<p>Our daughter will be a freshman in Fall 2011. We are practicing Catholics, rather conservative in our faith. How consistent are the teachings at ND with those of the Vatican? I realize that the students might have various views on social and political issues, and that various things can go on at a college campus, but how would you describe the Notre Dame leadership and faculty? Liberal, Moderate, Conservative? </p>
<p>I was not able to accompany my daughter on her visit to Notre Dame, so I'm hopiing for some feedback on what to expect from the instruction she will receive during her next four years at ND.</p>
<p>After much thought and prayer and asking others for guidance, our son will be a freshman at ND this August. I will just share with you a few of the things we have discerned along the way to that decision. We are a conservative, practicing Catholic family following the Magisterium completely.</p>
<p>At first, when it was suggested to our son last spring that he consider ND, he was quite reluctant to even think about it. He was(along with the rest of our family) somewhat soured on ND because of some of the decisions the administration had made in the past. We visited the campus last summer…he still was not swayed all that much. We were in the search for a Catholic college that was also academically challenging(not that easy to find).</p>
<p>Since that time we have talked to many alumni and have visited the campus two more times. Each time we were there we felt more of a pull to dig deep into how the Catholic faith is present and part of the daily life of a student there. We asked our priests and our bishop what they thought. Our priest said “ND is a special place, where our Lord and Lady are present, it is like a parish where you will have many people all in different places in their faith walk but where you can help witness to what a strong, faithful and joyful Catholic is and to guide others along that path. Be strong, let them know that there are young people who embrace the faith fully.” Our bishop told us that a student could not get a better formation and direction than that of the Holy Cross priests. Another bishop (a very orthodox one often in the news for taking a strong stand) told us “If he had a son, he would send him to ND”. </p>
<p>We were advised to just be aware which professors you take classes from. After getting onto campus, you will find out who they are.</p>
<p>There are also several conservative groups on campus for more formation, fellowship and social activities. There is one which I am associated with that is only one block from campus that provides study and social space along with formation and recollection, but that is for males(so I am lucky I have a son). Usually, there is a counterpart for the females…if I find out more info, I will private message you.</p>
<p>When our son decided on ND, we were very much at peace with it. We hope it will be a wonderful experience for him for him to be intellectually challenged and grow even deeper in his faith.</p>
<p>“There are also several conservative groups on campus for more formation, fellowship and social activities. There is one which I am associated with that is only one block from campus that provides study and social space along with formation and recollection, but that is for males(so I am lucky I have a son). Usually, there is a counterpart for the females.”</p>
<p>You are probably referring to the Opus Dei center, Windmoor, which is on Notre Dame Avenue. There is a smaller, not-yet-official center (it’s called a “residence” for now) for women called Southold, on South Bend Avenue. Both have regular spiritual and social activities for students and other members of the community. If you want information on either center, feel free to send me a private message and I can give you the contact information.</p>
<p>As for the Catholic faith on campus, you’ll find the whole range, from mildly hostile (these are mostly nonpracticing Catholics, not persons of other faiths, sadly) to completely orthodox and enthusiastic. There are some terrific faculty members and priests, some who are not so terrific, and a few who are heretics. Once your daughter gets to campus, she will quickly learn the lay of the land. One of the great things about Notre Dame is that students who are serious about their faith have tremendous opportunities to grow, especially in their sacramental life. I think there are over 150 daily Masses per week, for example. The other great thing is that, unlike some of the more doctrinally orthodox Catholic schools, your daughter will be living in the real Catholic world, with many fellow students (and not a few faculty and administration) who may not have had the same formation opportunities that she has clearly enjoyed. She may be confronted by students who will challenge her beliefs, which will force her to come to a deeper understanding of what she believes and why she believes it. </p>
<p>We know some orthodox Catholics who refused even to consider Notre Dame for their children, fearing that they would somehow lose their faith in such an ungodly environment, but such fears are essentially groundless. Any student who “loses” the faith at Notre Dame probably didn’t have much faith to begin with.</p>
<p>Wonderfully said…one of the things that we were drawn to about ND is that the students are living in the real Catholic world and through challenge will examine their faith and understand and defend it.</p>
<p>I am glad to hear of the female (hopefully soon to be center) residence. </p>
<p>Claremarie, thank you for all of your posts. They are always so encouraging and uplifting.</p>
<p>believe that Notre Dame is currently around 78% Catholic. I am not positive on that statistic but I believe it to be true. That leaves more than 400 of the incoming freshman as either being of another religion or no religion at all. I know that 400 seems rather small, but some of the Catholics that make up the other 1600 are either non practicing or feel no true affiliation to the Catholic church. </p>
<p>While religion is a major part of Notre Dame, it is not the only thing. Many of the functions at Notre Dame simply have Catholic overtones such as prayer at football games and masses to support the victims of Japan instead of a simple fundraiser like many other schools. </p>
<p>A student may choose to participate in these activities and grow in their Catholic faith, or the may choose to go and learn about the religion. Other students will elect to miss masses and other religious functions because they disagree with the faith or because they are of another faith. I say that some may disagree because there will be students who were baptized Catholic but no longer practice the faith. </p>
<p>Overall, I guess that I am just trying to say that religion at Notre Dame is as important as you make it. It is truly your choice.</p>
<p>Thank you for your answer. I personally love the environment, the hommage and respect, and the wonderful emphasis on helping others, especially those who are less fortunate.</p>
<p>We have a protestant kid at nd who very much enjoys attending Mass weekly and the lively discussions in theology class. Protestants who don’t consider nd because they think it’s just for Catholics are making a big mistake.</p>