Notre Dame donor protest claims $8.2 million withheld from university

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Meeting with a group of disadvantaged young people of the rehabilitation community of the University of Notre Dame in the Church of the Sacred Heart in Sydney
Vespers Address to Priests, Seminarians, and Deacons at Notre Dame
Legislative efforts in the United States to prohibit 'partial-birth abortion'
To the beloved people of Australia and to the young pilgrims taking part in World Youth Day 2008

Dearborn, Mich., Apr 28, 2009 / 06:27 am (CNA).- Organizers of a website encouraging University of Notre Dame alumni and donors to withhold donations until its president is replaced say they have confirmed over $8.2 million dollars have been withheld as part of their efforts. The group describes the figure as “very conservative.”

ReplaceJenkins.com aims to encourage donors to withhold donations to the university until its president, Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, is replaced.

A press release from ReplaceJenkins.com says the site has received over 900 pledges from alumni and donors promising to withhold future donations. Several of the largest gifts include estate bequests to the university that have been removed from donors’ wills.

The site was organized by Notre Dame alumni and financial supporters who opposed the invitation of President Barack Obama as commencement speaker and honorary law degree recipient because of his support for abortion.

David DiFranco, a 1995 graduate of Notre Dame and ReplaceJenkins.com spokesman, said the organization knew many people were unhappy with the decision to honor President Obama, but “never expected this large of a response.”

“We can hardly keep up, and this is only the beginning. We can only imagine what fundraisers at the University are experiencing, but understandably not reporting.”

DiFranco reported that the website’s verification of large donors’ withholdings has been “carefully conducted.”

“We are speaking directly with donors, and in several cases we have spoken with estate attorneys to confirm that Notre Dame has been stripped from a donor’s will. We are going about this process with a critical eye in order that that the numbers we report are accurate.

“For that reason, the $8.2 million we are reporting today is actually very conservative.

“As momentum continues to build, we are now certain that the financial penalty, resulting from the decision to honor the most pro-abortion president in our nation’s history, will be enormous,” DiFranco said.

“The fact that this effort is necessary is unfortunate,” DiFranco added. “However, alumni and supporters of Notre Dame have little other recourse than to protest with their pocketbooks. We will continue our efforts as long as it is necessary to bring about positive change at Notre Dame that will honor ‘Our Lady’s’ University.”

Comments: 19

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Padre Pio
Cleveland, OH 05/05/2009 08:52 AM EST

Oh please! Where were all you self-righteous folks when young men were committing suicide over the horrors of being abused by Priests and ignored (or abused too) by the Hierarchy? Were you keeping your money from the weekly collection basket? And guess what? Over 50% of Catholics who are aware of the situation think it's right to invite Obama. 30% don't care enough to even have an opinion...not quite the National scandal you suggest. AND, have you seen what the Vatican said about Obama's first 100? Maybe you should withhold your money from Rome too?

Published by: Stephen
Syracuse, NY 04/29/2009 07:25 AM EST

Good point about Catholic universities. A Jesuit at Fordham once told me that the Virgin Birth was a myth concocted to inspire the peasants. So it's just not lay professors at Catholic Schools.

Here's the scoreboard:
ND-Decision--Wrong
Xavier-Decision--Wrong
Providence-Decision-Wrong 0 for 3. As per usual.

Published by: James Maher
Ireland 04/29/2009 05:47 AM EST

While I'm saddened that, like so mmny things in America, it's down to money, not conscience, but not withstanding that, it's a great strategy to get this Invitation disinvited.

The strategy seems to be only to have Fr Jenkins removed - I suggest that to disinvite the Invitation also be part of the strategy.

Published by: margaret
South Africa 04/29/2009 12:17 AM EST

I am so proud that at last Catholics are taking a stand to defend their faith. For too long have the secularists taken advantage of our silence.

Published by: Ann Joseph
Belton, Texas 04/28/2009 10:22 PM EST

Most presidents would have the dignity to decline an invitation if it became the source of so much anguish and controversy. He obviously has no respect for the school or its students; but then neither does the person who invited him.

Published by: Peter H Nguyen
Wichita, KS 67230 04/28/2009 08:24 PM EST

It's a shame for a regular priest to disregard the tenet of faith for the mundane pride. No place for Judas in Church.

