Category: News
Printmaking history—the institute partners with community to celebrate South Bend’s Latino heritage
Through a partnership between La Casa de Amistad and the Institute for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame during the spring semester, local Latino high school students not only learned about Latino history—they took part in making it.
Forming character through friendship—Virtues & Vocations conference promotes human flourishing in professional education
The second annual Virtues & Vocations conference on Higher Education and Human Flourishing, held in late May on the scenic campus of the University of Notre Dame, explored the role of character in the professions.
Go be justice—Sending off graduates to work for the common good
On Friday, May 16, the institute celebrated graduating seniors at the annual Senior Send-Off at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center’s Leighton Concert Hall as part of Notre Dame’s Commencement Weekend.
ReSearching for the Common Good: O. Amandhi Mathews
The Institute for Social Concerns leverages research to respond to the complex demands of justice and to serve the common good. This series, ReSearching for the Common Good, highlights some of the scholars in our community.
Toward a culture of encounter—Lecture series engages Pope Francis, Catholic social tradition
Inspired by the pope’s exhortation to encounter and dialogue, the Institute for Social Concerns launched the series Encounter: Conversations on Catholic Social Tradition. Organized by Suzanne Mulligan, professor of the practice and co-director of the Catholic social tradition minor, the series features distinguished scholars of Catholic social tradition who share insights and guide critical conversation on matters of justice and the common good in our fragmented time.
“Windows of hope”—NDPEP’s reentry work pursues holistic thriving for returning citizens
At the Institute for Social Concerns, the reentry program through Notre Dame Programs for Education in Prison (NDPEP) is designed to provide not just assistance but also hope for returning citizens like Daniel, Michael, and Clinton. As reentry program director Jim Cunningham describes, “The institute takes a holistic approach to reentry. It isn’t simply about finding jobs for reentering citizens. It is about treating reentering citizens as whole persons and seeking their flourishing in society.”
ReSearching for the Common Good: Yunyan Zhao
The Institute for Social Concerns leverages research to respond to the complex demands of justice and to serve the common good. This series, ReSearching for the Common Good, highlights some of the scholars in our community.
Remembering Pope Francis—Institute faculty reflect on the pope’s influence on their work
The Institute for Social Concerns has been deeply influenced not only by Pope Francis’s sermons, speeches, and writings but also by his general orientation to the moral life as one of loving encounter and care. In the wake of Pope Francis’s death on April 21, several institute faculty and staff reflected on his legacy and its impact on their work.
Pursuing justice by getting proximate—Students explore themes of proximity, natality, and rootedness in spring break seminars
From Los Angeles to Tucson to the Twin Cities to New Orleans, students visited sites of justice-oriented work in the United States to briefly but intensely engage with a question of justice in a specific time and place.
An arc that bends toward beloved community—Catholic Social Tradition Conference highlights Notre Dame’s Catholic mission
Drawing on this mission, the 2025 Catholic Social Tradition (CST) Conference explored how the University and the Church can be a site of beloved community.