The Marian procession begins at 1 p.m. at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto behind the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The procession will pass by the Main Building before arriving at Geddes Hall, where Mary will be crowned with flowers. An outdoor reception will follow. Families are encouraged to attend.

The May Crowning was revived at Notre Dame in 2016. Rare video footage of a Marian procession from the 1950s was uncovered in the University archives, and can be viewed at .

“The May Crowning is a reverent devotion to the Mother of God, whose mercy and grace Pope Francis has so frequently recommended to the faithful as a source of challenge, inspiration and consolation,” said , McGrath-Cavadini Director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life. “Crowning Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth affirms the dedication of Our Lady’s University to its Marian charism of making room for Christ, wherever He may be found.”

In the event of inclement weather, the May Crowning will be held in a rain location near Geddes Hall. Individuals planning to attend are encouraged to sign up for updates regarding the weather and other event details.

To sign up and for more information, visit .

The McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame partners with Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools to address pastoral challenges with theological depth and rigor. By connecting the Catholic intellectual life at Notre Dame to the life of the Church, the McGrath Institute for Church Life forms faithful Catholic leaders for service to the Church and the world. Visit .

Contact: Brett Robinson, director of communications, McGrath Institute for Church Life, 574-631-6109, brobins6@nd.edu

Originally published by Meg Mirshak at on April 26.

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“At the heart of the mission of a Catholic university is service to the Church,” said , president of Notre Dame.�� “John Cavadini, whether through his leadership of the McGrath Institute for Church Life or his work as a theologian, has been tireless in seeking ways in which Notre Dame can better serve the Church.”
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Monika Hellwig was a distinguished theologian at Georgetown University from 1967 to 1995. She served as president and executive director of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities from 1996 until shortly before her death in 2005.

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“I have given my life to Catholic higher education because I so deeply believe in what it has to offer our culture,” said Cavadini. “It is intrinsically satisfying to work in this field because you are bringing to bear on your own life and students’ lives something which gives them a sense of the meaning of life, and that the meaning of life is something gorgeous and alluring.”

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Cavadini served as chair of Notre Dame’s theology department from 1997 to 2010. His main areas of research are the early Church — with a special focus on the theology of St. Augustine — and the biblical spirituality of the early Church fathers. In 2000, he was named director of the McGrath Institute, which partners with Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools to offer continuing education and formation for Catholic leaders.

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��“John’s theological expertise and love for the Church, applied to real-world solutions, make him a deserving recipient of the Monika Hellwig Award,” said Michael Galligan-Stierle, president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. “Not only has John advanced the Catholic intellectual tradition and contributed scholarship to the issues of our day, but he has also significantly affected the local, regional and world Church through the creation and direction of the McGrath Institute for Church Life. Just like Monika Hellwig, John has touched the lives of scholars, Catholic college presidents and ministerial leaders throughout this nation.”

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Since 2006, Cavadini has served as a consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Doctrine. In November 2009, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to a five-year term on the International Theological Commission and was made a member of the Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great, classis civilis.

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The Monika K. Hellwig Award was first granted in 2006 to Elizabeth Johnson, C.S.J. Other past recipients include Rev. J. Bryan Hehir (2012), Sandra Schneiders, I.H.M. (2013), and Rev. John O’Malley, S.J. (2014).

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Contact: Amanda Skofstad, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-4313, skofstad@nd.edu

The Thriving in Ministry Initiative supports a variety of religious organizations across the nation as they create or strengthen programs that help pastors build relationships with experienced clergy who can serve as mentors and guide them through key leadership challenges in congregational ministry. The McGrath Institute is one of 24 organizations receiving grants totalling more than $20 million from the initiative.

“The shifting trends in Church ministry signal a strong need for programs dedicated to ongoing formation, support, and mentorship of leaders entrusted with teaching and shepherding Catholics across the United States and globe,” said John Cavadini, McGrath-Cavadini Director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life. “The generosity of Lilly Endowment will generate long-lasting impact and bear abundant fruit for the life of the Catholic Church.”

