by Brittany Jaso | Dec 24, 2025
Merry Christmas As we welcome the birth of Christ this Christmas morning, and our Advent journey draws to a close, we want to thank you for joining us for Sacred Stories of Notre Dame. Together, we have witnessed 25 profound narratives, powerful testaments to courage,...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 23, 2025
Iskandar Salameh & Luna Habash Sophomores Luna Habash and Iskandar Salameh grew up just minutes apart in the little town of Bethlehem, yet they only met for the first time at Notre Dame. Although their hometown was Jesus’ birthplace, Luna and Iskandar are part of...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 22, 2025
Ava Hall As a teenager, something changed inside sophomore Ava Hall the first time she read Soul Surfer, a memoir by competitive surfer Bethany Hamilton. After being attacked by a shark, Bethany lost her arm and nearly lost her surfing dreams, too. The powerful story...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 21, 2025
Bob Chou ’61, ’63 M.S. Few people can claim Mother Teresa as a close family friend, but Bob Chou ’61, ’63 M.S. is one of them. During his childhood in Calcutta, India, Chou’s father helped Mother Teresa, then a poor nun, get critical food supplies to the...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 20, 2025
Matthew Scherber Junior Matthew Scherber didn’t expect to feel at home halfway across the world. Yet, as a delegate of Notre Dame’s Pilgrimage of Peace to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, that’s exactly what happened....
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 19, 2025
Franny O’Brien & Lila O’Brien The O’Brien family’s Notre Dame connection stretches through several generations. Sisters Franny, a senior, and Lila, a sophomore, are the latest in a line of alumni that includes both their grandfathers, their late dad,...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 18, 2025
Herjok Panther Deng Agot After a childhood in South Sudan marked by violence and unrest, senior Herjok Panther Deng Agot searched for peace and hope. When a Notre Dame alum returned to his community to launch a high school, Herjok gave everything he had to get into...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 17, 2025
Tim O’Neill ’94 & Ryan O’Neill ’97 Brothers Tim O’Neill ’94 & Ryan O’Neill ’97 both came to Notre Dame wanting to symphonize, both on and offstage. After Tim began playing piano at hall Masses and in the Keenan Revue, Ryan...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 16, 2025
Mason Hedges He longed to feel like he belonged. After a childhood suspended between two worlds—one with his white biological family in rural Ohio, and the other with his adoptive Black family in inner-city Cincinnati—senior Mason Hedges wanted to believe that God had...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 15, 2025
Matt Cashore ’94 For 35 years, Matt Cashore ’94 has captured the most joyous and heartbreaking moments on the field and everywhere in between. As University photographer, he’s shot nearly every home football game, but the home opener this year was different. As...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 14, 2025
Lizbeth Cordova Lopez One conversation can shift your entire perspective. For senior Lizbeth Cordova Lopez, a member of Campus Ministry helped her reframe the guilt she felt about her faith into the understanding that seeking God authentically and consistently is what...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 13, 2025
Rev. Patrick Reidy, C.S.C., ’08, ’13 M.Div. We tend to evaluate the worth of our lives by the milestones we’ve achieved, but so much of life happens between the big moments. For Rev. Patrick Reidy ’08, ’13 M.Div., so many major life moments have happened...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 12, 2025
Hannah Hidalgo When everything you’re used to relying on is taken away, you’re left with only your foundation. During COVID, junior Hannah Hidalgo used the unfamiliar solitude to deepen her personal relationship with Christ, to take her faith from routine to real....