Published by: Seán Rian
Missoula, Montana USA 04/28/2009 06:18 PM EST

Who's horrible idea was this? As Bishop D'Arcy urges Catholics to avoid demontrations against the President, over $8 million will be withheld as ransom for having a guest speaker? I understand the issue at stake, but holding thousands of Catholic students and their education hostage is irresponsible.

Published by: James
Texas 04/28/2009 04:41 PM EST

Shut it Down!
The Catholic Church is The People, not some abberent priest. How did this hypocrite (Jenkins) come to run this University anyway?
The People need to obstain from attending this hypocratical ceremony (let Jenkins hand him his 'sheepskin'), ALONE . . . . .

THEN, fix the real problem and get Jenkins out of there, or shut the whole thing down! ! !

Published by: Patrick
Boardman, OH USA 04/28/2009 04:03 PM EST

Oh such great Catholics! How great thou art. How many will take in one new born who comes from a ghetto and is dumped or give money to support the born-in-poverty babies. How wonderful all you middle class, holier than thou hypocrites are. We Catholics have so many twisted issues that are swept under the rug. God have mercy on us! Never, ever will I want to go back to the religous dictatorship prior to Vatican II. The brow-beating and attempts at mind control. How many souls were lost by the Church? Please,Lord, save us!

Published by: HOPE F.
VA/USA 04/28/2009 03:04 PM EST

Christian from KY has a lot of truth in what he says. If Catholics had defended their Faith, Their Mass and Traditions back after VAT II, things would not be the way they are now!
The NEW AGERS took advantage of VAT II and made MANY changes of their own. This weakened the Faith of many, and the R.C. Church.

Published by: Virginia E Carter
WA 04/28/2009 01:59 PM EST

Fr. Jenkins should not be permitted to celebrate Mass or have Communion till he apologizes (repents)of his mistake. Like other Candidates that are not Pro-Life.

Published by: peg
detroit, mi 04/28/2009 12:30 PM EST

Thank you so much to the notre dame alumni for taking a stance. I also appreciate CNA for giving us this venue so that we know we are not alone in this secular world.

Published by: Mike Simon
Middleburg PA 04/28/2009 11:50 AM EST

Rate: Excellent

I suggest that as a passive yet powerful protest against President Obama's position on abortion and his disregard for the sanctity of human life that everyone attending the graduation ceremony at Notre Dame in May (especially the graduates themselves)have their faces covered in blood-red paint-like the kids do at sports events. Not to carry any printed signs of protest but just to be there in shocking blood-red quitely showing a powerful disapproval for the loss of innocent blood that is sanctioned by an increasing Godless administration.

Published by: John G
Milwaukee, WI 04/28/2009 10:49 AM EST

Rate: Good

I am glad that one's standing in the Church does not depend on the approval of Catholic universities in any way, shape, or form. Decommission them all and start from scratch. Catholic Universities are an outmoded vestige of the medieval training of barbarians; visit campus today, and see how little has changed since the Renaissance! Catholics in America find it curiously important to compete with Protestants and secularists in the audacity of their universities, only to create quasi-modo (half-formed) Catholic-American citizens who are inadequate, incapable, and incompetent to comport the articles of their faith to the exigencies of secular life. Is it really so good to produce so many lawyers? Let's just give up on Catholic universities altogether, as they do little to produce living witnesses to the Faith, but are rather a breeding ground for tomorrow's board-members and philanthropists...phooey!

Published by: Tony May
Great Falls 04/28/2009 10:19 AM EST

Rate: Excellent

I am looking forward to Notre Dame rebuilding her solid Catholic foundation with new leadership. I pray that other Catholic universities who who have fallen astray will also repent and return to their strong and beautiful Catholic christian identity.

Published by: cw
Wichita, KS USA 04/28/2009 10:07 AM EST

Thank-you so much for this is real important.
I will pray for your group that they will have many blessings and that Father Jenkins has a conversion to seeing this truth.

Published by: Robert
Charlotte/NC/USA 04/28/2009 08:56 AM EST

Wonderful to see people taking a stand based on principles and not on popularity.

Published by: dAVID LARSEN
scituate Mass. USA 04/28/2009 07:21 AM EST

Excellent!!!Obama and the democrats must have respect for all life including that of the unborn. Their dictatorship must be challenged. Money talks!

Published by: Christian
Frankfort/KY/USA 04/28/2009 06:47 AM EST

Rate: Very Good

Let's go back in time...40-47 years...if Catholics had this much courage against the Modernists to demand their Mass and their Catholic Faith which was taken from them, would we be facing this crisis?

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