About Holy Cross College · Notre Dame, Indiana
Holy Cross College is a private Catholic college in Notre Dame, Indiana, founded in 1966 by the Mid-West Province of the Brothers of the Holy Cross as a two-year junior college. It now operates as a four-year residential liberal arts college and is animated by the spirituality of the Congregation of Holy Cross (C.S.C.), the same religious community founded in Le Mans, France, by Blessed Basil Moreau in 1837 that also founded the neighboring University of Notre Dame. The campus's Catholic chapel is St. Joseph Chapel, the daily spiritual anchor for the college community, where students, faculty, staff, and visitors gather for daily Mass, confessions, Eucharistic adoration, First Friday devotions to the Sacred Heart, and the Liturgy of the Hours.
- Established
- 1966
- Patron
- Holy Cross (Congregation of Holy Cross); chapel dedicated to St. Joseph
- Rector
- Father Michael DeLaney, C.S.C. (College Chaplain and Assistant to the Vice President of Mission and Ministry)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend (Catholic chaplaincy affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross, C.S.C.)
Why belong here
Holy Cross College's chapel is the spiritual heart of a small, residential Catholic campus where faith is woven into everyday student life. Mass is celebrated every weekday at 12:25 p.m. and on Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. in St. Joseph Chapel, with weekly Monday-night Eucharistic adoration, Friday confessions, monthly First Friday devotions to the Sacred Heart, daily Liturgy of the Hours, weekly John 17 ecumenical gatherings, Theology on Tap discussions, semi-annual retreats, and men's and women's ministry groups. Whether you are a student discerning becoming Catholic, a faculty or staff member seeking daily prayer, or a visitor to Notre Dame, you are welcomed into the same Holy Cross community that has formed young people in the faith for sixty years.
Mass times at Holy Cross College
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Mondays, 6:30–7:30 p.m. (St. Joseph Chapel, during adoration)
- Fridays, 12:00 p.m. (noon, before 12:25 Mass)
- First Friday, 12:00 p.m.
- Sundays, before the 7:30 p.m. Mass (during Eucharistic Adoration)
Adoration times
- Mondays, 8:00–9:00 p.m. (St. Joseph Chapel)
- Sundays, before the 7:30 p.m. Mass
- First Fridays, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
About Holy Cross College & St. Joseph Chapel
Holy Cross College is a private Catholic liberal arts college located at 54515 State Road 933 North in Notre Dame, Indiana, just north of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1966 by the Mid-West Province of the Brothers of the Holy Cross, the college belongs to the Congregation of Holy Cross (C.S.C.), the same religious institute founded by Blessed Basil Moreau in Le Mans, France, in 1837 that also founded Notre Dame. St. Joseph Chapel serves as the spiritual heart of campus and the site of the college's daily and Sunday liturgical life.
- Type: Private Catholic four-year liberal arts college
- Founded: 1966
- Religious affiliation: Catholic Church, Congregation of Holy Cross (C.S.C.)
- Motto: Ave Crux, Spes Unica — "Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope"
- President: Marco J. Clark, Ed.D.
- Campus ministry offices located adjacent to St. Joseph Chapel
History & Mission
Holy Cross was founded in 1966 as a two-year junior college primarily to educate Holy Cross Brothers, opened to laymen in 1967, and became coeducational in 1968. Under Brother Richard Gilman, C.S.C. (1992–2010), the college evolved into a four-year residential liberal arts institution. The school's famous moment of popular culture came in 1993, when the movie Rudy featured Holy Cross as the springboard for Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger's journey to Notre Dame football. Today the college is led by Marco J. Clark, Ed.D., and continues to advance the apostolic mission of the Holy Cross Brothers.
- Founded 1966; coeducational since 1968
- Brother John Driscoll, C.S.C.: founding president, 1966–1987
- Brother Richard Gilman, C.S.C.: led transformation to four-year college, 1992–2010
- David Tyson: reorganized curriculum and stabilized finances, 2017–2022
- Marco J. Clark, Ed.D.: current president, 2022–present
- Featured in the 1993 film Rudy
Leadership & Campus Ministry Staff
Pastoral care on campus is provided by a small team of Holy Cross religious and lay ministers. The College Chaplain is a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Campus Ministry staff are available for prayer, support, and spiritual counseling, and can be reached at (574) 239-8305 or by email.
- Father Michael DeLaney, C.S.C. — College Chaplain; Assistant to the Vice President of Mission and Ministry ([email protected])
- Dr. Kevin Myers — Director of Campus Ministry ([email protected])
- Maria Gorecki — Assistant Director of Campus Ministry ([email protected])
- Main phone: (574) 239-8305
First Friday Devotions to the Sacred Heart
Because of the Holy Cross community's devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, First Fridays at Holy Cross College are marked as especially prayerful days. The schedule combines adoration, the Rosary with the Litany of the Sacred Heart, confessions, and Mass into a single block of worship at midday.
- Adoration: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Rosary and Litany of the Sacred Heart: 12:00 p.m.
- Confessions: 12:00 p.m.
- Mass: 12:30 p.m.
Liturgy of the Hours & Daily Prayer
In keeping with its C.S.C. charism, the Holy Cross College community prays the Liturgy of the Hours together each day, alongside a daily group Rosary. These communal prayer times are open to all students, faculty, and visitors.
- Morning Prayer: 7:15 a.m. weekdays (9:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday)
- Group Rosary: 6:30 p.m. daily
- Night Prayer: 9:00 p.m. (10:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday)
Student Ministries & Faith Formation
Campus Ministry provides a wide range of opportunities for students to grow in faith, from daily liturgical worship to fellowship groups, retreats, and formation programs for those discerning the Catholic faith.
- John 17 weekly ecumenical gathering — Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m.
- Theology on Tap — monthly speaker series for young adults
- Semi-annual retreats
- Annual pilgrimages
- Men's Ministry and Women's Ministry
- RCIA / inquiry for students interested in becoming Catholic
- Liturgical ministries: readers, altar servers, choir, Eucharistic ministers
New Sacred Spaces: Student Union Chapel & Center for Campus Ministry
In 2025, Holy Cross College announced a $1 million gift from Dr. Gregory and Mrs. Susanne Hoffman to fund an adoration chapel within the college's future Student Union, with President Marco J. Clark calling it "a daily spiritual anchor for students, faculty, staff, and community members." In February 2026, an anonymous donor gave a record $2.25 million — the largest gift from individual donors in the college's 60-year history — to support a new residence hall chapel and a Center for Campus Ministry in the Student Union.
- $1 million gift from Dr. Gregory and Mrs. Susanne Hoffman for the Student Union adoration chapel
- $2.25 million anonymous gift (2026) — largest in school history — for a residence hall chapel and the Center for Campus Ministry
- Planned sacred spaces to anchor liturgical and pastoral life on campus for decades to come
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Brother John Driscoll, C.S.C.1966–1987
Founding president and dean of Holy Cross College.
- Brother James Leik1987–1988
Acting president.
- Brother David Naples1988–1990
- Brother Raphael Wilson1990–1992
Acting president.
- Brother Richard Gilman, C.S.C.1992–2010
Led Holy Cross's transformation from a two-year junior college into a residential four-year liberal arts college.
- John Paige2011–2017
- David Tyson2017–2022
Stabilized the school's finances, reorganized the curriculum, reinstated the two-year transfer program.
- Marco J. Clark, Ed.D.2022–present
Current president; oversaw record gifts for new chapel and Campus Ministry Center.