One of the most exciting manifestations of the increased spiritual fervor at Notre Dame has been the establishment of weekly Eucharistic Adoration. The push for Eucharistic Adoration naturally developed from another positive trend at Notre Dame that of increased participation in the Mass. More crowded daily Masses and longer confessional lines reveal greater student interest in the sacramental life of the Church. A small but persevering band of these students began a campaign last year to initiate Eucharistic Adoration. Influenced by other parishes and groups around the country, who had begun 24-hour Adoration, these students took it upon themselves to make this idea a reality. After much prayer, research, and organization, they presented their proposal to Campus Ministry for approval. Campus Ministry agreed to consider the proposal, if the students could show that there would be enough support to sustain such an effort. After months of signature gathering by students, and continued discussion with the administration, Campus Ministry agreed to begin with one day per week of 24-hour Adoration.

     Students and faculty eagerly embraced the invitation to participate in Eucharistic Adoration. With less than one week to fill the time slots, the student organizers signed up more than 150 students. Each signature was a commitment to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament every week for the rest of the semester. Adoration not only provides the opportunity to foster the students' personal piety, but also allows the organizers to educate many on the Church's doctrine and practice regarding the Eucharist. The first full day of Adoration was held last September in a dorm chapel. Students are continuing to spread this devotion, with the ultimate goal of signing up enough people so that Adoration at Notre Dame will become perpetual.

     An encouraging aspect of this student undertaking has been the cooperation of Campus Ministry in providing the necessary oversight and assistance. If interest in Adoration continues, Campus Ministry has agreed to include an Adoration chapel in their new building plan, to be constructed within a few years. This change indicates the grassroots character of much of what is happening on campus; the impetus for establishing Adoration came from a small group of prayerful students, and worked its way up to the administration. Adoration has been and continues to be an effective means for combating lukewarm faith.

     Student testimonies regarding their first experiences with Adoration reveals the deep hunger for genuine piety and theology at Notre Dame. Students are tired of being spoon-fed watered-down versions of the Catholic faith. They are disgusted at being asked by theology professors to reject their faith, when they do not understand the faith well enough to reject it intelligently. They are looking for solid food rather than warm-fuzzy religious experiences. Praying before the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity gave many a taste for the true splendor of the Church.

     A host of student-organized Catholic groups on campus attest to the fervor of students' faith. Some of the currently influential groups have been present at Notre Dame for years, and are now becoming increasingly popular. Marian prayer groups, such as Children of Mary and Knights of the Immaculata have quadrupled their membership, and are working and praying to make this university truly Our Lady's. Upon This Rock, an orthodox Catholic retreat established last year, is now working with Campus Ministry to make their retreat a continuing program every semester. The Law School's St. Thomas More Society has enjoyed increased participation in their Masses and activities. The Law School also boasts a new chapter of The Catholic League, a group of lawyers who work for religious freedom and the rights of the Church in America. Praise and Prayer, a Catholic charismatic group formed last year by graduate students, meets weekly to pray and worship before the Blessed Sacrament.

     Other lay organizations, such as Opus Dei, Regnum Christi, and the Knights of Columbus, have influenced the spiritual formation of students through their presence on or near campus. The men's Opus Dei center located blocks from school provides basic spiritual formation for students through weekly meditations, days of recollection, and classes on living a spiritual life. A new woman's center of Opus Dei was recently established near campus as well.

     Notre Dame/St. Mary's College Right to Life has become increasingly influential at Notre Dame. It organizes a yearly march in Washington D.C., which has been a powerful means for students to witness to the Gospel of Life. Right to Life's membership is growing tremendously; the first general meeting of the school year had an all-time high attendance. In November, the group is bringing Father Matthew Habiger, president of the largest pro-life organization in the world, Human Life International, to speak at Notre Dame.

     Another group on campus that is effecting religious renewal at Notre Dame is the Campus Fellowship of the Holy Spirit. As one member said: "There is a heightened awareness of a need for a spiritual life." Members wisely recognize that the call to follow Jesus must animate every area of student life, from the dining hall to studies to weekend parties. Campus Fellowship is a means to help students live a unity of life instead of compartmentalizing their spirituality. In all they do, they strive to unite themselves to Christ. Small groups of five or six people meet every morning to offer their day to God through prayer. The prayer ranges from meditation on Scripture to charismatic singing and praise.