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 11, 2025
Sonia Lumley When the pressures of a full academic schedule, working three jobs, and running a campaign for Student Body Vice President nearly broke senior Sonia Lumley, she began to question her faith. The strict religious ideals from the denomination she was raised...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 10, 2025
Dr. Frank Castillo ’81, ’90 M.A. After two near-fatal accidents almost stopped Dr. Frank Castillo ’81, ’90 M.A. in his tracks, he transferred to Notre Dame, placed his future in God’s hands, and kept moving ahead both in faith and in life. Today, against...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 9, 2025
Ashley Kutter Holidays are usually known for the joy they bring while surrounded by family and friends. For sophomore Ashley Kutter, her first Easter away from her family brought just the opposite. She was homesick and lonely, until a senior hallmate, Camila, stepped...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 8, 2025
Elicia Dennis ’18, ’23 M.S. After a childhood where her world collapsed and she lost beloved family members over and over, Elicia Dennis ’18, ’23 M.S., craved community and unrelenting support—and that’s exactly what she found at Notre Dame: “By the end of...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 7, 2025
J.J. Wright ’14 MSM, ’17 DMA Together, they hit new notes. As a doctoral student and director of the Notre Dame Children’s Choir, J.J. Wright ’14 MSM, ’17 DMA, grew close to a young student named Clare, a bond that strengthened over the years as Wright...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 6, 2025
Jenna Miller You’re never alone. Those were the words that Jenna Miller, a 2019 ENL Hernandez Fellow in the Alliance for Catholic Education, needed to hear and believe as she sat at her father’s bedside near the end of his life. She called on friends to light a candle...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 5, 2025
Leticia Cardoso Queiroz Our Lady of Fátima has been a guiding figure to senior Leticia Cardoso Queiroz since her childhood in the outskirts of São Paulo, Brazil. In her local parish, a different family was selected each week to pray the rosary, alongside the visiting...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 4, 2025
Michael Brennan ’69 A prayer for peace. That’s what Michael Brennan ’69 made over and over, first for strangers suffering from illness and later for his own brother. Could a newly canonized saint, Brother André Bessette of the Congregation of Holy Cross,...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 3, 2025
Christian Gray A mother’s faith is everything. For junior Christian Gray, a starting cornerback from St. Louis raised by a single mom, it was what got him all the way to Notre Dame Stadium: “When it came time to choose a college, I had 27 offers. LSU, USC,...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 2, 2025
Edan Czarobski Who doesn’t love a Milkshake Mass? A Chapel Crawl that began as a fun dorm challenge to attend Mass in every residence hall chapel ultimately brought sophomore Edan Czarobski closer to a friend, to his community, and to God: “Participating in the...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 1, 2025
Dr. Mary Hannon ’02 & Dr. Michael Hannon ’02 Always look out for signs. A chance encounter in a tiny church changed alumni Dr. Mary Hannon ’02 and Dr. Michael Hannon ’02 forever. While vacationing in the Cayman Islands, they attended Mass and met Dr....
by Brittany Jaso | Nov 30, 2025
Brooke Dubay Attending Notre Dame was a dream that began as a little girl for senior Brooke Dubay. Her grandmother had passed along her love for the school and its principles, and after she died when Brooke was young, it became Brooke’s mission to attend. When a...
by Brittany Jaso | Nov 29, 2025
Rev. Francis Makut ’23 MTS Our first Sacred Story of this Advent season starts with Rev. Francis Makut ’23 MTS, who reminds us that even in darkness and cold, a stranger’s grace can light the path ahead. His first winter at Notre Dame made the priest from...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 24, 2024
Merry Christmas Notre Dame Alumni Association Executive Director Dolly Duffy ’84 closes out our Advent series and shares our warmest wishes for a blessed Christmas season. As we welcome the birth of Christ this Christmas morning, I want to thank you for joining...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 23, 2024
Noah Salak For senior Noah Salak, steak sandwiches are sacred. When he joins the Knights of Columbus on gamedays to serve thousands of them, he’s doing more than just helping raise funds for South Bend charities; he’s taking part in a tradition that makes Notre Dame...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 22, 2024
Yaritza Padilla When sophomore Yaritza Padilla opened herself up to true, authentic friendship at Notre Dame, she found a support system like none other. “Away from my family, I realized I couldn’t only rely on them to care for me. Instead, I found friends who became...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 21, 2024
Pedro Ribeiro Pedro Ribeiro wasn’t looking for a new job. But when the president of Notre Dame called him out of the blue to invite him to campus for a visit and interview, his path was forever changed. “But that visit to Notre Dame transformed me. Spending the day...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 20, 2024
