, president emeritus of the University of 91�Թ�, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of Commonweal’s Centennial Award.

Commonweal, the oldest independent, lay-led, Catholic journal of opinion in the United States, created the award in 2024 in recognition of the journal’s 100th anniversary. Father Jenkins will be presented with the award, which is given biennially, at the Commonweal Benefit Dinner on Oct. 5 in New York City.

Father Jenkins was named the 17th president of 91�Թ� in 2005 and stepped down as president in 2024 after serving four terms. Under his leadership, the University continued to pursue academic excellence with a renewed emphasis on its mission of educating the whole person — mind, body and spirit — to be a force for good in the world.

In announcing the award, Commonweal noted that Father Jenkins “demonstrated an unwavering commitment to higher education, civil discourse and ethical considerations of the most pressing issues of the day,” while working to enhance 91�Թ�’s influence within higher education, the Church, the United States and the world at large.

“We are proud to honor Father Jenkins with our Centennial Award,” said Ellen B. Koneck, executive director of Commonweal. “Not only is he a valued friend of the magazine, he is a towering figure in American Catholicism today. His work and scholarship, so clearly animated by his vibrant faith, align with Commonweal’s century-old mission of promoting rigorous and reflective discussions about religion, politics and the arts, centered on belief in the common good.”

Ordained a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1983, Father Jenkins earned his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in philosophy at 91�Թ�. He earned his master of divinity degree and licentiate in sacred theology at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley and his doctoral degree in philosophy at Oxford University. He joined the philosophy faculty at 91�Թ� in 1990.

“In Father John Jenkins, the roles of distinguished philosopher and accomplished University president cannot be separated,” said John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at 91�Թ�. “His confidence that the resources provided by the Catholic intellectual tradition allow us to understand and confront contemporary challenges inspired his colleagues during his 19 years of extraordinary service as president of the University of 91�Թ�. And that same confidence will inspire Commonweal readers and supporters, too, as the magazine moves into its second century.”

During his 19-year tenure, Father Jenkins is credited with advancing 91�Թ�’s mission as a Catholic research university, fostering dramatic growth in research, securing 91�Թ�’s admission in the Association of American Universities (AAU), promoting continued excellence in undergraduate instruction and expanding 91�Թ�’s global engagement. A longtime member of the Commission on Presidential Debates, he is recognized nationally as an advocate of civil discourse and a leading voice on the future of college athletics.

He is the author of “Knowledge and Faith in Thomas Aquinas” and of scholarly articles published in the Journal of Philosophy, the journal Medieval Philosophy and Theology and the Journal of Religious Ethics.

Father Jenkins is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A popular teacher, he has taught courses on ancient and medieval philosophy, faith and reason and Thomas Aquinas. He was elected as an Honorary Fellow at St. Edmund’s College at the University of Cambridge in 2023 and received the Christus Magister Medal from the University of Portland in 2025. Father Jenkins is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the following institutions: Wabash College, King’s College London, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Ukrainian Catholic University, University of 91�Թ� Australia, Aquinas College, University of San Francisco and Benedictine College.

Since 2005, Commonweal has hosted a biennial gala to honor individuals whose noteworthy work, informed and inspired by their Catholic faith, serves the common good. Over the years, Commonweal has honored luminaries including Timothy Shriver, Mark Shields, Sister Carol Keehan, Kerry Alys Robinson and Amy Goldman, as well as university presidents John Sexton, John DeGioia and Tania Tetlow, the inaugural Centennial Award recipient.

Rev. David Theodore Tyson, C.S.C. — a longtime Trustee and alumnus of the University of 91�Թ�, president emeritus of Holy Cross College and former president of the University of Portland — died Saturday (May 30) after a short illness. He was 78.

Father Tyson, who served as provincial superior for what would become the United States Province of Priests and Brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross, also held a number of key leadership positions at 91�Թ�, including serving as executive assistant to then University President Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., as vice president for student affairs and as a faculty member in the Mendoza College of Business.

He was a member of 91�Թ�’s Board of Trustees for more than three decades, serving as a Trustee and Fellow from 1993 to 2012 and a Trustee Emeritus from 2012 to 2025, before being named a Hesburgh Trustee in 2025.

“We grieve the passing of a beloved brother in Holy Cross and give thanks to God for his many contributions as a good and faithful priest and gifted leader,” said “Father Dave devoted his life and ministry to advancing Catholic education and to serving the Congregation of Holy Cross. His example as a wise and generous leader, pastor, friend and mentor is an inspiration to all who knew him.”

Born in Gary, Indiana, Father Tyson received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from 91�Թ� in 1970 and a master’s in theology from the University in 1974. He was ordained a Holy Cross priest in 1975. After his ordination, Father Tyson worked in 91�Թ�’s Office of Admissions for two years before pursuing a doctoral degree in education at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Father Tyson returned to 91�Թ� in 1980 as director of Sophomore Year of Studies in the College of Business Administration (now the Mendoza College of Business), before taking on the role of executive assistant to Father Hesburgh in 1982. In 1984, he was named vice president for student affairs, a position he held for six years.

In 1990, Father Tyson was elected president of the University of Portland in Oregon. During his 13-year tenure as president, he guided the university through a major expansion of its campus, a tripling of its endowment and an elevation of its already commendable reputation. He was recognized with an honorary doctorate of public service from the University of Portland in 2002.

After concluding his tenure as president, Father Tyson served as the provincial superior of the Indiana/U.S. Province of Priests and Brothers from 2003 to 2012. There, he played a crucial role in the historic union of the former Indiana and Eastern provinces, creating the new United States Province of Priests and Brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross.

At 91�Թ�’s 2012 Commencement Ceremony, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree for his contributions to the University, the Congregation of Holy Cross and Catholic higher education.

That same year, 91�Թ�’s Board of Trustees passed a resolution honoring Father Tyson as he stepped down from his role as provincial superior. In the resolution, the Board lauded his “administrative acumen, his deep faith, convivial personality and commitment to 91�Թ�’s Catholic character.”

Father Tyson was also awarded the Christus Magister Medal in 2012 — the University of Portland’s highest honor — bestowed on those who demonstrate “a vigorous spiritual life and an accomplished professional career that has significantly advanced knowledge, been of inimitable service to his or her fellow men and women and been an inspiration and consolation to the world.”

After a sabbatical year, Father Tyson served as a faculty member and director of Catholic Outreach at 91�Թ�’s Mendoza College of Business from 2013 to 2015 and as the Luke McGuinness Director of Nonprofit Professional Development at Mendoza from 2015 to 2017.

He was elected president of Holy Cross College in August 2017 and served in that role until 2022. Marco J. Clark, who succeeded Father Tyson as president, said that his service to Holy Cross College came at a “pivotal moment in its history” and brought “stability, vision and renewed confidence” to the college.

Among many other honors, Father Tyson was selected as one of America’s 50 outstanding college presidents by the Templeton Foundation in 1995. He was also awarded the United States Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Award — one of the highest honors given to a private citizen — in 2002 for his guidance and support for military education in the context of a university.

He served on the Holy Cross College Board of Trustees and the United States Air Force’s Board of Visitors of Air University.

Father Tyson was preceded in death by his parents, Theodore and Mary (Buettner) Tyson, and by his sisters, Elaine (Mel) Berlin and Sharon Van Kley. He is survived by his beloved nieces and nephews.

A wake service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, at Moreau Seminary and Scholasticate on 91�Թ�’s campus. A funeral Mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 10, in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and will be .

The University of 91�Թ� celebrated its on Sunday (May 17) at 91�Թ� Stadium. An audience of more than 20,000 family members, friends, faculty and graduates were in attendance as 2,120 degrees were conferred on undergraduate students.

Over the course of Commencement Weekend, the University conferred a total of 3,335 degrees.

University President , and , the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost, introduced the speakers and welcomed the guests. The ceremony opened with the singing of “America the Beautiful,” led by Rev. Kevin Grove, C.S.C., an associate professor of theology.

Salutatorian Allison Elshoff, a business analytics major from Valencia, California, offered an invocation. On behalf of the graduating class, she expressed gratitude for Christ’s love, for family and friends, for teachers and mentors, and for the University of 91�Թ�. Elshoff also prayed for God’s guidance and asked that the graduates “leave these halls eager to enter the world as instruments of your peace.”

In his valedictory address, Martin Soros, from Bethesda, Maryland, considered the journey that each graduate took to 91�Թ�, which he noted was not so different from that of its founder, Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C., who arrived on the frozen grounds in late November 1842 with a vision for what the University could become.

“We all came to create something, just like Father Sorin,” he said. “What did he see in that frozen landscape? He saw you and he saw me. He saw researchers fighting to end disease. He saw students tutoring at a local middle school. He saw members of a choir sharing their gifts, and he saw neighbors cracking jokes in a dorm hallway. Over these last four years, at every turn, we cultivated warmth for others.”

Soros, a civil engineering major who is perhaps best known as co-creator of , said that warmth is something the world desperately needs.

“Like Father Sorin, we stand before a world that has grown cold,” Soros said. “And though the people we encounter may know nothing about 91�Թ�, we can leave its mark on their hearts with the warmth we have cultivated here. This may seem daunting. But we’ve been doing it for four years, and we are just getting started.”

Honorary degrees were conferred upon Marguerite Barankitse, a humanitarian leader, teacher and founder of the education, development and relief organization Maison Shalom (House of Peace); Mary Boyce, provost emerita and professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University; Eamon Duffy, emeritus professor of the history of Christianity at the University of Cambridge and former president and fellow of Magdalene College at Cambridge; Christopher J. Murphy III, executive chairman of 1st Source Corporation; J. Christopher Reyes, co-founder and chair of Reyes Holdings LLC; and Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., the sixth archbishop of Newark.

Father Dowd then introduced the principal speaker, Sister Raffaella Petrini, F.S.E., who also received an honorary degree. Sister Petrini is president of the Pontifical Commission and Governorate of Vatican City State, serving at the invitation of both the late Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV, and becoming the first woman to hold these positions.

“Sister Petrini speaks to us today at a historic time in the Church, as we embrace the first American-born pope, Pope Leo. … It is clear that Pope Leo is a pope for all, as he has centered his papacy on unity, charity and ‘crossing borders in order to announce the Gospel,’” Father Dowd said. “In many ways, our speaker today has embodied these ideals throughout her ministry, as an Italian-born member of an American-based religious community who is tireless in her service to the Church and to all of God’s people around the world.”

In her address, Sister Petrini built on the recent Jubilee year theme chosen by Pope Francis, “Pilgrims of Hope,” inviting the graduates to become “leaders of hope.”

“You will be people of hope if, centered in Christ, the Principle of Communion, you embark on your new beginning, driven by a sincere desire to build bridges: bridges between humanity and God; bridges between those you meet; bridges between those who are the main players and those who are left behind; bridges between cultures, languages and personal histories; and bridges between individuals and generations,” she said.

Sister Petrini also called upon the graduates to “dream, make choices and set priorities” and to “continue to search for more.”

“I pray that you will march on and contribute to the common good, that you will move forward strong of heart and remain true to your faith, with kindness and courage,” she said. “May you take responsibility for others with loyalty and integrity, and be our hope.”

The University presented the — the most prestigious award given exclusively to American Catholics, and 91�Թ�’s highest honor — to Timothy P. Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics.

Shriver, who began his career as an educator, described his decision to lead Special Olympics, which was founded by his mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

Special Olympics, he said, is “a global witness to the truth that every human being is a sacred creation, with inherent dignity, made in the image and likeness of God — and should be treated that way.

“The precious occasions when we gather and see this truth together are moments of lasting grace.”

Shriver, who also co-founded UNITE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people bridge political divides, said that the need to make dignity the standard for how we treat each other is both an ancient call — and “the most urgent call of our times.”

“In answering the call, you here at 91�Թ� have an extraordinary advantage,” Shriver said. “You will walk out of here with the advantage of having been schooled here — on this campus, in this special place — and your university was blessed for this calling even before Father Sorin baked the first brick to build 91�Թ�.

“So as you leave the home field of the Fighting Irish to launch the next chapter of your lives, what would you fight for? What were you born to fight for? I pray you will fight to honor the inherent dignity in every human being — and renew the face of the earth.”

Following the conferral of all baccalaureate degrees, Father Dowd offered a charge to the graduates.

“Never forget that your charge as a 91�Թ� graduate is to be a force for good in the world. And as you go out into the world, to build your careers and communities and deepen your awareness of God’s mysterious presence and action in your lives, I hope you will rely on the moral, intellectual and ethical foundation you’ve cultivated here,” he said. “Class of 2026, as you go forth from here, be assured of our gratitude for you — and be assured of our prayers for you. I hope you will come back to 91�Թ� often, because it is and always will be your home.”

The ceremony closed with a benediction by Cardinal Tobin, followed by a special performance by Irish folk band The High Kings.

“Send [these graduates] forth as bearers of light where there is darkness, hope where there is despair, and unity where there is division,” Cardinal Tobin said. “May their lives reflect the values they have learned here — a commitment to truth, a heart for service and a faith that seeks understanding.”

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, c.gates@nd.edu, 574-993-9220

Sister Raffaella Petrini, F.S.E., president of the Pontifical Commission and Governorate of Vatican City State, will be the principal speaker and will receive an honorary degree. , chairman of Special Olympics, will receive the 2026 Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics.

91�Թ� will confer��six additional honorary degrees on distinguished leaders in engineering, business, history, humanitarian efforts and the Church at the University Commencement Ceremony: Marguerite Barankitse, a humanitarian leader and founder of Maison Shalom; Mary Boyce, provost emerita and professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University; Eamon Duffy, an emeritus professor of the history of Christianity at the University of Cambridge and a former president and fellow of Magdalene College at Cambridge; Christopher J. Murphy III, executive chairman of 1st Source Bank; J. Christopher Reyes, co-founder and chair of Reyes Holdings LLC; and Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., the sixth archbishop of Newark.

Martin Soros, a civil engineering major with minors in theology and education, schooling and society and a native of Bethesda, Maryland, will deliver the valedictory address. Salutatorian Allison Elshoff, a business analytics major with minors in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service, the Business Honors Program and impact consulting from Valencia, California, will offer the invocation.

Cardinal Tobin will offer the benediction.

On Saturday, 548 students will receive master’s and doctoral degrees at the Graduate School Commencement Ceremony, along with 462 master’s degree students at the Mendoza College of Business ceremony and 203 at the Law School ceremony. The University will confer 2,120 degrees on undergraduate students at Sunday’s ceremony.

Weather permitting, graduates will process into the stadium at 9 a.m. Sunday, and the University Commencement Ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. All guests must have an e-ticket for admission.

The Commencement Mass will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday in Purcell Pavilion, with University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., presiding.

The Commencement Mass, University Commencement Ceremony and certain diploma/hooding ceremonies will be��. A complete schedule of events is available on the , and senior stories and other features can be found here.

Many common items will not be allowed in the stadium during Sunday’s ceremony. Visit the Commencement website for��. In the event of severe weather, ceremonies will be moved indoors to the Joyce Center. Should weather conditions necessitate a move indoors, the University will communicate changes online and via ND Alert messages, social media and local news outlets.

