharan Africa, 1 in 6 cancer medications found to be defectiveSerious quality defects were found in a significant number of cancer medications from sub-Saharan Africa, according to new research from the University of Notre Dame.
- Alumni Association awards 2025 Lennon Life PrizesThe Notre Dame Alumni Association recognized nine alumni clubs as recipients of the Lennon Life Prize — part of the Chuck and Joan Lennon Gospel of Life Initiative, a set of programs focused on encouraging the University’s dedicated network of clubs to uphold the value of life at all stages.
- Prioritizing prenatal care may decrease low birth weight outcomes in The Gambia, Notre Dame research findsA new study co-authored by University of Notre Dame researchers highlights the importance of prenatal care for improving the health of mothers and newborns, providing evidence that can inform policy.
- Navigating the waters of peace: Researchers address challenges, opportunities in implementation of Colombia's Peace AgreementNearly half of the commitments outlined in Colombia's historic peace accord face significant challenges and may not happen in time unless policymakers make several key interventions, warns a new report from Notre Dame's Peace Accords Matrix. The report offers a blueprint to salvage an accord that has lagged behind its implementation deadlines, putting its legacy at risk. It highlights timely fixes that can strengthen the agreement.
- ‘Returnless returns’ boost brands among consumersReturnless returns can increase brand support by fostering goodwill, according to John Costello and Christopher Bechler, assistant professors of marketing at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. Their study, “Just Keep It: When and Why Returnless Product Returns Foster Brand Support,” is forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing Research.