Lisa Bevington “Blindsided, I tripped and fell, finding myself in a shallow lake of rainwater. Nearby, a figure appeared — another person battling the storm.” A helping hand during a moment of need reminded Lisa Bevington that she’ll never be lost to her fears. “She...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 19, 2024
Ron Metoyer Others’ silent sacrifices often make the biggest difference in our lives — even when we don’t realize it at the time. The time and talent adults in Ron Metoyer’s life invested in him during his teen years expanded his future trajectory. Now, as Vice...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 18, 2024
Jack Szatkowski Senior Jack Szatkowski questioned his own faith following his father’s devastating medical diagnosis. But his Notre Dame family stepped up and helped him renew his belief with the power of community. “This journey has made me more compassionate and...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 17, 2024
Ellen (Bartindale) Castellini ’12 Winning isn’t everything. Ellen Castellini ‘12 and her teammates took home the trophy after the Fighting Irish women’s soccer team won the NCAA National Championship in 2010. But attending Mass at a church far from home before...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 16, 2024
Frank Baysore ’72 Frank Baysore ‘72 washed a lot of glasses to pay for his education while working as a dishwasher in South Dining Hall. There, he learned a lesson from a colleague that shifted his own perspective from glass half empty to glass half full.“...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 15, 2024
Wendy Garcia Sigala Just weeks after moving clear across the country to South Bend, Wendy Garcia Sigala and her husband learned she was pregnant with her first child. She felt excited but scared: would she have the support she needed in a new place? But Wendy’s new...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 14, 2024
Chris Kavanagh As the youngest of six kids, family and teamwork are everything to men’s lacrosse captain Chris Kavanagh. He followed in his older brothers’ footsteps to Notre Dame, and it was their family he looked for in the crowd as he and his brother Pat led the...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 13, 2024
Allison Schultz Like many first-year students, when junior Allison Schulz started at Notre Dame, it was her first time away from her family. In the midst of her homesickness and loneliness, she found a community that felt like family, one that loved her as she was and...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 12, 2024
Joy Agwu ’24 Joy Agwu’s grandmother called sunrises and sunsets “God’s painting,” and those works of art became a way for her to bookend each day with a moment of gratitude. On a trip to Mexico with her closest Notre Dame friends, one breathtaking sunset showed...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 11, 2024
Santiago Schnell Some of the best things in life happen just by saying “yes” to God’s call. Santiago Schnell’s journey to Notre Dame was more than a career move; it became a vocation. The William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science joined the faculty...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 10, 2024
Gabriella Searl A simple invitation to pray together with new friends on Sundays became a cherished weekly tradition for senior Gabriella Searl. “I had grown up praying the Rosary with my family, and I knew with so much space in our new room, I wanted us to host a...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 9, 2024
Melissa (Wochner) McGlinn ’89 Leaving Notre Dame can be hard. Melissa (Wochner) McGlinn ‘89 will never forget her last day on campus. Her dad pulled her aside for a powerful moment of prayer that helped her navigate the change ahead and has stayed with her...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 8, 2024
James Riley ’94 The perseverance, resilience, and heart for service of his aunt Goldie Ivory ’56 M.A., motivated James Riley ‘94 to uphold her legacy and make a difference in his community. “Inspiration to be a force for good often starts close to home. Aunt...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 7, 2024
Samantha Meyer How do you handle doubt about your life’s path? When her application to Notre Dame didn’t go exactly as planned, Sammi Meyer doubted her calling to South Bend. Then, she came across a long-lost bookmark that reminded her to trust in the plans God has...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 6, 2024
Admiral Christopher W. Grady ’84 You are never alone. More than twenty years after Admiral Christopher Grady ‘84, 12th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was a sophomore at Notre Dame, a story from his father made him realize that in the Notre Dame...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 5, 2024
Maria Fernanda Zamora After fleeing Nicaragua, senior Maria Fernanda Zamora found her voice at Notre Dame, and with it, the power to turn her fear into purpose: “Oppression in my homeland of Nicaragua taught me to hide, but Notre Dame showed me that my voice could...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 4, 2024
Ava Conklin ’22 Sometimes you need a sign from above to know that you’re in the right place. Feeling the presence of her great uncle John Nichols ‘45 after he died gave Ava Conklin ‘22 the sign that Notre Dame was exactly where she was meant to be: “Just over a...
by Brittany Jaso | Dec 3, 2024
Heather Reynolds When Heather Reynolds first met her daughter, Olive, in Taiwan, everything changed. Through motherhood, Heather’s drive to help end poverty became a deeply personal calling that ultimately led her to the role of a lifetime at Notre Dame. “As she...
