For nearly 140 years, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame has stood at the center of campus, inviting students, staff, faculty, and visitors alike to celebrate the sacraments and be inspired by the saints depicted in its stained-glass windows and murals.
In early 2027, several new saints will be added to the sacred space in the form of icons displayed on columns inside the nave of the church. Known as the Global Saints Initiative, the installation will feature saints from five continents and nine countries to both represent the many cultural dimensions of the global Catholic Church and reflect the experiences of current Notre Dame students.
鈥淛ust as university founder Father Edward Sorin carefully selected saints for the Basilica that spoke to the Notre Dame students of his day, these new icons reflect the diverse vocations, cultures, and backgrounds of today鈥檚 campus community and the wider Church,鈥� said Rev. Pete McCormick, C.S.C., assistant vice president for campus ministry. 鈥淚 am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to share these stories of holiness with all who visit the Basilica and especially with our students who I鈥檓 hopeful will be able to identify with and learn from these witnesses of faith.鈥�
The icons were made possible through a generous gift from longstanding benefactors and Notre Dame alumni Jay and Mary Flaherty. The niece of the late , president of Notre Dame from 1952 to 1987, Mary is a member of Notre Dame鈥檚 Undergraduate Experience Advisory Council, and her husband, Jay, is a member of the University鈥檚 Board of Trustees. The Flahertys have supported several University initiatives, including the construction of Flaherty Hall, which opened as a female residence hall in 2016.
鈥淥ur support of the University of Notre Dame honors the life and the theme of Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., that began with the Basilica of the Sacred Heart World War I Memorial and went on to be depicted in his autobiography, God, Country, Notre Dame,鈥� said Mary and Jay Flaherty. 鈥淲e are overjoyed to see one of Notre Dame鈥檚 most sacred and timeless spaces even more profoundly reflect the beauty of our faith, the richness of the global Catholic Church, and the universality of the call to holiness embodied in these icons.鈥�
To complement the icons, Notre Dame鈥檚 Global Catholic Research Initiative will offer a one-credit course through the Department of History in spring 2027. The course, titled Global Saints, will be taught by Kathleen Sprows Cummings, director of the Global Catholic Research Initiative and the John A. O鈥橞rien Collegiate Professor of American 91视频 and History, and Anna Katharina Rudolph, managing director of the Global Catholic Research Initiative and research affiliate with the Medieval Institute. The course will invite students to visit the installation, consider what makes a saint 鈥済lobal鈥� and analyze how saints have served鈥攁nd continue to serve鈥攁s sites of cultural encounter, political expression, gendered authority, and the Church鈥檚 evolving relationship to its past.
The icons are scheduled to be installed in the Basilica in January 2027, just prior to the start of the spring semester. The announcement of the installation coincides with All Saints鈥� Day, a holy day celebrated annually on November 1, which is dedicated to the saints of the Catholic Church who are now in the presence of God in heaven. To learn more about the icons, visit .
Media Contact: Erin Blasko, director of media engagement, 574-631-4127, eblasko@nd.edu