By Mary Frances Myler, First Things, Dec. 20, 2023
Mary Frances Myler is a writer living in Washington, D.C. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame, where she served as the editor in chief of the Irish Rover.
University of Notre Dame president Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., transformed Catholic education. In the 1967 Land O’Lakes Statement, he laid out his vision for the Catholic university in the modern world, calling for autonomy from the Catholic Church’s authority. Charismatic and well-connected, he was a liberalizing force in an increasingly secular educational environment, transferring ownership of Notre Dame from the Congregation of Holy Cross to a lay board, admitting women into the student body, building the school’s capacity for research, and chasing prestige while expanding the school’s footprint. Hesburgh was a tough act to follow, but if there’s anything to learn from the recent history of Notre Dame, it’s that transformational leaders aren’t always visionaries.
Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C., doesn’t command a room like his famed predecessor. Preparing to retire after an eighteen-year tenure, Jenkins has built on Hesburgh’s legacy with the continued growth of fundraising and research facilities. …..