Dear students, I extend a warm welcome to each of you. Whether you are arriving on campus for the first time or returning after a summer away, we are very glad you are part of the Notre Dame community. As we mark the beginning of a new academic year, I invite you to attend a special campus-wide mass on Tuesday, August 21 at 5:30 p.m. on South Quad in front of O’Shaughnessy Hall. All are welcome. Following mass, there will be a picnic, also on South Quad near the Rockne Memorial, where live music and other activities are planned. Please join me on this important occasion as we gather as a community, welcome new members and ask God’s blessing on our endeavors in the coming year. Notre Dame’s mission is distinctive. We strive to offer instruction to undergraduates that is academically unsurpassed, while cultivating the growth of spirit and body, thus educating the whole person. We cultivate scholarly excellence, and we advance human understanding through top-tier research and post-baccalaureate programs. In all that we do, we ensure that Notre Dame’s Catholic identity informs our efforts. As you know, the University has a rich history. Generations of Notre Dame graduates have been shaped by their experiences here, and they, in turn, have left their mark on the University. We invite you to do the same, to be part of Notre Dame’s present as well as its future. Individually and collectively, you have tremendous talents and gifts to share. At a time when the world’s need for compassionate and creative leaders is great, I hope you will take every day, every place on this campus and every conversation with those you encounter here as an opportunity to engage, learn and grow. You are Notre Dame, and we are better because you are here. Once again, welcome. I wish you every grace and blessing, and my prayers are with you. In Notre Dame,
Fr. John Jenkins
University President
Aug. 13