With the Lilly Endowment grant, the McGrath Institute will continue the Bishop D’Arcy Program in Priestly Renewal, which began in 2016 to provide a weeklong retreat for about a dozen diocesan priests on the Notre Dame campus. The program seeks to support leader priests so that they can form and mentor younger priests who are fewer in number but will be asked to do more for longer during their ministerial careers. Since 1965, the number of U.S. Catholic priests has dropped 36 percent, according to the . Of the 37,000 priests today, just over 60 percent are active in ministry compared to 94 percent active priests in 1965.

The second initiative of the planning grant will address the rising total of lay professional ministers in the United States. Since 1995, the number of lay professional ministers has increased from 11,000 to 23,000, according to CARA. An additional 23,000 are enrolled in lay ecclesial formation programs.

The Strong Foundations for Pastoral Leaders Program will support pastoral leaders as they seek to balance the early years of their career in ministry with familial and financial commitments. The program will host two different groups of 12 to 18 young lay leaders during the summer at Notre Dame. The participants will spend four days attending a conference alongside more experienced ministers and another four days in a leadership development seminar focused on the early years of their career. The young leaders will benefit from experienced mentors who will work with them for several years.

“Many pastors are seeking role models and wise colleagues who can guide them through professional transitions and challenges encountered in particular ministry contexts,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “Our hope is that this grant to the McGrath Institute for Church Life will support a new wave of efforts that help clergy thrive and lead their congregations more effectively.”

Each of the McGrath Institute programs will place special emphasis on serving priests and leaders from the Black Catholic and Hispanic Catholic populations. The institute will work with the and diocesan partners in the southeast and southwest where Hispanic populations are growing disproportionately to the number of Hispanic pastoral leaders. A series of online courses will be developed by 2022 to meet the need for theological and pastoral education for Spanish-speaking Catholics among other needs in the Church.

Contact: Brett Robinson, director of communications, McGrath Institute for Church Life, 574-631-6109, brobins6@nd.edu.

Originally published by Meg Mirshak at on January 16, 2018.

A prayerful pilgrimage to view the crèches will be held��Dec. 3 (Sunday). Prayer, Scripture readings and song will be led in English and Spanish. The event begins at 2 p.m. with a brief presentation by David Lantigua, assistant professor of theology, University of Notre Dame, and an activity for children at the Eck Visitors Center.

The pilgrimage will move from the Eck Visitors Center through campus to the other displays and end at the Main Building. Pilgrims are invited to bring the baby Jesus from their home crèche for a blessing. All are welcome.

”Images of Jesus’ nativity remind us that God has made our world his home,” said John Cavadini, McGrath-Cavadini Director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life. “The unique beauty of each crèche in this year’s exhibit reminds us of the spiritual richness in Mexico and calls us to imagine how we welcome the Christ Child in our cultures and communities.”

The theme of the exhibit is “En Camino A Belèn: Journeying to Bethlehem.” The crèches selected for this year’s display feature vibrant colors, natural materials and images of indigenous cultures.

The crèches will be on display in the Eck Visitors Center, Morris Inn, Coleman-Morse Center, Main Building, Geddes Hall and Hesburgh Library. Visitors are encouraged to make self-guided tours of the crèches using booklets available at all exhibit sites. For more information, visit .

The Christmas crèche originated with Saint Francis of Assisi in the year 1223. Saint Francis recreated the night of Christ’s birth in a cave near the town of Grecio, Italy, to arouse the devotion of the town’s inhabitants.

Contact: Brett Robinson, director of communications, McGrath Institute for Church Life, 574-631-6109, brobins6@nd.edu.

The McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame partners with Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools to address pastoral challenges with theological depth and rigor. By connecting the Catholic intellectual life at Notre Dame to the life of the Church, the McGrath Institute for Church Life forms faithful Catholic leaders for service to the Church and the world. For more information, visit icl.nd.edu.

Originally published by Meg Mirshak at on November 16, 2017.

The goal of the conference is to examine the cultural influences that form young people today and equip the Church with a renewed missionary creativity. The conference anticipates the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the topic of young people, the faith and vocational discernment in October 2018 in Rome.

“Education, family, technology, parish life are all schools of formation that are critical to shaping a sense of purpose and direction in young people,” said , director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life. “We should carefully examine these cultural influences if the Church is to renew its mission of forming young people for vocational discernment.”

The conference will be held March 5-7, 2018. Paid registrants are guaranteed seating for Barron’s keynote address on March 5��and a lecture by Nicholas Carr on March 6. Carr is an expert on technology and culture and a 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist.

Registration costs $125. Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College faculty, staff��and students are invited to register at no cost but must pay the registration fee to guarantee admission to lectures by Barron and Carr. For more information on registration and admission to the lectures, visit .

Filmmaker Joe Campo and Katherine Angulo, director of youth ministry for the Archdiocese of Atlanta,��will also speak at the conference. Bishops, pastors, lay leaders and high school and college faculty and administration are invited to attend.

The McGrath Institute is accepting proposals for papers and presentations exploring the cultural influences on young people and ideas, strategies��or programs that foster vocational discernment. The deadline for proposals is Oct. 18.

Contact: Brett Robinson, director of communications, McGrath Institute for Church Life, 574-631-6109, brobins6@nd.edu

The McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame partners with Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools to address pastoral challenges with theological depth and rigor. By connecting the Catholic intellectual life at Notre Dame to the life of the Church, the McGrath Institute for Church Life forms faithful Catholic leaders for service to the Church and the world. Visit icl.nd.edu.

Originally published by Meg Mirshak at on September 06, 2017.

, University of Notre Dame professor of and McGrath-Cavadini Director of the , will deliver a theological reflection to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) during its annual Spring General Assembly, June 14-15 in Indianapolis. The subject of Cavadini’s talk is the baptismal call and the theology of vocation in relation to young people in the Church.

At the meeting, the bishops will begin consultation on the 2018 Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops convening, which will focus on young people, faith and vocational discernment. They will also address issues of immigration and refugees, religious freedom and health care policy developments.

Cavadini will deliver a 20-minute reflection beginning at 11 a.m. Wednesday (June 14). It will be followed by a 20-minute question and answer session.

“The unity and beauty of the sacramental life is a precious gift, the summit of the Church’s life,” said Cavadini. “It is therefore the wellspring of vocation and the source of missionary discipleship to which Pope Francis has called us, to serve those who feel forgotten by society or lost in the culture.”

Cavadini has served as a consultant to the USCCB Committee on Doctrine since 2006. In November 2009, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to a five-year term on the International Theological Commission and was also created a member of the Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great, classis civilis, by Pope Benedict.

Cavadini served as chair of the Notre Dame Department of Theology from 1997 to 2010. He was named in 2000 as director of the McGrath Institute, which partners with Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools to offer continuing education and formation for Catholic leaders.

The McGrath Institute will host an academic and pastoral conference March 5-7 in anticipation of the Synod of Bishops. Registration for “Cultures of Formation: Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment” will begin in the fall. For more information, visit .

The McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame partners with Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools to address pastoral challenges with theological depth and rigor. By connecting the Catholic intellectual life at Notre Dame to the life of the Church, the McGrath Institute for Church Life forms faithful Catholic leaders for service to the Church and the world. Visit .

Contact: Amanda Skofstad, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-4313, skofstad@nd.edu

The conference on youth, faith, and vocation is sponsored by the McGrath Institute for Church Life.

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The screening will be followed by a conversation with Joseph Campo and Fr. Leo Fisher.

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McGrath Institute offering a one-credit theology course, reading group and lectures.

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Techniques used to illuminate the Bible will be discussed at 7 p.m. Jan. 25 in the Eck Visitors Center Auditorium.

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The has received a $1.675 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation to expand its Science and Religion Initiative – a multifaceted program that trains Catholic educators to raise the quality of high school science and religion education and develop useful learning materials for engaging dialogue between the disciplines. The program seeks to frame science education within the broader context of Catholic theology.

The three-year Templeton Foundation grant allows the Science and Religion Initiative to continue hosting seminars at the University of Notre Dame and other locations. Additionally, the initiative will support the development of online courses for teachers, a second edition of a high school textbook on the subject and a website to share lesson plans and other teaching resources.

“According to a recent national survey, the perceived conflict between science and religion is one of the main reasons young people say they leave the Catholic Church,” said , McGrath-Cavadini Director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life. “This grant allows us to address this misperception and help high school teachers create pedagogies that show that science and religion – far from being incompatible – are partners in the search for truth.”

The Science and Religion Initiative, which received two prior Templeton Foundation grants, seeks holistic integration of theology, biology and physics. Each summer, 90 high school teachers in the three disciplines will attend week-long at the Notre Dame campus or Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. The Foundations New Orleans seminar offers a hands-on learning approach where laboratory work helps to facilitate conversations about science and faith.

Teachers who previously attended the Foundations Seminar or from schools where science and religion have a higher level of integration will be invited to a two-day capstone seminar.

Seminars, school in-service days and online courses offered through the McGrath Institute for Church Life’s online theology program, known as , will train an estimated 700 teachers annually. Teachers who participate in science and religion programs funded by the Templeton grant are expected to reach more than 125,000 students over the next 10 years.

The competitive application process gives priority to schools that apply with a team of at least three teachers from biology or chemistry, physics and religion. The application process for summer 2017 is closed. To learn more about applying for future seminars, email rss@nd.edu.

The Templeton Foundation supports research related to the humanities and science. The philanthropic group encourages dialogue among scientists, philosophers and theologians, and between such experts and the public.

The McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame partners with Catholic dioceses, parishes and schools to address pastoral challenges with theological depth and rigor. By connecting the Catholic intellectual life at Notre Dame to the life of the Church, the McGrath Institute for Church Life forms faithful Catholic leaders for service to the Church and the world. For more information, visit .

Contact: Brett Robinson, director of communications, McGrath Institute for Church Life, 574-631-6109, brobins6@nd.edu

Donald Jackson, the Welsh calligrapher and artistic director of the illuminated Saint John’s Bible will speak on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.

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A Rosary for Life prayer service will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Oct. 5 at 9 p.m. in observance of Respect Life Month.

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The seventh annual “Saturdays with the Saints” lecture series sponsored by the at the University of Notre Dame will feature seven saints whose lives give witness to the mercy of God.

The lectures will be held on Saturdays of home Notre Dame football games combining the University’s rich traditions of Catholic faith and spirited football game days. Notre Dame theology faculty and staff will deliver dynamic lectures on saints chosen this year to coincide with the global Church’s Jubilee Year of Mercy.

“The series was inspired by the fact that Saturday has great significance in the Christian tradition. Saturday was the ancient Sabbath and is an image of eternity because it was on the seventh day that God rested. Therefore, our lecture series is an image of eternity,” said , McGrath-Cavadini Director of the Institute for Church Life.

Saturdays with the Saints has established itself as a popular pregame ritual for members of the Notre Dame community and visitors to campus. The lectures begin at 10:30 a.m. in Andrews Auditorium on the lower level of Geddes Hall adjacent to Hesburgh Library. The talks are free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early as the events tend to fill to capacity.

In addition to home games on the Notre Dame campus, a lecture will be held prior to the game versus Army on Nov. 12 in San Antonio, Texas. , professor of theology, and Rev. David Garcia, director of the Old Spanish Missions, San Antonio, will speak on Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The 2016 Saturdays with the Saints schedule includes talks on St. Joseph, St. Faustina, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Elizabeth of Hungary. For a complete schedule, visit the Institute for Church Life’s site at .

The Institute for Church Life animates the University’s direct service to the Church through outreach in theological education, research, faith formation and leadership development. For more information, visit .

Contact: Brett Robinson, director of communications, Institute for Church Life, 574-631-6109, brobins6@nd.edu