About Sacred Heart · Notre Dame, Indiana
Sacred Heart Parish is the oldest continuously operating parish founded and staffed by the Congregation of Holy Cross in the United States, with roots intertwined with the founding of the University of Notre Dame in late November 1842. Today the parish community gathers for worship in the Crypt Church, located in the basement level of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the Notre Dame campus, while the upper Basilica serves as the 'university church' for faculty, students, and alumni. Staffed by Holy Cross priests and a team of deacons and lay ministers, the parish ministers to families connected with the University community and offers religious education, adult faith formation, OCIA, and a broad Social Justice Ministry. The parish offices and meeting spaces are housed in the Sacred Heart Parish Center, a 1919 building on St. Joseph's Lake that was formerly the Holy Cross college seminary.
- Established
- 1842
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. John Conley, C.S.C.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
Why belong here
Sacred Heart Parish welcomes any Catholic family or individual connected with the University of Notre Dame community — students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and longtime local parishioners — to a parish where history and daily life meet. The community gathers for daily and Sunday Mass in the Crypt Church beneath the Basilica, with weekly Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, daily rosary at the Grotto, and a robust schedule of confessions in the Basilica. Ministries span children's Religious Education, adult faith formation, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), a Music Ministry under a director of music, a vibrant Social Justice Commission supporting nine outreach partners, and St. Vincent de Paul. The Sacred Heart Parish Center on St. Joseph's Lake hosts community meals, retreats, and gatherings in a storied 1919 building.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Weekdays 11:00 am, Basilica
- Weekdays 4:45 pm, Basilica
- Monday–Thursday 7:00–7:30 pm, Basilica
- Saturday 10:00–10:30 am, Crypt
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month, 12:00 pm in the Crypt
Parish History
Sacred Heart Parish is the oldest continuous parish founded and staffed by the Congregation of Holy Cross. It was started together with the University of Notre Dame in late November 1842 by Holy Cross priests and brothers led by Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C. The parish's worship home evolved from the original Badin Log Chapel (where Father Sorin celebrated the first baptism on Christmas Day 1842), to a log cabin church built in 1843, to a larger Sacred Heart church completed in 1848, and finally to the present Prairie Gothic structure begun in 1871. In 1992 Blessed Pope John Paul II elevated the church to a Minor Basilica. Over the years the parish's territorial boundaries were reduced as new South Bend-area parishes were created — Saint Joseph (1853), Saint Patrick (1858), Christ the King (1933), and Little Flower (1937).
- Founded November 1842 by Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C., with the University of Notre Dame
- First baptism: December 25, 1842, in the Badin Log Chapel on Saint Mary's Lake
- Second (larger) Sacred Heart church completed 1848
- Present Prairie Gothic structure begun 1871
- Elevated to Minor Basilica in 1992 by Pope John Paul II
- 175th anniversary closing Mass celebrated January 7, 2018
Worship in the Crypt Church
The parish community gathers for prayer and worship in the Crypt Church, located in the basement ('garden level') of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, directly beneath the Lady Chapel. Enter the Crypt using the outside doors at the north end of the Basilica. The upper Basilica serves the faculty, students, and alumni of Notre Dame as the 'university church.' Daily and Sunday Masses are celebrated in the Crypt (with the 11:00 am Sunday Mass held in the Parish Center Chapel to accommodate children and larger gatherings).
- Crypt Church: basement of the Basilica, beneath the Lady Chapel
- North-end outside doors provide direct entrance to the Crypt
- 11:00 am Sunday Mass held in Parish Center Chapel
Faith Formation
The Religious Education program (Director: Molly Montijo) hopes to accompany parents in their role as primary educators of faith. All students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 who do not attend a Catholic parochial school are invited to participate. Classes meet Sunday mornings 9:30–10:45 am in the basement classrooms of the Parish Center, September through April, taught by parish volunteers and Notre Dame/Saint Mary's student volunteers. Sacrament preparation is built in: 1st- and 2nd-grade students prepare for First Reconciliation and First Communion, and 7th- and 8th-graders prepare for Confirmation. The parish also offers Adult Faith Formation and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA).
- Children's Religious Education (K–8)
- Sunday classes 9:30–10:45 am, Parish Center basement classrooms
- Adult Faith Formation
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Sacrament preparation integrated into Religious Education
Music Ministry
The parish is served by a Director of Music (Alicia Nagy, 703-953-9792) who coordinates liturgical music for the parish community gathered in the Crypt Church and the Parish Center Chapel. The wider Basilica of the Sacred Heart across the parking lot is also home to Notre Dame's renowned congregational choirs, which often collaborate with parish and University liturgical life.
- Director of Music: Alicia Nagy
- Music supports liturgy in the Crypt and Parish Center Chapel
Social Justice Ministry
The Social Justice Ministry Commission lives out the Gospel call to respect human life and dignity and to work for justice and peace, meeting monthly and recruiting parishioners to serve locally and beyond. The Commission supports nine partner organizations and initiatives, and Deacon Jeff Gallagher chairs it. Activities include regular service opportunities and an Adopt-a-Family at Christmas collection.
