"Cheer, Cheer For Old Notre Dame"

I had a wonderful and busy week back at Notre Dame . . . so busy I never got around to posting about my adventures! 

On Monday, Fr. Nate Wills, CSC picked me up at the airport and we enjoyed dinner together at South Bend's newest and trendiest restaurant: Trio's. I think Nate wanted to assure me that I could survive the change from Portland to South Bend - and while I enjoyed the meal, and especially the conversation, I still think my social life will take a major hit when I return to the Bend.

Each day I was on campus I made arrangements to have lunch with different friends and former colleauges and it was a real joy to reconnect with these people. I realized that not only had I not been to an ND game in three seasons, but that over the last two years the only time I spent on campus involved my own or someone else's final vows or ordination! It was good to have a freer schedule to relax with people.

I also had the chance to spend the afternoons walking the campus by myself, kind of reconnecting with the place. Boy has it changed, and it just keeps changing. There is a new Science Hall and a new men's residence hall since I left. And they are currently working on an expansion to the Law School, an additional Engineering Hall, a new women's residence hall, a soccer stadium and an addition to the Joyce Center.

Here's a picture of the new Engineering Hall:

While I was on campus I took the opportunity to meet with a couple of my former professors and to start some planning for my return to Notre Dame in the summer of 2009. I will spend a year at ND prepping for graduate studies in American history, and the meetings I had this week were most helpful in formulating a plan of attack. Though I'm still intimidated by the whole thing, I found myself really getting excited about it for the first time.

The highlight of the week, of course, was spending time with my brothers in Holy Cross. On Tuesday I had the privilege of celebrating Mass for the Old College seminarians, and throughout the week I enjoyed the company of my brothers at Moreau Seminary and Corby Hall.  

Here, my classmates Frs. Pete McCormick, CSC and Jim Gallagher, CSC treat me to a CJ's Super Pub Burger - a South Bend tradition!: 

The week wrapped up with the Notre Dame v. Stanford football weekend. I was glad to have the chance to spend an afternoon with Bill Palmer, and to join him and his son John for a tour of the ND locker room on Friday evening. Then on Saturday morning, with the seminarians taking a break from running the Moreau tailgater, Jim and his sisters Mary and Angela invited me to join them for a beer and brat:

Inside the stadium, we cheered the Fighting Irish onto victory and celebrated the 100th anniversary of the greatest of all university fight songs: The Notre Dame Victory March!:

It was a great week and I am grateful for the chance to have made this trip.