     The absence of religious dialogue and Catholic intellectual formation on campus is another need that has recently been addressed by Notre Dame students. Intent on learning the Faith that has been denied them by dissenting theologians, many have organized small groups on their own to study Catholic doctrine and traditional spirituality. For example, a group of students meets weekly to study Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. Children of Mary members read and discuss the spiritual writings of St. Francis de Sales and St. Louis de Montfort. Knights of the Immaculata organize meetings to study the Catechism of the Catholic Church. These efforts have met with wide interest and responses from students. Their enthusiasm shows that students here hunger for the truth, and for solid doctrinal formation. Fortunately for them, there are now many who have taken the initiative to offer such formation.

     Much of what is happening on campus can be seen in the personal transformation of one Notre Dame student, call him Keith. Keith came to Notre Dame searching for the Way and the Truth in his life, but this initially eluded him. As a freshman, he participated in typical Notre Dame social life of excess drink and lax religious practice. But the Lord was calling Keith to greater sanctity. Fortunately, he was able to find student-organized programs, which drew him more deeply into the life of the Church. Instrumental in his response to the Lord's call were two retreats and a trip to Franciscan University of Steubenville.

     The first of the retreats was the Notre Dame Encounter, where he experienced God's power in the Sacrament of Confession. Then he attended a more intense Catholic retreat called Upon This Rock. UTR was the brainchild of a group of undergraduate and graduate students, who saw the need for greater Catholic spiritual formation and doctrinal instruction at Notre Dame. On their way back from the Washington D.C. Pro-Life March in 1997, the students decided to organize and fund a solid, orthodox retreat that would not apologize for being openly Catholic. The retreat opened with the words, "Don't worry if you're not Catholic right now, by the end of the weekend you will be!" Through purely word-of-mouth advertisement, organizers attracted more than 60 participants. The retreat house was so crowded that the team leaders had to sleep on the floor. UTR focused its attention on the distinctively Catholic, with talks on the Blessed Virgin, the Eucharist, and Church authority. Confession, the Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, and discussions about religious and lay vocations made up the retreat activities. On the invitation of a friend, Keith reluctantly decided to attend. This decision changed his life. Keith said that, following one of the team leader's talks and during Adoration later that night, God "lit a small fire" in his heart.

     Following the retreat, students organized a trip to Franciscan University of Steubenville. Keith attended the trip, where students met with Fr. Michael Scanlan and Dr. Scott Hahn to gain ideas on how to increase N.D.'s Catholic character. Another Steubenville trip is planned for this semester, to continue dialogue between the two schools. Since his conversion, Keith has joined Children of Mary to pray the Rosary nightly, which has naturally increased his devotion to Our Lady. As he says, "Mary's molding me."

     Keith is one of many individuals experiencing the exciting changes on campus. Upon This Rock was followed up by a Friday night Mass organized by the retreatants to keep the spirit of the retreat alive. As many as 60 students attend this Mass, which has continued into this year. The Friday Mass is followed by a social activity to provide a chance for students serious about their faith to build friendships and encourage Christian fellowship.

     The increased zeal at Notre Dame has many influences outside the university. Students made pilgrimages to this year's World Youth Day. The Holy Father's message to prepare for the year 2000 has taken hold in the hearts of our generation. Taking their cue from universities such as Steubenville, Thomas Aquinas, and Christendom, many at Notre Dame aspire towards greater fidelity to the Holy Father, and are willing to go to battle to defend the Catholic faith. As one philosophy student pointed out, there is a movement among lay people in the universal Church as a whole to become more educated about their faith. The dust is being blown off of the Catholic Bible, and the pages of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church are being read with a hunger. Catholic home schooling, which is becoming an increasingly mainstream phenomenon, brings students to Notre Dame who have solid intellectual and spiritual backgrounds and are then able to influence their peers.

     These students receive leadership and support from faculty and professors such as Ralph McInerny, Charles Rice, John Finnis, Alfred Freddoso, Fr. Michael Baxter, and many others who refuse to give up on Notre Dame. The theology department, which has been problematic for years, now has a promising new chairman in John Cavadini, a leading Augustinian scholar. These faithful faculty members, often criticized for defending Church teaching, are being given new reason to hope for the future of N.D., as students take up arms in the battle against the gates of hell.