The Office of Institutional Transformation, in partnership with the Initiative on Race and Resilience, invites students, faculty, and staff to gather weekly for support and fellowship. Wellsprings: A Time for Connection and Care provides a safe space for members of the campus community to discuss fears and concerns related to social divisiveness. Some sessions may feature presentations or information from campus resources. To suggest a topic, please contact Eve Kelly at ekelly11@nd.edu. Originally published at diversity.nd.edu.

Jonathan Blitzer, a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of “Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here,” will speak at the University in an event hosted by the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights. Drawing on his work as a journalist, Blitzer will discuss how immigration became a political crisis. “Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis” is an epic, heartbreaking, and deeply reported book about the disastrous humanitarian crisis at the US-Mexico border. Blitzer tells this history through the lives of the migrants forced to risk everything and the policymakers who determine their fate. The book has received widespread praise and was named one of the best books of 2024 by the New York Times and several other publications. The event is free and open to the public. A reception with book sales and a book signing will follow the lecture. Blitzer’s lecture ties in with the Klau Institute’s Migration Initiative, which launched last year through collaboration with other experts from across the Keough School of Global Affairs and the University as a whole. This event is co-sponsored by the Institute for Latino Studies, the Institute for Social Concerns, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, and the Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy. Originally published at klau.nd.edu.

Vo Trong Nghia, founder of VTN Architects, will discuss the durability and beauty of bamboo architecture, showcasing how this sustainable material supports both structural innovation and environmental design. Highlighting projects like the Grand World Phu Quoc Welcome Center, he will explore bamboo’s role in energy efficiency, natural ventilation, and creating harmony between built environments and nature. AIA CE credit available. Register Here Originally published at architecture.nd.edu.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of University President Emeritus Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., a Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart will be celebrated in his memory. President Emeritus Rev. Edward “Monk” Malloy, C.S.C., who succeeded Father Hesburgh as Notre Dame’s 16th president, will preside over the service and preach at the Mass. All are welcome to attend to honor Father Hesburgh’s legacy. The Mass will also be livestreamed. Father Hesburgh served as president of the University of Notre Dame for 35 years, from 1952 to 1987, and was one of the nation’s most influential figures in higher education, the Catholic Church, and national and international affairs. He served under four popes and held 16 presidential appointments. “With his leadership, charisma, and vision, he turned a relatively small Catholic college known for football into one of the nation’s great institutions for higher learning,” University President Emeritus Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., said of Father Hesburgh shortly after his passing. “In his historic service to the nation, the Church, and the world, he was a steadfast champion for human rights, the cause of peace, and care for the poor. “Perhaps his greatest influence, though, was on the lives of generations of Notre Dame students, whom he taught, counseled, and befriended.” During his tenure, the University’s annual operating budget grew from $9.7 million to $176.6 million, the endowment from $9 million to $350 million, and research funding from $735,000 to $15 million. Enrollment increased from 4,979 to 9,600, faculty from 389 to 950, and degrees awarded annually from 1,212 to 2,500. He also oversaw the transference of governance in 1967 from the Congregation of Holy Cross to a two-tiered, mixed board of lay and religious Trustees and Fellows, as well as the admission of women to the undergraduate program in 1972. Father Hesburgh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest honor an American civilian can receive—as well as the Congressional Gold Medal and 150 honorary degrees. He died on February 26, 2015, at the age of 97. A memorial tribute at the Purcell Pavilion in March 2015 featured numerous Church leaders, statesmen, Notre Dame leaders, and leaders in the world of higher education. In 2017, Father Hesburgh was honored by the US Postal Service with a commemorative Forever stamp.  