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, 574-993-9220, c.gates@nd.edu

When Lizbeth Cordova Lopez looked over a list of colleges from her high school counselor, a crooked stroke of a highlighter drew her attention to one school: the University of 91�Թ�.

At the time, Cordova Lopez, who is from Sylmar, California, thought she would go to nearby UCLA. But her counselor had encouraged her to consider colleges outside her home state as well and highlighted various schools.

“I don’t know if her marker ran out or if the paper shifted, but the highlighting was jagged,” she said. “And, I just impulsively thought, ‘Oh, I’ll apply to that school — maybe there’s a reason this one stands out from the rest.’”

That one stray mark became the start of Cordova Lopez’s 91�Թ� journey.

As Cordova Lopez learned more about the University, she was drawn to its Catholic identity and values — but it was her first visit to campus for admitted students day that helped her finalize the decision.

“Stepping onto this campus for the first time was the most magical feeling,” she said. “Everyone was so welcoming, and everyone we met was doing such incredible things. After you experience 91�Թ�, it’s hard to go back because it shows you there’s so much more.”

That fall, she and 12 members of her family — grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins — drove in two cars from Southern California to campus to help her move in.

Four years later, her family will return, even larger in number, to cheer her on at Commencement.

Cordova Lopez, a major with a supplemental major in , has made the most of those four years. But now, as a mentor to first-year students at 91�Թ� through the , she has one key piece of advice for them: Trust that the things you’re passionate about will lead you somewhere meaningful.

“Once you start doing that, it opens doors that you can’t even imagine,” she said. “So, take the classes that seem interesting, follow your passions and then build from there.”

For Cordova Lopez, that meant starting from a personal experience that shaped her childhood: When she was 3 years old, her father was incarcerated and spent the next 13 years in prison.

“I wanted to understand more about how the system works and why — as well as what happens to the children of those who are incarcerated,” she said. “Those children are at a much higher risk of dropping out of school and are much less likely to attend college. And that’s something I’d like to change.”

Cordova Lopez, a first-generation college student and , began researching incarceration the summer after her first year, as she worked with women in a correctional facility in Ohio and in transitional housing. The internship, offered by the University’s , allowed her to gain hands-on experience in reentry programming and inspired her to delve deeper.

As a sophomore, she took a class called Mass Incarceration Research Lab and began conducting research in the and then the . The following summer, she traveled to Norway with funding from the to explore the country’s unique approach to incarceration that focuses on rehabilitation and reintegration.

Her research experiences culminated in this year on the joint impact of parental and school involvement on children’s academic resilience, particularly in the context of economic hardship.

The summer after her junior year, Cordova Lopez studied abroad in South Africa, where she explored themes of apartheid and othering, and in China, examining the philosophy of science.

She has also been deeply involved in the local community, working with children in South Bend schools through the , volunteering at the and engaging with Campus Ministry’s . Her involvement began at Dismas House — a home for those in transition after prison — and has since grown into a role as an anchor intern, where she helps lead orientations that send students to service sites across the community.

After graduation, she will attend Stanford University to complete a master’s in policy, organization and leadership studies, through their graduate school of education, before pursuing a graduate program in clinical psychology.

“My goals in life are to start a nonprofit focused on children of incarcerated parents to help them gain access to equitable education and to help children navigate trauma and adversity,” she said. “Having one less parent always leaves some type of void, but I was lucky enough to have a lot of extra support from my family, and that helped so much. I want to focus my career on helping children who may not have that support system.”

The 91�Թ� community has not only prepared her to reach those goals, she said, but — more importantly — has become a second family to her along the way.

“91�Թ� does a beautiful job of just being there for one another,” she said. “I’ve felt this overwhelming sense of love and support from everyone here from the beginning. And now, I want to take that feeling with me and help spread it wherever I go.

“91�Թ� has given me a sense of hope for my future — and for the future of the children I hope to serve someday.”

Martin Soros of Bethesda, Maryland, has been selected as valedictorian, and Allison Elshoff of Valencia, California, has been named salutatorian of the 2026 University of 91�Թ� graduating class.

The 181st will be held May 17 (Sunday) in 91�Թ� Stadium for graduates and guests. During the ceremony, Soros will deliver the valedictory address and Elshoff will offer the invocation.

Soros, a student in the , has a major in and minors in and . He holds a 3.966 grade point average.

He is a member of 91�Թ� Students Empowering through Engineering Development, known as , a program that fights poverty in rural communities by expanding access to healthcare and education through the design and construction of footbridges. He served as an assistant bridge designer during his sophomore year and as design manager his junior year. During summer 2025, he worked for two months in Papachacra, Bolivia, constructing the pedestrian bridge for which he had led the design.

Soros has also worked as a mechanical design intern at 91�Թ�’s Innovation Lab and spent the summer after sophomore year as a construction intern on a project to build U.S. Army barracks in Fort Meade, Maryland.

Soros serves as a resident assistant for Coyle Hall and was the co-creator of the on North Quad. The ice chapel, which made national headlines in February 2026, took Soros and co-creator Wesley Buonerba more than 70 hours to build — often in subzero temperatures — and drew more than 2,000 students for a special Mass on Candlemas.

The experience that has impacted him most, he said, has been the time he has spent at La Nazarena, a community center in Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, where his family is originally from. Run by the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, the center works with adults, families and children to break the cycle of poverty through programs in education, personal formation, workforce development and healthcare.

He first visited the center during the summer before his first year at 91�Թ� — an experience that inspired him to change his major from aerospace engineering to civil engineering.

“Building planes is amazing, but it didn’t feel right for me after that summer,” he said. “I had found a home in that context, in that world, and I wanted something that was applicable to that. So, I looked around and realized some of the important things that are missing from that environment are infrastructure: roads, sewer systems, housing. I decided to study civil engineering so that I could contribute to solving those issues.”

Soros has returned to La Nazarena each summer and also teaches online English classes to adults at the center. Drawing on his civil engineering major, NDSEED experiences and interest in education and theology, he plans to continue to work as a manager at La Nazarena for at least two years after graduation.

“It’s funny because some people have said to me that I should think bigger,” Soros said. “But this doesn’t feel small to me. I feel called to be there, interacting with the people I’m helping. Whatever happens or wherever I am, I want to be in the grass roots as much as possible. For me, that means everything.”

Elshoff is a student in the , with a major in and minors in the , the and . She holds a 3.950 grade point average.

As co-president of the , Elshoff leads initiatives to support women’s education at Saint Bakhita’s Vocational Training Center in Kalongo, Uganda. Part of the , the club allows students to lead hands-on projects, organize fundraising campaigns and engage directly with global partners like Saint Bakhita’s.

Through her impact consulting minor, Elshoff also traveled to the training center in Uganda to connect with students during winter break of her junior year. The experience was pivotal, she said.

“It was one of those moments when I thought, ‘This is why I’m here at 91�Թ�, to do this kind of work,’” she said. “And I took away as much from that experience as I offered. Getting to know the women of Saint Bakhita’s, first over Zoom and then in person, was transformative in ways that classroom instruction alone couldn’t have been.”

From her first year at 91�Թ�, Elshoff has written for the student newspaper, the Observer, as a viewpoint columnist. This year, she launched a new series of faculty and staff profiles, titled “,” to showcase the people who help shape 91�Թ�.

As a sophomore, Elshoff was selected as a member of the Cabinet of University Policy in 91�Թ� Student Government. She has also served as a team lead for the and for the .

Elshoff has mentored middle school students in data science through the Early Bridges to Data Science program. And last fall, she became a peer leader in the 91�Թ� program, where she served as a mentor to first-year undergraduates and led community-building initiatives.

