On a Mission

We seek worldly knowledge, confident that the world exhibits coherence that reflects a Creator. We will train the intellects of our students, cultivate their faith and instill the virtues necessary for living a good life. We will strive to build a community generous to those in need and responsive to the demands of justice – strengthened by grace and guided by the command to love God and neighbor.

This is no easy mission. But its difficulty is not our concern; we did not create the mission, and we cannot change it. The word “mission” derives from the Latin root missus – which means “sent.” We have been sent – to seek God, study the world, and serve humanity.

If we are clear in our purpose, we will excel in our ideals.

From the inauguration address of Fr. John I. Jenkins, University of Notre Dame