Fr. Bill Miscamble, C.S.C., was the rally’s first speaker. Recalling the foundational history of the University, Miscamble declared that the administration’s decision to invite and honor President Obama “damaged the ethos and spirit of Notre Dame.”
The University’s founder, Fr. Sorin, started Notre Dame with the intention that it would be an institution that would de great good for the country and the Church. In sight of its invitation to Mr. Obama, Fr. Miscamble declared that the University had settled for “temporary attention over eternal honor”—making rhetoric on its fidelity to the Church and commitment to the defense of life “rings hollow today.”
However, Fr. Miscamble stated as he drew his speech to a close, the fight for Notre Dame is neither lost nor hopeless. Although the University has suffered a “painful, self-inflicted wound,” Fr. Miscamble explained, “this is not the end of the story.”
Chris Godfrey, a graduate of the Notre Dame Law School and founder of Life Athletes, an organization of professional and Olympic athletes who promote pro-life values, addressed the crowd after Fr. Bill Miscamble. A member of the New York Giants Super Bowl XXI championship team, Mr. Godfrey drew on his experience as a professional athlete to illustrate Notre Dame’s need for improvement. According to Mr. Godfrey, Notre Dame needs to “go back to the basics,” as it has lost sight of its own mission as a Catholic institute to a focus on its own prestige.
At Notre Dame, Godfrey continued, there are a lot of basics. However, lucky for Notre Dame, “there are a lot of good things [at Notre Dame].” Yet, Godfrey warned, “we must focus on these in the right order—or all lose their goodness.”
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Another highlight speech was given by Fr. John J. Raphael, a ND’89 alumnus and a Josephite priest from New Orleans, LA.
Calling the ND Response “Rally” “not your ordinary gathering for Life,” Fr. Raphael went on to proclaim “the real Notre Dame is totally committed to defending sanctity of life.” Referring to the foundation and the mission of the University, Fr. Raphael explained that Notre Dame is “defined by its relationship to the entire community of the Church.” If Notre Dame truly desires to contribute to the culture of life within larger society, Raphael said, it must first nurture that culture within the bounds of its own campus.
The rally closed with a rousing address from Notre Dame professor of philosophy, Dr. David Solomon. Approaching the podium wearing the traditional professorial commencement gown, Professor Solomon began his speech by calling to the stage the Notre Dame faculty members who were in the crowd. More than 25 professors emerged from the crowd.