Tour Detail

Built in 1843 by the Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C. and the rest of the Holy Cross brothers, Old College is the oldest remaining building on campus. This simple brick building once housed dormitories for students, Holy Cross priests and brothers as well as a classroom, clothing room, bakery, and dining hall. Now the undergraduate seminary for the Indiana province of the Congregation of Holy Cross priests, Old College is home to men pursuing their undergraduate degrees while discerning a call to religious life.

Fr. Sorin waited for the arrival of architect Mr. Marsile to build a main building for the university, but the architect did not arrive until August 1843; without the support of Mr. Marsile, Sorin meanwhile decided to build this smaller structure. He and his brothers built it with their own hands, showing impressive pioneering skills. Until the construction of Main Building, Old College housed every activity on campus

Old College housed the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Brothers of the Holy Cross, priests, and students, in addition to serving as classroom, clothing room, bakery, and dining hall.

Now serving as the undergraduate seminary for the Indiana province of the Congregation of Holy Cross priests, Old College is home to men pursuing their undergraduate degrees while discerning a call to religious life. Old Collegians are introduced to religious life in Holy Cross through daily Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours, spiritual direction, service placements, retreats, one-on-one meetings with their chaplains, and weekly community gatherings. Their academic requirements include 30 credits of philosophy and 12 of theology, but they are free to pursue various degrees, depending upon their academic interests. The men of Old College are actively engaged in the community life of the Holy Cross religious community on campus. In addition, the Old Collegians work closely with the major seminarians at Moreau Seminary.

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A monument dedicated to Father Sorin and the seven Holy Cross brothers who stood with him in 1842. The inscription on the base recounts the event and lists the names of the seven French and Irish brothers.

Statue of St. Andre Bessette outside Old College, the first saint from the Congregation of Holy Cross. Born Alfred Bessette in Quebec in 1845, he was orphaned by the time he was 12. With little-to-no formal education, he became a Holy Cross brother and, because of his sickly nature, was assigned as the doorkeeper at Notre Dame College in Montreal, a post he held for nearly 40 years. It was in this role as a porter that St. André was able to minister to the sick.