Elshoff, who worked as a teaching assistant for several courses in Mendoza over the last two years, said that her hands-on experiences in education and mentorship have defined her 91�Թ� experience.

“I think what sets 91�Թ� apart from other schools is its focus on cultivating people’s character and their moral compass,” she said. “There has always been an emphasis not just on what we learn, but what the purpose of it is — how it will help us find fulfillment and help us improve the lives of other people. For me, that has been developing a passion for storytelling — especially for those whose stories are often overlooked. I don’t think I would have been able to find that perspective at a different school.”

Elshoff also served as a communications intern with the U.S. House of Representatives after her sophomore year. After studying abroad at University College Dublin during the spring of her junior year, Elshoff worked as a Government and Public Services intern at Deloitte in Washington, D.C., last summer. She will return to Deloitte to begin her career in government consulting after graduation.

As salutatorian, Elshoff will be prepared to deliver the valedictory address should Soros be unable to do so.

The 91�Թ� valedictorian and salutatorian selection process, coordinated by the Office of Undergraduate Education in the Office of the Provost, begins by asking each college to nominate four students among those with the highest grade point averages and asking each school to nominate two students among those with the highest grade point averages. The colleges and schools submit to the Office of Undergraduate Education the names of these students and brief statements justifying the nominations. Those students are then invited to submit a resume and a draft of their valedictory address. A selection committee, consisting of representatives from each college and school, the Office of Undergraduate Education, the Division of Student Affairs, and Student Government, selects finalists. Finalists are asked to submit a draft of their invocation. The selection committee then interviews the finalists and chooses a valedictorian and salutatorian from among them, who are approved by University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C.

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, c.gates@nd.edu, 574-993-9220

The event, which also served as the final keynote event of the 2025-26 91�Թ� Forum on “Cultivating Hope,” explored the intersections of the arts, faith, history, and education.

University President��, welcomed Jatta and noted 91�Թ�’s 150-year history with the Vatican Museums.

“That connection began when 91�Թ� founder Father Edward Sorin invited Vatican artist Luigi Gregori to campus to serve as artist-in-residence and also director of our art department,” Father Dowd said. “And that single invitation really has shaped 91�Թ�’s visual identity.”

Jatta sat down for a conversation with��, the R.L. Canala Professor of Art History at 91�Թ� and former academic director of 91�Թ� Rome. Noting that it was the first anniversary of the death of Pope Francis, Hyde Minor and Jatta discussed the challenges and range of emotions over the last year for Jatta and her colleagues with his passing and the election of Pope Leo XIV, which included preparing the Sistine Chapel within the museums for the papal conclave.

Jatta also discussed touring the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art and stated that it is important for a university to have a wide range of collections—as the Raclin Murphy does—to build bridges across cultures.

“From Renaissance times and even before, I can say art was a vehicle to represent the invisible, to represent spiritual values,” Jatta said, “but also to testify to legacy and knowledge and to be part of the values of different cultures and bring them together, and to testify to the truth in Christianity and in the Catholic Church.”

Following the conversation, Jatta took questions from the audience, encouraging students to continue to pursue the arts and humanities.

“What I can tell you, the students, is to never forget the humanistic side of your life,” she said. “Because that will help you to know your history — to know who preceded you, to know the heritage of where you come from or where your ancestors came from or where your country came from. It is so important in order to be a better person.”

On February 2, 2023, the late Pope Francis founded the Laudato Si’ Higher Education Center to begin transforming the gardens of Villa Barberini and the Pontifical Villas into a place of training in integral ecology — a framework that seeks to care for both nature and the most vulnerable among us.

“He said, ‘Let’s create an educational center here, but also a spiritual center,’” said Rev. Daniel Groody, C.S.C., the vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education and professor of theology and global affairs at 91�Թ�. “Here’s a place to encounter the beauty of nature that God has created — and a place that can facilitate an ecological conversion.”

Pope Leo XIV, who has likewise emphasized sustainability as one of his major priorities, dedicated the Borgo Laudato Si’ last fall, calling it “a seed of hope” that promises to bear the fruits of justice and peace.

As the Vatican seeks to bring Pope Francis’s vision to life, it has asked the University of 91�Թ� — an institution that has also sought to enact the principles of Laudato si’ in its teaching, research, and operations — to serve as an academic partner.

Established by the late Pope Francis in 2016, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development supports the Church’s worldwide efforts in the areas of human dignity and human rights, economic justice, care for creation, migration and displacement, as well as peace, conflict and humanitarian crises.

As a dicastery member, Father Groody will contribute to the body’s ongoing discernment process that will help orient the Church’s mission and priorities. He will continue in his roles at 91�Թ� while serving the dicastery.

While numerous 91�Թ� faculty members have served the Vatican as consultants to dicasteries and have been named to pontifical academies and commissions, Father Groody’s appointment is a distinct honor, noted University President��

“To be called upon by the Holy See to serve in this capacity is a testament to Father Groody’s deep commitment to leadership in service of the most vulnerable among us. This appointment is also an affirmation of 91�Թ�’s ongoing contributions to Catholic social thought, to integral ecology and to forming leaders dedicated to the common good,” Father Dowd said. “I am profoundly grateful for Father Groody’s dedication to the University and to the Church, and I am confident that his leadership will be a tremendous blessing as he helps to guide the Church in these areas.”

The most notable precedent in 91�Թ� history is the appointment of then-President Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., as a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture by Pope St. John Paul II in 1983.

“I am truly honored and humbled by Pope Leo’s appointment,” Father Groody said. “My vocation is to serve, together with my colleagues at 91�Թ� and around the world. The work of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is vital to informing the Church’s response to the world’s most vulnerable people and the most pressing global challenges of our time.”

Father Groody’s academic and pastoral work has focused in part on migration, theology, refugees and human displacement — areas that are directly relevant to the mandate of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. An internationally recognized expert on migration, Father Groody is also an award-winning author, teacher and documentary film producer. He has written four books and numerous articles and has edited or co-edited five books. His works have been translated into nine languages.

Father Groody’s��most recent book, “A Theology of Migration: The Bodies of Refugees and the Body of Christ,” includes an introduction written by Pope Francis and received first-place recognition from the Catholic Press Association.

This announcement follows Father Groody’s appointment under Pope Francis in 2025 to the General Council of the Laudato Si’ Higher Education Center in Castel Gandolfo, which is now known as Borgo Laudato Si’.

In that role, Father Groody helps shape the vision, direction and formation of the center, as well as advising on initiatives and global partnerships. He also plays an essential role in 91�Թ�’s��recently announced partnership with the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Center to establish a Global Alliance dedicated to integral ecology and global sustainability.

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, 574-993-9220, c.gates@nd.edu

On Thursday evening (March 26), , president of the University of 91�Թ�, presided and preached at a at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The Mass was held in light of ongoing global conflicts and in the spirit of Pope Leo XIV’s prayer for disarmament and peace earlier this month.

Father Dowd began his homily by encouraging those in attendance to consider the immense suffering caused by the wars that rage in the Middle East, Ukraine and elsewhere — particularly as the Church approaches Holy Week and prepares to commemorate the Lord’s Passion.

“In a sense, the Lord’s Passion is being played out on a daily basis as people are killed, disfigured, orphaned, widowed, rendered homeless or displaced,” Father Dowd said. “We all know that the suffering is immense.”

Father Dowd stated that as Christians and members of the 91�Թ� community, “we are compelled to ask ourselves what God is calling us to do in the face of all this pain.”

“We are so privileged here on this campus to have the opportunities we have to conduct research, to study and to learn together. However, this Catholic university must never exist in a bubble,” he said. “And we must make sure that we are never indifferent to the suffering that goes on in the world around us.”