What does Catholic "just war" theory teach about the conflict in Israel-Palestine? Do concepts in Catholic social teaching, such as "integral human development" or the "preferential option for the poor," provide any guidance?  In what ways might the Church's historic relationship with the Jewish people or the Pope's statements on war and peace in the Holy Land influence Catholic perspectives? Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about the events of October 7, 2023, the subsequent war, the tenuous ceasefire, the history of the region, and its future. The event will feature visiting speakers specializing in Catholic-Jewish and Catholic-Muslim relations, as well as the director of Notre Dame Jerusalem, who will convey Christian perspectives from the Holy Land. Notre Dame IDs will be required for entrance to this event, and backpacks and large bags will be checked.Featuring:Jordan Denari Duffner Theologian and Scholar of Catholic-Muslim Relations; Member, Catholic Advisory Council of Churches for Middle East Peace Jordan Denari Duffner is a theologian and scholar of Catholic-Muslim relations, interreligious dialogue, and Islamophobia. She is a member of the Catholic Advisory Council of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) as well the National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. She obtained her Ph.D. in theology and religious studies at Georgetown University, where she now teaches as an adjunct lecturer. A former Fulbright scholar in Amman, Jordan, she is the author of two award-winning books: Finding Jesus among Muslims and Islamophobia: What Christians Should Know (and Do) about Anti-Muslim Discrimination. Duffner was also a co-author of the 2024 Sign-On Letter by U.S. Catholics on Israel-Palestine.Daniel Schwake Executive Director, Notre Dame Jerusalem Daniel Schwake was appointed the executive director for Notre Dame Jerusalem  in April 2019. Schwake joined Notre Dame after a decade in the consulting industry. He most recently held the position of principal (associate partner) in the strategy consulting firm Oliver Wyman. He provided advice to top executives of large corporations, financial institutions, regulators, and ministries. He has led the execution of high profile engagements across the globe, covering a wide range of topics, incl. enterprise-wide strategy, financial planning, risk and regulation, re-organisation, and restructuring. He holds a B.Sc. and Diploma (M.Sc.) in business administration from the University of Münster and a doctorate in economics from the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.Matthew Tapie Associate Professor of Theology and Director of the Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies, Saint Leo University Matthew Tapie is Associate Professor of Theology, and Director of the Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, Florida. His teaching and research interests are in the thought of Thomas Aquinas, Judaism and Christian theology, and Catholic-Jewish relations. From 2012-2014, Dr. Tapie was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Theology at The Catholic University of America and was appointed a research fellow at CUA's Institute for Interreligious Study and Dialogue.  Dr. Tapie is the author of Aquinas on Israel and the Church: A Study of the Question of Supersessionism in the Theology of Thomas Aquinas, which was the focus of a special session at the 51st International Congress on Medieval Studies, May 12, 2016.  Tapie is Series Editor of the Judaism and Catholic Theology series with The Catholic University of America Press. He is a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' dialogue with Modern Orthodox Judaism, and with representatives of the Orthodox Union and Rabbinical Council of America.Moderator: Gabriel Reynolds Jerome J. Crowley and Rosaleen G. Crowley Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame Gabriel Said Reynolds did his doctoral work at Yale University in Islamic Studies. Currently he researches the Qur'ān and Muslim/Christian relations and is Professor of Islamic Studies and Theology in the Department of Theology at Notre Dame. He is the author of The Qur'ān and Its Biblical Subtext and The Emergence of Islam.  In 2012-13, Reynolds directed, along with Mehdi Azaiez, “The Qurʾān Seminar,” a year-long collaborative project dedicated to encouraging dialogue among scholars of the Qurʾān, the acts of which appeared as The Qurʾān Seminar Commentary. In 2018, he published The Qurʾan and the Bible with Yale University Press and in 2020 Allah: God in the Qur'an, also with YUP. At Notre Dame he teaches courses on theology, Muslim/Christian Relations, and Islamic Origins. He runs a YouTube channel, “Exploring the Qur’an and the Bible,” that features conversations on Scripture with leading scholars.Originally published at forum2024.nd.edu.

HEART ON FIREa new musical Presented by Notre Dame Film, Television, and Theatre by Olivia Seymour '25Directed by Matt Hawkins As the political climate of 1960s California heats up, sisters Lisa and Cassie find themselves on either side of the growing counterculture phenomenon. While Lisa is content with her simple life of running her late mother’s diner and trying to start a family, Cassie desires more for herself, wanting to be a great singer and leave behind all she knows. With the hippie movement on the rise and the Vietnam War continuing to escalate, Lisa does her best to protect her family from the world while Cassie finds herself inevitably drawn into it, causing a divide between the sisters and their ideas of what it means to be a young woman in a rapidly evolving country. Olivia Seymour's HEART ON FIRE is the official selection for Notre Dame Film, Television, and Theatre (NDFTT)'s 2024 New Works Lab. The New Works Lab is a program developed alongside the Musical Theatre minor that allows for students to develop and stage a musical that they have written as part of NDFTT's theatre season. The student whose project is selected will workshop their script throughout the fall semester, which means that the above show description is subject to change as the story develops. Previous New Works Lab productions have included An Old Family Recipe, My Heart Says Go (formerly Stupid Humans), and Dawn's Early Light. Performance Schedule February 19-23, 2025; February 26 - March 2, 2025Wednesday - Saturday at 7:30 PMSunday at 2:30 PM Philbin Studio TheatreDeBartolo Performing Arts Center Tickets Tickets for HEART ON FIRE are $10 for the general public and $5 for Faculty/Staff, Students, and Seniors (65+). If you would like to purchase tickets for the full NDFTT season, a season bundle is currently available. Tickets may be purchased by phone at 574-631-2800, in person at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center ticket office (M-F 12:00 - 6:00 PM), or online at performingarts.nd.edu. BUY TICKETS SEASON BUNDLE Parking Free parking is available daily after 5:00 pm in the Stayer Center parking lot, just north of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Patrons may now receive free event parking at the Eddy Street Commons Parking Garage by bringing your event tickets and parking ticket to the DPAC Ticket Office to receive a pre-paid parking voucher. An accessible lot for disabled patrons is available immediately adjacent to the center; a valid hangtag or license plate is required. There is a ten-minute parking zone on the north drive of the center for ticket pick-up; during inclement weather you are welcome to drop off guests in this area and proceed to parking. Originally published at ftt.nd.edu.