Notre Dame dedicated a Monday 11:30 a.m. Basilica Mass to survivors of sexual assault following last Thursday’s release of an external report revealing that Fr. David Porterfield and Fr. Thomas King, both former rectors, had groomed and sexually abused students during their respective tenures at Notre Dame and Holy Cross College.
University President Fr. Robert Dowd presided over the Mass, accompanied by 24 concelebrating priests. Presidents Emeritus Fr. Edward Malloy and Fr. John Jenkins participated as concelebrants.
The dedication of the Mass was announced to the Notre Dame community in an email from the Office of the President on Friday. Over 150 people attended.
“We come together to celebrate Mass and pray in a special way for healing and peace in the lives of all of those impacted by sexual abuse. We pray in a special way for their family members and friends as well. We pray for healing. We pray for peace. We pray for reconciliation,” Dowd said.
King or Porterfield were not mentioned by name, but Dowd did say “our own campus has been impacted by such abuse” and noted that sexual abuse “is particularly distressing and destructive when committed by priests and religious.”
The University President thanked survivors specifically for their courage in sharing their stories and apologized on behalf of the university, calling the actions perpetrated on them “totally inexcusable” and “against everything we stand for here at Notre Dame.”
“Know of our desire here at Notre Dame to do everything that we can to support healing. And to do everything we can, everything in our power, to ensure that the abuse that you experienced never happens to anyone here on this campus, ever again,” he said.
Later in the service, prayers for survivors and their families were offered again during the Prayer of the Faithful. The same prayers were offered during the Prayer of the Faithful during the Sunday 10 a.m. Basilica Mass.