Referencing the Mass’s readings from the Gospel of Matthew 5:1-12, Father Dowd noted that Jesus calls on his disciples to be peacemakers.

“Let me propose that all of us, regardless of our discipline, our major or minor, regardless of our research agenda or our career goals, all of us in one way or another are called to be peacemakers and peacebuilders,” Father Dowd said.

Being a peacemaker or peacebuilder, he continued, does not mean being naive to the dangers in the world, being oblivious to the affronts to human rights and human dignity, or giving way to bullies or aggressors who seek to dominate, exploit or destroy.

Rather, Father Dowd said that in order to be peacemakers in the pattern of Jesus, “we must deepen our understanding of these realities and take them seriously.”

“Jesus immersed himself in the violence that afflicted the people of his day, especially those on the margins of society, who are so often those who pay the highest price for war,” Father Dowd said. “In fact, his redemptive mission demanded such immersion, and he himself was a victim of such violence.

“Being a peacemaker means, among other things, doing everything we can to seek nonviolent solutions. Being a peacebuilder means doing everything we can to create conditions that make war less likely in the future. Both peacemaking and peacebuilding require hard work — the hard work of building bridges.”

Father Dowd concluded his homily by noting that Pope Leo has been clear and persistent in calling for a ceasefire and for renewed dialogue as the war with Iran and in the Middle East “intensifies, causing immense suffering and possibly making us all less secure.”

He exhorted those present to join their prayers to the prayers of Pope Leo, to pray for peace, that every person might become the peacemaker that our society and world need.

Father Dowd also prayed for governmental leaders, that they might be guided by wisdom in decisions that bring an immediate end to bloodshed, for the safety of the men and women in the armed forces and their families, and for all victims of war.

“Even as we take the violence and threats of violence in our world seriously, let us never grow cynical or fatalistic,” he said. “Let us not lose heart and instead cultivate hope through all that we say and all that we do. As we commemorate the Lord’s Passion soon, let us not forget the end of the story: The Lord Jesus, who was put to death in a most humiliating way, was raised from the dead.

“There is no killing the power of love. There is no killing the Prince of Peace, in whom a new day always dawns. Let us pray that we might cooperate with the crucified and risen Lord, who is mysteriously in our midst, to be the peacemakers and peacebuilders the world needs.”

Father Dowd’s full homily is available at .

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, c.gates@nd.edu, 574-993-9220

The event, which will feature opening remarks from University President��, will be moderated by NBC Sports play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico.

Panelists will reflect on the impact and evolution of this storytelling as part of this year’s 91�Թ� Forum theme, “Cultivating Hope.”

Over the past 20 years and through 117 two-minute spots, produced in partnership with NBC Sports, the WWYFF series has showcased 91�Թ�’s effort to build a better world and inspire hope through research, scholarship and service.

A reception will follow the panel discussion where faculty featured in WWYFF spots and their teams will be available to speak with attendees.��

Panelists will include Rob Hyland, coordinating producer of NBC Sunday Night Football; 91�Թ� alumna Lindsay Schanzer ’11, supervising producer of NBC Sports; Meenal Datta, the DeFlorio Collegiate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at 91�Թ�; and 91�Թ� undergraduate Lauren Eglite, a chemical engineering major.

Datta’s work on glioblastoma includes a first-of-its-kind experiment exploring tumor models in microgravity at the International Space Station. Her research was highlighted in the WWYFF feature, “.”

Eglite was 12 years old and attending a 91�Թ� home football game with her dad when she saw a WWYFF feature about groundbreaking peanut allergy research in 2017. That moment inspired Eglite, who has a life-threatening peanut allergy, to come to 91�Թ� where she is now working alongside engineering professor�� to advance his research and create a safer future for millions living with allergies. Her story was featured in the 2025 piece “.”

The WWYFF series has won three Telly Awards and a 2024 Sports Emmy for outstanding public service content.

The event is free and open to the public. Large bags and backpacks will not be permitted.

As chairman of the Special Olympics International board of directors, Shriver has played a leading role in driving the organization’s largest expansion in its history — growing the movement from 1 million athletes to over 4 million athletes in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.

Shriver is also the co-founder of UNITE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people bridge political divides, and was instrumental in developing the — a new tool to help Americans disagree without demonizing each other.

“Drawing on his deep faith, Tim has devoted his life to being a force for good. Whether through his leadership of Special Olympics, his work in education or his commitment to fostering civil discourse, he is a tireless advocate for human dignity,” 91�Թ� President, said. “In awarding him the Laetare Medal, we honor his inspiring witness and his dedication to building bridges in service of a more just and compassionate world.”

Special Olympics — a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities through programming in sports, health, education and inclusive leadership — was founded in 1968 by Shriver’s mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Shriver’s father, Robert Sargent Shriver, also served as president and board chair in the 1980s and 1990s.

“My parents never retired. They loved their work. They loved the Special Olympics movement. So my mom and dad were not looking to hand off the torch; they just wanted someone to help carry it,” Shriver said. “Most of all, I think they wanted confidence that whoever was going to lead the movement into the future understood it. And we have tried to maintain that same vision — to see the dignity of every human being and to stay focused on what matters most, which is that every child who comes into this movement deserves to be treated with dignity and hope and justice and joy. Give them a chance, every one, no exceptions.”

Shriver joined the Special Olympics movement in 1996 and currently serves as chairman. During his tenure, he has broadened Special Olympics’ global reach and sought to enhance the quality of life for millions of people with disabilities by creating new initiatives in athletic leadership, health services and education development.

To date, the Healthy Athletes initiative, launched in 1997, has provided free health care screenings to more than 2 million athletes in more than 135 countries. And the Special Olympics Unified Sports initiative, which began in the 1980s and was significantly expanded under his leadership, brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on the same playing field to promote a culture of inclusion.

“I look at the work of the last half century of the Special Olympics movement as largely shifting the lens from, ‘What’s wrong with them?’ to ‘How much can we accomplish if it’s us, not us versus them? If we’re all seen as equally gifted, as opposed to some being better than others?’” he said. “These were all lessons that were taught to me very early in life, and I’m grateful for them.”

Shriver earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University, a master’s degree from Catholic University and a doctoral degree in education from the University of Connecticut. He began his career in public education and helped launch the field of social and emotional learning (SEL) by leading the New Haven Social Development program, which pioneered SEL strategies across K-12 classrooms. Building on that program’s success, Shriver co-founded the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) at Yale in 1994 and chairs its board of directors.

Building on his experience with Special Olympics and convinced that treating others with dignity eases division, Shriver founded UNITE in 2018 to try to bridge the political divides in the United States. Launched in 2022, the Dignity Index is an eight-point scale to gauge whether the language people use reflects contempt or respect for those with other views. The UNITE team now works with politicians, educators, faith leaders and corporations across the country to advocate for dignity as a “winning strategy” in every field of endeavor.

Shriver, who has also served as executive producer of several award-winning films, is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Fully Alive: Discovering What Matters Most” and co-editor of “The Call to Unite: Voices of Hope and Awakening.”

In recognition of his visionary leadership, he has been honored with numerous awards, including the Medal of the City of Athens, Greece; 1995 Connecticut Citizen of the Year; the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero of the Republic of Panama and the Presidential Medallion from the University of Illinois. He has also received honorary degrees from Georgetown University, Fordham University and Villanova University, among others.

The Laetare (pronounced lay-TAH-ray) Medal is so named because its recipient is announced each year in celebration of Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent on the Church calendar. “Laetare,” the Latin word for “rejoice,” is the first word in the entrance antiphon of the Mass that Sunday, which ritually anticipates the celebration of Easter. The medal bears the Latin inscription, “Magna est veritas et praevalebit” (“Truth is mighty, and it shall prevail”).

