Father Hesburgh often stated that a Catholic university was where the Church did its thinking, and indeed it is. The Kellogg Institute for International Studies, the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, and the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies sponsor scholarly conferences; faculty publications examine critical Church issues;. and controversial topics--from Evolution under Father Zahm through the Vagina Monologs during Father Malloy's presidency to Governor Cuomo's wrestling with abortion --have been presented and debated, and issues were clarified and beliefs strengthened from the discussions. Father Hesburgh's "fifteen-minute rule" and the Land O' Lakes Statement were discussed for decades, and Notre Dame's Laetare Medal is given national, and even international, publicity each year. Thousands of graduates have entered seminaries and convents, and numerous alumni have been elevated into significant positions in the hierarchy and have influenced Church policy at home and abroad. The University had accomplished much throughout its history but, as a living institution, it had no plans to stop when Father Malloy left office in 2005. His successor, Father John Jenkins, declared in his Inaugural Address: With respect and gratitude for all who embraced Notre Dame's mission in earlier times, let us rise up and embrace the mission for our times: to build a Notre Dame that is bigger and better than ever--a great Catholic university for the 21st century, one of the pre-eminent research institutions in the world, a center for learning whose intellectual and religious traditions converge to make it a healing, unifying, enlightening force for a world deeply in need. This is our goal. Let no one ever...say that we dreamed too small. Excerpted from The University of Notre Dame: A History by Thomas E. Blantz All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
