Historic 1st Consecration of Notre Dame University to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was a Student Led Initiative

 University Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

On Friday, September 25, the University of Notre Dame was consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus during a 5:15 p.m. Mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The Most Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades, bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend, preached and presided, with University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., serving as concelebrant.

Following the Mass, a procession gathered at the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue on the Main Quad, where Bishop Rhoades and University leaders prayed for healing, an end to divisions, and strength to follow Christ’s call to selfless love.

“Since my days as an undergraduate student, one of my favorite places on campus is the area around the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in front of the Main Building at the center of campus,” Father Dowd said. “Jesus is depicted with open arms and an open heart. I have always found that area to be a place of peace and inspiration. Under the statue are the words, ‘Come to me, all!’ This flows from Fr. Sorin’s founding vision for Notre Dame to create a place where God’s love is at the center of our life and who we strive to be.

“Like Jesus, we are called to have a heart that is wide open to God and to others, especially those who are most vulnerable and on the margins of our society. And, at Notre Dame, it is important that head and heart are always working together to address the world’s most important challenges.”

What Consecration Means

Rev. Gregory Haake, C.S.C., vice president in the Office of Mission Engagement and Church Affairs, explained that consecration simply means setting something apart to be sanctified or made holy.

“Individuals consecrate themselves all the time,” Father Haake said. “I’m a consecrated religious in the Congregation of Holy Cross, which means that by my vows, I attempt to set myself apart and try to be a priest who has a heart like the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

While individuals, institutions, or nations can also be consecrated to the Blessed Mother or a saint, Father Haake noted that the Sacred Heart holds special significance for Notre Dame due to the Congregation of Holy Cross's long-standing devotion.

“The Sacred Heart is a devotion that focuses on love, mercy, forgiveness, and sacrifice,” he said. “It’s focused on the offering that the Lord made for us on the cross—and we’re called to imitate that for God and for our neighbors, just as any Christian would.”

A Student-Led Initiative

Inspired by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ decision to consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart in June, the event marked the first time in living memory that the University itself was consecrated. Father Haake highlighted that the initiative was student-led, adding to its significance.

“Students from a variety of groups and backgrounds came together to focus on this devotion,” he said. “And, if they are called to the Sacred Heart, to me that means they want to bring God closer to them and to feel more tangibly the abundant love of God and to imitate it.”

Source: https://news.nd.edu/news/university-to-be-consecrated-to-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus/