The golden dome and statue of Mary at the Main Building of the University of Notre Dame rise above green trees and a river under a clear blue sky.

Faith

Guided by faith, grounded by reason

Notre Dame’s Catholic character informs all it does.

At Notre Dame, we believe there is a deep harmony between faith and reason. Our faith inspires our use of reason, and our reason sharpens our understanding of faith. Together, they both serve the search for truth.

Notre Dame’s Catholic character informs all it does. Our faith serves as a bridge—to understanding, connection, and hope.

The mind will not be educated at the expense of the heart.

Portrait painting of Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau, C.S.C. a white male with gray hair and a black coat.

Blessed Basil Moreau

Founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross

A close-up shows several votive candles in glass holders on a rack, with one flame burning brightly.

Cultivating the Heart

At Notre Dame, you will find many opportunities to explore your faith.

Campus Ministry

  • 75+ priests serving as hall rectores, professors, and administrators
  • 32 residence hall chapels
  • 30 religious retreats offered annually through Campus Ministry
  • 200+ masses celebrated weekly on campus

All Faiths Welcome

As a Catholic university, we welcome people of all faiths and of no faith. We celebrate each person for their distinctive gifts and invaluable contributions to our community.

A person with long brown hair and glasses receives ashes on their forehead during an Ash Wednesday service. A yellow circular floor sign with an arrow and the word “QIBLA” in English and Arabic points the direction of prayer. A person in orange robes wears a distinctive yellow and red hat with a fringe, seen from a side and slightly back angle.

Faith in Action

From its founding, Notre Dame has prepared leaders to be a great force for good at home and around the world.

A group of college students works in the yard of a dark gray house with purple trim, using tools and wheelbarrows for a service project. A smiling woman in a blue shirt looks at a large cardboard box on a shelf in a food pantry.
Two students pack canned goods and other items into cardboard boxes at a long table in a bright room, with other students in the background.
  • 80% of Notre Dame students participate in service or service learning before they graduate
  • 5% of each graduating class spends a year or more in volunteer service
  • 800+ Notre Dame graduates have served in the Peace Corps
Kofi Annan standing in front of a United Nations flag.

Notre Dame represents much that is best and most generous in the American tradition.

Kofi Annan

Former UN Secretary-General

An Institutional Identity

Notre Dame's Catholic identity is not confined to a single campus department. The University’s Catholic mission is in action across campus.

Pope Francis, dressed in white, walks with a cane in a large room with painted walls, flanked by Fathers Dowd and Jenkins and an applauding crowd.