Established at 91�Թ� in 1883, the Laetare Medal was conceived as an American counterpart of the Golden Rose, a papal honor that antedates the 11th century. The medal has been awarded annually at 91�Թ� to a Catholic “whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, illustrated the ideals of the Church and enriched the heritage of humanity.”

Previous recipients of the Laetare Medal include Civil War Gen. William Rosecrans; Governor of New York Alfred Smith; actress Helen Hayes; Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day; teacher, musician, liturgist and scholar Sister Thea Bowman; novelist Walker Percy; counselor and advocate for death row prisoners Sister Helen Prejean; Cardinal Joseph Bernardin; singer Aaron Neville; actor Martin Sheen; and CEO of Feeding America Claire Babineaux-Fontenot.

“I know I don’t belong in the company of many of the people who have received this medal,” Shriver said. “I think it’s being given to me as a placeholder for the people who are doing the work every day. It’s being given to me so that the athlete who’s in a refugee camp in Tanzania running 50 meters this afternoon will somehow know that the world is paying attention, and so that his mom at the finish line will know that her son matters. I’m a good channel for people who deserve it, and I’m grateful to be able to be that channel.”

Shriver is the only Laetare Medalist in 91�Թ� history whose parents were both recipients as well. His mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, received the Laetare Medal in 1988 for her own work with Special Olympics, and his father, Robert Sargent Shriver, was the 1968 Laetare Medalist in recognition of his work in founding the Peace Corps. Timothy Shriver’s uncle, President John F. Kennedy, received the medal in 1961.

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, c.gates@nd.edu, 574-993-9220

One of the fundamental promises of artificial intelligence is that it will strengthen human agency by freeing us from mundane, repetitive tasks.

However, a new publication, co-edited by University of 91�Թ� theologian , argues that promise “rings hollow” in the face of efforts by technology companies to manipulate consumers — and ultimately deprive them of agency.

The book, “Reclaiming Human Agency in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” is the second in a series created by the Vatican’s AI Research Group for the Centre for Digital Culture. Part of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, the group is composed of scholars from across North America who represent a range of disciplines from theology and philosophy to computer science and business.

“We wanted to examine the idea of how AI affects human actions, human freedom and the ability of people to develop virtues — which we classified under the heading of human agency,” said Scherz, the Our Lady of Guadalupe College Professor of Theology and the ND–IBM Tech Ethics Lab Program Chair. “This is such an important topic right now because one of the most hyped developments that we’re hearing about right now is ‘agentic’ AI — or AI that will take action for people.

“We think it’s important to distinguish what the differences are between these AI agents and true human agents — and how the AI we have now is affecting our actions.”

In “Reclaiming Human Agency,” Scherz, co-editor Brian Patrick Green of Santa Clara University and their fellow research group members cite potentially problematic issues with the technology, including addictive applications, “surveillance capitalism” that exploits users’ personal data for profit, widespread de-skilling in the workplace as complex tasks are handed over to AI and the growth of algorithmic governance — where social media algorithms influence what people buy, how they perceive events and even how they vote.

They also assert that human agency should not be seen in terms of “freedom from” tasks, but in “freedom for” pursuing the good, seeking excellence and purpose by building flourishing relationships with others and with God.

“This book is really an attempt to look at a number of these problems that AI is raising but, at the same time, to examine the opportunities that AI could provide to improve our ability to act,” Scherz said. “We wanted to come up with a set of strategies that would enable AI to serve human agency in the best way possible and ensure that it isn’t undermined.”

For Scherz, who holds a doctoral degree in genetics from Harvard University and a doctoral degree in moral theology from 91�Թ�, this research builds on his work at the intersection of religion and science. While researching the Human Genome Project for his 2024 book “The Ethics of Precision Medicine,” Scherz began exploring the ways that precision medicine used data analytic technologies.

“When I was invited by the Vatican to be part of this group in 2020, I was already looking at the problems that were arising around AI in that framework, how it was affecting physicians and how it might affect patients’ actions and their views of themselves,” he said. “It felt like a natural next step to begin looking at AI’s impacts more broadly in relation to the Catholic understanding of a human person.”

91�Թ� of the AI research group and Bishop Paul Tighe, secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, last summer. The session, hosted by the , not only allowed the researchers to work together on forthcoming publications, but to engage with 91�Թ� faculty and students.

The University — which recently received a $50 million grant to further develop a faith-based approach to AI ethics — is an ideal place to explore the field, Scherz noted, because of both its Catholic character and academic excellence.

“As one of the world’s leading Catholic universities, 91�Թ� brings the resources of the Catholic tradition to bear on this issue — which Pope Leo XIV has said is one of the defining issues of our time,” Scherz said. “And with our expertise in computer science, theology, philosophy and the history and philosophy of science, we are well-positioned to be a leader in these conversations.”

The AI research group is now working on a book focused on AI and education and will be looking next at AI’s effects on labor and the philosophies and ideologies that are active in Silicon Valley.

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, c.gates@nd.edu or 574-993-9220

The conversation began with Father Dowd introducing Graham, founder and managing principal of Graham Allen Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in technology and tech-enabled businesses across the U.S, and Spruell, president of league operations for the National Basketball Association, as “two champions of hope who embody the spirit of 91�Թ�.”

Graham and Spruell, both members of the University’s Board of Trustees, discussed with Father Dowd the serendipitous events that led them to 91�Թ�, their career paths and mentors, their definitions of hope — and what they most value from their time as students at the University.

For Spruell, who was a member of the football team from 1984-87 and served as co-captain in 1987, the lessons he learned from Coach Holtz and the relationships he built with his teammates stood out.

“There’s a throughline of experience that I come back to: ‘Trust, love, commitment.’ Trust the people you work with. Make sure they love what they do. Make sure they're committed to excellence,” Spruell said. “It’s not just in the coaching relationships, but the brotherhood that is part of 91�Թ� football, that Coach Lou Holtz embodied, that certainly Marcus (Freeman) is embodying now. Those are the types of things that are ingrained in me now. To be part of this special place, to live it each and every day and now to be able to give back through being on the Board (of Trustees) and other things is just an honor.”

Graham, a member of the Fighting Irish football team from 1992-95, said that among a host of other things he learned at 91�Թ�, he was most inspired by the University’s mission to be a force for good in the world.

“What 91�Թ� did for me was it really got me focused on building something more important than myself,” he said. “It fundamentally changed me from a kid who walked through life trying to figure out how I could do something for me to this mission-driven focus about how I could do something for others.

“The biggest gift that 91�Թ� has given me is this drive to help others and to be a part of others’ lives and this understanding that that is the way that you get the best and most fulfillment.”

Following the conversation, Graham and Spruell also answered questions from the audience, reflecting on how they make tough decisions, how they balance purpose and profit in the business world and how to foster connection in a divided society.

Watch the full conversation here:

The annual observance of Walk the Walk Week is rooted in 91�Թ�’s mission as a Catholic university and in the principles of Catholic social teaching, which call us to live in solidarity with all people, particularly the most vulnerable, and to honor the God-given dignity of every person.

Among the week’s events is a keynote conversation titled “Champions of Hope” at 4 p.m. Monday (Jan. 26) in the Reyes Family Board Room (215/216 McKenna Hall). The talk, which will focus on what it means to lead with integrity, moral courage and hope, will feature two distinguished business leaders, both of whom are members of 91�Թ�’s Board of Trustees and former 91�Թ� football student-athletes — Tracy Graham ’95 and Byron Spruell ’87, MBA ’89 — in conversation with University President This event is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed.

