STATEHOUSE (April 18, 2017) – The Indiana General Assembly passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 57 today, which honors the 175th anniversary of the founding of the University of Notre Dame.
Authored by State Sen. Joe Zakas (R-Granger) and sponsored by State Rep. B. Patrick Bauer (D-South Bend), the resolution recognizes the growth of the University from its humble founding to its status today as an internationally recognized research university and institution of higher learning. The resolution specifically references the 300-mile-long trek taken in November 1842 by Father Edward Sorin and seven brothers of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. The party walked from Vincennes, Indiana to St. Joseph County to found the University.
“Notre Dame is proud of its founding 175 years ago on Indiana soil, and grateful today for the legislature’s recognition,” said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame.
“Notre Dame’s positive impact on our community, the nation, and the world cannot be overstated,” Zakas said. “The General Assembly’s awareness of these contributions generated solid support for the 175th anniversary resolution.”
As a way to commemorate the anniversary of this event, the University will sponsor a pilgrimage this coming August retracing the steps of Father Sorin and his Holy Cross brothers. More information may be found at trail.nd.edu.
According to its official mission statement, “The University of Notre Dame is a Catholic academic community of higher learning, animated from its origins by the Congregation of Holy Cross. The University is dedicated to the pursuit and sharing of truth for its own sake. As a Catholic university, one of its distinctive goals is to provide a forum where, through free inquiry and open discussion, the various lines of Catholic thought may intersect with all the forms of knowledge found in the arts, sciences, professions, and every other area of human scholarship and creativity.”
Besides Zakas and Bauer, other legislators who joined in sponsoring the resolution include Sens. David Niezgodski (D-Southbend), Ryan Mishler (R-Bremen), Blake Doriot (R-Syracuse), Ed Charbonneau (R-Valporaiso), Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne), Frank Mrvan (D-Hammond), Andy Zay (R-Huntington), Mike Bohacek (R-Michiana Shores), and Lonnie Randolph (D-East Chicago), and Reps. Dale DeVon (R-Granger), Ryan Dvorak (D-South Bend), Joe Taylor III (D-South Bend), and Tim Wesco (R-Osceola).
Zakas represents District 11 in the Indiana Senate, which includes portions of St. Joseph and Elkhart counties.
-30-
Click here for a high-resolution picture of Zakas.
CONTACT:
Natalie Russell, Press Secretary
317-232-7184
Natalie.Russell@iga.in.gov
