Faith & Service
No genuine search for the truth is alien to the life of faith. As part of Notre Dame's mission, these words guide our academic and spiritual lives.
Our Catholic faith not only informs our pursuit of truth, it is part of everything we do on campus. That’s why community service isn’t just a hallmark of Notre Dame. It’s a way of life. Service to others is how we live out our faith. Notre Dame students bring a concern for those in need, a commitment to helping, and a desire to give more than take, to everything they do. So, whatever your passion, you’ll find a way to put it to use for the greater good.
50+ chapels & 150 Masses are celebrated weekly on campus.
Beloved hall Mass traditions include Milkshake Mass, Sundaes on Sunday, and Chili Mass.
Notre Dame is home to 40+ ministries and faith-based student clubs.
Each year, just prior to Commencement, the senior class celebrates one last Mass together at the Grotto.
Every residence hall has its own chapel, each with its own characteristic architecture, music, and traditions.
More than 70 priests serve on campus as professors and administrators.
Around 30 religious retreats are offered annually through Campus Ministry.
Faith is an integral part of life at Notre Dame, and students of all faith traditions are welcomed and supported in our Catholic community. Whether you arrive with a deeply-rooted faith, are exploring your beliefs, or simply want to engage with life’s bigger questions, you’ll find opportunities for worship, reflection, conversation, and community. Through Campus Ministry, students can participate in retreats and faith-sharing groups, attend or serve at residence hall Masses, sing in sacred music ensembles, and find resources for practicing a variety of faith traditions.
A Notre Dame education asks you to consider not only what you are capable of accomplishing, but how your gifts can serve a world in need. Learning extends well beyond the classroom through community-engaged courses, partnerships with local and global nonprofits, and service opportunities that stretch from South Bend to communities around the world.
The Institute for Social Concerns is an interdisciplinary community of faculty, students, staff, and community members. Undergraduates can respond to questions of justice through courses, research opportunities, and experiences in areas such as the environment, labor, mass incarceration, migration, poverty, technology, and beyond.
The Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) works to form the next generation of teachers and school leaders with the talent, imagination, and zeal to serve some of the most under-resourced schools in the United States. ACE places more than 180 college graduates in over 120 parochial schools throughout the United States and provides elementary and secondary school students and teachers with valuable resources.
Strength, discipline, and perseverance take on greater meaning when they’re used in service to others. Through Bengal Bouts and Baraka Bouts, Notre Dame students step into the ring while supporting Holy Cross Missions in Bangladesh and East Africa, continuing a decades-long tradition of connecting athletic competition with service.