Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (JN 8:32)

U.S.

Friday, Feb 10, 2012

Notre Dame Graduating Seniors Pray for Obama Ahead of Commencement

0
By Aaron J. Leichman , Christian Post Reporter
May 17, 2009|10:17 am

Anti-abortion students at the University of Notre Dame held an all-night prayer vigil to protest the school’s decision to invite President Obama to deliver Sunday’s commencement address.

Led by the Rev. John D'Arcy, bishop of the Fort Wayne-South Bend diocese, the candlelight prayer vigil was held for graduating seniors and their families to pray for three things: that Obama will change his support of abortion rights and embryonic stem-cell research, that people throughout the world gain a greater respect for life and that Notre Dame and other Roman Catholic universities will more fully embrace their Catholic identity.

"It's not a political issue; this is an issue of human dignity, and it's a Catholic issue," said Greer Hannan, a Notre Dame graduating senior. "As a Catholic university, we need to stand up for it."

Many Notre Dame seniors have decided not to attend their commencement ceremony in protest of the university's decision to grant Obama an honorary law degree and will instead hold a meditation ceremony to coincide with the official commencement

In addition to the meditation ceremony, a large rally will be held on the campus' main quad between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., with a number of speakers lined up, including Elizabeth Naquin Border, Notre Dame graduate and former chairman of the board for the Women's Care Centers in South Bend; William Solomon, director of the university's Center for Ethics and Culture; and Chris Godfrey, a Notre Dame law school graduate and former offensive guard for the Super Bowl XXI champion New York Giants.

Earlier Saturday, more than 150 protesters gathered on the campus of America’s foremost Roman Catholic university as graduation festivities got underway.

Like us on Facebook

Shortly after noon, 23 protesters marched on to campus. Nineteen were arrested on trespassing charges and four also faced a charge of resisting law enforcement, said Sgt. Bill Redman, St. Joseph County Police Department spokesman.

None of those arrested Saturday were students, Brown said.

On Sunday, at 2 p.m., Obama will be the principal speaker and the recipient of an honorary doctor of laws degree at the University of Notre Dame’s 164th University Commencement Ceremony in the Joyce Center on campus.

Obama will be the ninth U.S. President to be awarded an honorary degree by the University and the sixth to be the Commencement speaker.

0
Top Stories

Religious Liberty Issue Not Settled by Revised Contraceptive Mandate

Religious leaders say the newly announced change ...

Santorum Brushes Off Money Concerns, Blasts Obama on Religious Freedom

Rick Santorum disregarded Mitt Romney's money-flush campaign in his CPAC 2012 address saying that the presidential race is not about who has the most cash, but about stopping Barack Obama and his growing grip on American freedoms.

Elevation, 50 NC Churches to Serve Homeless for LOVE Week

Over 50 churches in the Charlotte, N.C.-area will ...

Lawsuit Claims Unlawful Distribution of 'Charitable Assets' by TBN Directors

A lawsuit recently filed by the former head of finance for the Trinity Broadcasting Network claims that the directors of the widely-viewed Christian television network have illegally taken advantage of more than $50 million in "charitable assets" for their own good.