The well-known former president of University of Notre Dame, Father Theodore Hesburgh, has died.
At the age of 97, Fr. Hesburgh died Feb. 26 at the Holy Cross House in Notre Dame, Indiana.
Born in Syracuse, New York on May 25, 1917, Theodore would go on to study at the University of Notre Dame and at the Gregorian University in Rome, where he received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1939.
In June 1943, he was ordained a priest for the Congregation of Holy Cross at Sacred Heart Church on the university campus. At the Catholic University of America in 1945, he received a doctorate in sacred theology.
That same year, he joined the Notre Dame’s religion department. He also served as a chaplain for war veterans on campus.
In 1948, the priest became head of the religion department and was named executive vice president for Notre Dame.
In June 1952, at the age of 35, he became the university’s president.
The university held a public visitation at Notre Dame’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart which began today.
Tomorrow 2 p.m. at the basilica will be the funeral Mass for Fr. Hesburgh. It will be made available via a live video feed at the website hesburgh.nd.edu.