Graham is the founder and managing principal of Graham Allen Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in technology and tech-enabled businesses across the U.S. He is currently focused on leveraging data and artificial intelligence to help companies evolve via digital transformation.

Graham began his career by founding Internet Services Management Group, which became one of the largest privately held ISPs in the United States. He then went on to co-found GramTel Inc., a managed data center provider, in partnership with The Jordan Company. As CEO of GramTel, he led the company to become the largest provider of managed data center services in Indiana and the largest privately held provider in the Midwest. He successfully sold GramTel to Cincinnati Bell in 2007.

Graham completed a bachelor of arts degree from 91�Թ�, where he was a member of the Fighting Irish football team from 1992-95. He is also a dedicated public servant, philanthropist and community advocate who serves on the boards of Lippert Components and 1st Source Bank, in addition to his role on the University’s Board of Trustees.

Spruell serves as president of league operations for the National Basketball Association, where he oversees critical league operations. In that role, he effectively integrates the departments of domestic and international basketball operations, referee operations and basketball strategy and analytics.

Spruell also collaborates with USA Basketball and the International Basketball Federation to promote the global growth of the game and development of players worldwide. He joined the NBA in 2016 from Deloitte where he last served as a managing principal and marketplace leader.

He has served on several charitable boards and committees, and is currently on the boards of Metropolitan Family Services in Chicago, the Jackie Robinson Foundation in New York and Aon, a leading global professional services firm. He is also on the board of governors of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Spruell earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA in finance from the University of 91�Թ�, where he was a member of the football team from 1984-87, serving as co-captain in 1987. On the University’s Board of Trustees, he chairs the Undergraduate Education and Student Life Committee.

An annual Candlelight Prayer Service for members of the 91�Թ� community will also take place at 8 p.m. Jan. 26 in the Main Building Rotunda, with Father Dowd presiding and a keynote reflection from vice president for belonging, engagement and mission and advisor to the president.

The prayer service will be followed by a candlelight procession to the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue and a dessert reception in the Sister Thea Bowman Center in the LaFortune Student Center.

Other Walk the Walk Week events include a for classroom, cleaning and art project supplies for local organizations working with children and teens, as well as a on Saturday (Jan. 24) packaging after-school kits for local youth.

A complete list of events is available at .

Contact: Carrie Gates, Associate Director of Media Relations, 574-993-9220, c.gates@nd.edu

The beginning of Advent, Father Dowd noted in his homily, was a fitting time to celebrate the Mass.

“Advent is a season when, in a special way, we are called to prepare a place for the Lord Jesus in our hearts, in our minds, in our lives and in our communities,” Father Dowd said. “Advent is also a season when we are called to develop insight — a ‘holy insight’ — that allows us to recognize the Lord Jesus as he comes to us.”

Father Dowd observed that Jesus “comes to us in ways that are stunning for their ordinariness.” Referencing the Mass’ first reading from the book of Deuteronomy, he said that God’s people are to be especially attentive to the vulnerable in their midst, for “God continues to come to us in flesh and blood, especially the flesh and blood of those who struggle the most.”

“While there are many vulnerable people in our midst here in our country and elsewhere in our world — and we Christians are called to recognize Christ present in them all — this evening, as members of the 91�Թ� family, we join with our Holy Father, Pope Leo, and our bishops to pray that we might recognize Christ present in our immigrant population, many of whom are especially vulnerable these days,” Father Dowd said.

Father Dowd noted that “it is important to recognize the right and responsibility of governments to decide who, when and how to allow people into a country, including this one.”

“There can be no doubt our immigration system in this country is broken, and has been for some time,” he said. “There is need for reform.

“However, it is imperative that we treat people who are in this country — many for several years, contributing to and enriching our country — with the respect that their God-given dignity demands.”

Father Dowd exhorted the hundreds of attendees to consider how the 91�Թ� community can work together to address the brokenness of the immigration system.

“At 91�Թ�, we must do more than complain. We must deepen our understanding of the complexity of the situation and work with others to propose sensible and humane solutions,” he said. “That’s what universities are for.”

Father Dowd concluded his homily with a call to pray for immigrants, for “sensible and humane immigration policy reform” and for “elected leaders and all who have the responsibility of governing and enforcing our country’s laws.”

“And, let us pray that those of us who call ourselves Christians might be cultivators of hope by recognizing Christ in the vulnerable, serving him there, learning from him there and standing with him there,” he said.

“May 91�Թ� always be a community dedicated to growth, not only in knowledge, understanding and technical expertise, but in wisdom and insight — the holy insight to recognize the mysterious presence of Christ in our midst.”

, vice president for student affairs, closed the Mass with an invitation to join Father Dowd and himself in prayer at the Grotto, “to light a candle and to ask for the intercession of Our Lady as we navigate these conversations as a nation.”

Father Dowd’s full homily is available at .

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, c.gates@nd.edu, 574-993-9220

Father Gutiérrez, a Peruvian priest and pioneer of liberation theology, passed away last year at age 96. But scholars and students now have a new opportunity to learn from him — by exploring a digital archive of Father Gutiérrez’s own words.

On Friday (Nov. 14), the University of 91�Թ� will host a symposium, commemorating the life and work of Father Gutiérrez and announcing the joint opening of the Gustavo Gutiérrez Merino, O.P. Collection — a 50-year archive of audio recordings from his theological conferences with Church leaders and scholars, from 1971 to 2020.

The event, which is part of the on the theme of “Cultivating Hope,” will also celebrate the posthumous publication of Father Gutiérrez’s “Vivir y pensar el Dios de los pobres.” Co-sponsored by the��, the , the and the , the symposium is free and open to all.

The archive will be available at only three locations worldwide: the Hesburgh Libraries at 91�Թ�, the Instituto Bartolomé de las Casas in Lima and the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú in Lima.

“Gustavo attested that his theological work was ‘más que la palabra escrita’ (more than the written word),” said Timothy Matovina, a professor of theology. “This half century of his audio recordings from his live annual exchanges with pastoral leaders, activists, theologians and other scholars is one of the great treasures in the Gutiérrez archives.

“These resources — which until now even many advanced Gutiérrez scholars did not know about — will advance theological and other critical work on Father Gutiérrez’s thought for decades to come.”

The University has worked in partnership with Instituto Bartolomé and the Pontificia Universidad Católica for more than 10 years to digitize the archives, with funding from , Hesburgh Libraries, the Cushwa Center, the Department of Theology, the and the .

“This archive is an invaluable addition to the extensive Catholic research collections held by Hesburgh Libraries and the University Archives,” said Erika Hosselkus, associate dean of the Hesburgh Libraries. “Through this ongoing collaboration with our partners at the Instituto Bartolomé de las Casas and the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, these unique recordings and the notes and outlines that accompany them will be preserved and available in perpetuity.

“It is rare for an archive to hold a nearly uninterrupted series of recordings spanning a half century. The scope and depth of the archive — and the extensive descriptions and transcriptions created by our partners in Lima — make it accessible to both experts and students here at 91�Թ� and in Peru.”

The Cushwa Center will offer funding for scholars who may wish to visit the archives — which must be accessed in person — through their . The center has also established the to support projects in theology, history and the social sciences that engage or broadly take inspiration from Father Gutiérrez’s work on the preferential option for the poor.

“Gutiérrez’s way of doing theology is crucial for understanding the pastoral contribution of the Global South for the universal church in the 21st century, especially after Pope Francis,” said David Lantigua, an associate professor of theology and the William W. and Anna Jean Cushwa Co-Director of the Cushwa Center. “These nearly 50 years of conferences from Peru in Spanish on theological topics ranging from the Bible to the current ecological crisis offer unprecedented access to his brilliant mind and his love for the Church and the poor through teaching students.”