- Catholic Worker House
- Dismas House
- Habitat for Humanity
- Hope Ministry
- Northeast Neighborhood Food Pantry
- Our Lady of the Road (Catholic Worker Drop-In Center)
- Refugeer Program
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Adopt a Family at Christmas
- Community for Peace and Nonviolence (annual St. Marcellus Day Celebration)
- Chairman: Deacon Jeff Gallagher ([email protected])
St. Vincent de Paul Society
Sacred Heart's St. Vincent de Paul conference is part of the parish Social Justice Ministry. Parishioners work with neighbors in the area who need food or financial assistance with rent, utilities, and financial planning. Contact: Paul Thornton, [email protected].
- Contact: Paul Thornton ([email protected])
- Assistance with food, rent, utilities, and financial planning
Community for Peace and Nonviolence
Sacred Heart Parish is a member congregation of the Community for Peace and Nonviolence, a coalition of churches that explores, practices, and promotes the nonviolence of Jesus. Activities include the annual St. Marcellus Day Celebration and educational and advocacy work on peacemaking and nonviolence. Contact: Dorothy Pedtke, 272-2320, [email protected].
- Annual St. Marcellus Day Celebration
- Sacred Heart representative attends monthly board meetings
- Contact: Dorothy Pedtke (272-2320)
Sacred Heart Parish Center
The Sacred Heart Parish Center is a building steeped in tradition, situated on St. Joseph's Lake on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. Built in 1919 as the college seminary for the Congregation of Holy Cross, it housed generations of Holy Cross priests influential in many families' lives. The building reverted to a graduate residence in the late 1970s and was taken over by Sacred Heart Parish in 1992; in 1995 Father Jose Martelli, C.S.C., negotiated its use for parish religious education, adult faith formation, and parish social space. The Community Hall can accommodate up to 130 people for receptions, luncheons, dinners, group retreats, and meetings (no personal/guided retreats). The building also offers 58 dorm-style bedrooms on three floors — rooms have two to four XL-twin beds, a sink, desk, and lamp; six rooms have their own bathroom and shower, and one bedroom on the main floor is ADA-compliant. Overnight stays are available to those affiliated with Notre Dame, Holy Cross College, or Saint Mary's College.
- 1919 Holy Cross college seminary on St. Joseph's Lake
- Taken over by parish in 1992; reopened 1995 under Father Jose Martelli, C.S.C.
- Community Hall seats up to 130
- 58 dorm-style bedrooms on three floors
- One ADA-compliant bedroom on main floor
- Overnight guests must be affiliated with Notre Dame, Holy Cross College, or Saint Mary's College
Parish Staff and Pastoral Council
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. John Conley, C.S.C., supported by Senior Priest Rev. Thomas Jones, C.S.C., Deacons William and Jeff Gallagher, and a lay staff team. The Parish Pastoral Council is led by President Susan Good.
- Pastor: Rev. John Conley, C.S.C.
- Senior Priest: Rev. Thomas Jones, C.S.C.
- Deacon William Gallagher
- Deacon Jeff Gallagher (also Chairman of Social Justice Ministry)
- Director of Music: Alicia Nagy
- Religious Education Director: Molly Montijo
- Parish Business Manager: Joe Nycum
- Parish Secretary: Eileen Viglietta
- Parish Center Reservations: Christina Maciejczyk
- Pastoral Council President: Susan Good
Sacred Heart Parish and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Although the parish and the Basilica share a name and a building, they serve related but distinct communities. The parish (gathering in the Crypt) ministers to families with a University connection, while the Basilica ('upstairs') serves Notre Dame faculty, students, and alumni and welcomes more than 100,000 visitors annually as a major tourist destination in Northern Indiana. The two worship spaces together form one of the most historic Catholic sites in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
- Parish community gathers in the Crypt
- Basilica serves the University community and visitors
- Both staffed by the Congregation of Holy Cross
- Basilica designated a Minor Basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1992
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C.1842–
Founder; arrived with six Holy Cross brothers in November 1842 and celebrated the first baptism on Christmas Day 1842 in the Badin Log Chapel.
- Rev. Jose Martelli, C.S.C.c. 1995
Negotiated the lease of the old Moreau Seminary on Saint Joseph's Lake in 1995 to create the Sacred Heart Parish Center.
- Rev. David Scheidler, C.S.C.installed January 7, 2018
Installed by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades at the closing Mass of the parish's 175th anniversary year on the feast of the Epiphany; previously associate rector of the basilica, chaplain for the Notre Dame Folk Choir and ACE, and rector of St. Edward Hall.
- Rev. John Conley, C.S.C.current
Ordained in 1979; B.A. in History and M.Th. from Notre Dame; M.A. in Educational Administration from Loyola University Chicago; previously rector of Siegfried Hall (1997–2019). Also serves as General Archivist for the Congregation of Holy Cross and chaplain to the Notre Dame Hockey team and the Monogram Club.