Father Gutiérrez, who was born in Lima, pursued studies in Leuven, Belgium; Lyon, France; and Rome as a young seminarian. He returned home in 1960 to serve in a parish and began teaching theology at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. And, in 1965, he participated in the fourth session of the Second Vatican Council.

His landmark text, “Teología de la liberación: Perspectivas,” was published in Spanish in 1971 and in English in 1973 as “A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation.” His writings have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have left an indelible mark on Christian theology globally. Father Gutiérrez was named to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002 and received more than 30 honorary degrees. He taught at the University of 91�Թ� from 2001 until his retirement in 2018.

“Father Gustavo sometimes referred to these conferences in his own writings so his readers could explore in greater depth his theology that gives reasons for hope to the poor through the saving love of Jesus Christ,” Lantigua said. “Now scholars and students can appreciate even more the subtlety, originality and evolution of his vivacious thought, always tinged with his characteristic sense of humor.

“With these conferences made available through the collaboration of three institutions where Father Gustavo taught generations of students and faculty, his theological legacy will continue to grow and expand for a global Church amid a world facing the most drastic wealth inequality ever witnessed in history.”

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Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, c.gates@nd.edu, 574-993-9220

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Funded by a generous $15 million gift from 91�Թ� alumnus Bill Angrick and his wife, Stephanie, the program will be housed within the . It will provide funds for up to 10 Angrick Military Scholars in each cohort.

The University, which has had a strong and valued relationship with the U.S. military for generations, is home to one of the nation’s largest ROTC programs outside of service academies and military colleges. In 2017, 91�Թ� established the to expand its support for University-enrolled veterans and their families, active-duty and ROTC students and those who are dependents of service members.

“We are deeply grateful to the Angrick family for their generosity, vision and commitment to 91�Թ�’s distinctive mission as a force for good,” said , president of the University. “By expanding access to a 91�Թ� education for military-affiliated students, we honor the extraordinary sacrifice of these students and their families and prepare them to be exceptional leaders in their chosen fields. At the same time, our campus community is immeasurably enriched by their presence and by their example of dedication to our nation and to the common good.”

When selecting Angrick Military Scholars, preference will be given to eligible U.S. military and Coast Guard veterans who enroll in the 91�Թ� MBA program, with first preference going to MBA candidates with families.

Each qualified scholar will receive $30,000 per year in wraparound funding, which may be used to cover relocation, housing and child care expenses. This funding is in addition to any merit-based or other financial awards the scholar may receive.

“We are deeply grateful to Bill and Stephanie Angrick for their generosity,” said , the Martin J. Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College of Business. “With this gift, the 91�Թ� MBA will provide the most comprehensive financial support available to families of qualified military students. The Angrick Military Scholars Program will help us attract outstanding military and veteran leaders whose experience and service align with the mission and values of our MBA program and the entire 91�Թ� community.”

The gift will also recognize one or more Angrick Scholars annually as Naticchia Fellows, based on their personal, academic and military service records, leadership potential and alignment with the mission of 91�Թ�. The fellowship is named in honor of Marine Corps veteran Robert D. Naticchia, the late father of Stephanie (Naticchia) Angrick.

“The Angrick family’s transformational gift will ensure that 91�Թ� is the premier institution for military leaders who embody high moral character, outstanding leadership and love of country for years to come,” said Ken Heckel, director of the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. “These young people have served their country, and now the Angricks have empowered us to repay their service in a truly meaningful way.”

The Angricks have a long history of supporting the University of 91�Թ�. This latest gift joins previous contributions to endow the construction of the Stayer Center third-floor executive lounge and offices and ESTEEM graduate program internships, as well as participation on the��Cavanaugh and Jesse Harper Councils.

Bill Angrick, a longtime member of the Business Advisory Council for the Mendoza College of Business, received a bachelor’s degree in business from 91�Թ� in 1990 and an MBA from Northwestern University in 1995. He is the co-founder, chair and chief executive officer of Liquidity Services Inc., a leading circular economy e-commerce marketplace. He is also founder of Persimmon Capital Partners, a private investment company, and serves on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the National Capitol Area. Stephanie Angrick earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a DDS from the University of Maryland. The Angricks, who reside in Flagler Beach, Florida, are parents to William Alexander “Will” Angrick and Matthew August “Matt” Angrick. A 2025 graduate of the Mendoza College of Business, Will Angrick is currently a graduate business student at the University and a member of the Fighting Irish men’s lacrosse team.

“We are humbled and delighted to help launch this new program and to see its impact grow over time,” Bill Angrick said. “We look forward to helping 91�Թ� attract outstanding military veteran leaders with high potential so that the University’s MBA program can prepare these leaders to make an even greater positive impact on society.”

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, 574-993-9220, c.gates@nd.edu

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 91�Թ�. 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 91�Թ� faculty, staff and students, along with representatives from other U.S. Catholic universities. In 2023, then-Bishop McElroy came to the University of 91�Թ� to lead a discussion on the moral challenges of war and nuclear arms, as part of the 2022-23 91�Թ� Forum on the theme “War and Peace.”

The event will also be .

Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, 574-993-9220, c.gates@nd.edu

Below, experts from the University of 91�Թ�’s College of Arts and Letters, Keough School of Global Affairs, Institute for Social Concerns and Institute for Educational Initiatives respond to the document.

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Rev. Dan Groody, C.S.C.: A civilization of love

“As Pope Leo writes, ‘In every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.’ Pope Leo challenges us to respond with compassion and courage. In a world building higher walls, he urges us to build longer bridges. In a world increasingly fragmented, he calls us to be a unifying presence. And in a world paralyzed by fear, he invites us to promote justice, foster solidarity and help build a civilization of love — one that reflects God’s love for all creatures.”

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David Lantigua: A blueprint for authentic unity

“The exhortation is much needed in our divisive and polarizing times, where wealth has increased along with inequality,” Lantigua said. “It offers a profoundly biblical theology of poverty that recognizes both the evil of material poverty but also the saving power of voluntary poverty, both of which were embodied in Christ, the Church’s suffering founder.”

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Suzanne Mulligan: A spotlight on increasing inequality

“A feature of ‘Dilexi Te’ is Leo’s insistence that the poor must be heard when it comes to social transformation. Local wisdom and the lived experiences of those on the margins ought to inform strategy. Moreover, human dignity is enhanced when people have a voice, when they have some say over their lives, and when their wisdom and lived experiences help shape public decision-making. After all, ‘the poor are at the heart of the Church,’ Leo tells us in ‘Dilexi Te,’ and so their participation is not only pragmatic but is also a way of affirming their dignity and sacredness.”

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Jim Sullivan: ‘Love for the poor must move us to act — and to act wisely’

“Here at 91�Թ�, we are called to cultivate a disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice and oppression that burden the lives of so many. And, as a research university, one of the ways we fulfill that calling is by working to create a world intolerant of poverty by expanding knowledge about how to solve it.”

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Scott Appleby: Pope Leo takes on a new tone of urgency

“‘Dilexi Te’ is radical in that it goes to the very roots of Christian teaching, that compassion for and solidarity with the poor is the most direct path to communion with Jesus Christ, who ‘identified himself with the lowest ranks of society’ and thereby ‘confirm[ed] the dignity of every human being.’”

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John Staud: The mission of Catholic education

“As we look to the future, Pope Leo’s words portend a renewed emphasis for his papacy on education, equity and formation. This document signals that the Church under his leadership intends to emphasize education as foundational to the Church’s mission, not as an optional ministry, but as a core form of service to the poor and to society. For those of us in Catholic education, we are called now to listen deeply, to act faithfully and to affirm the dignity of every child.”

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