Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame is hosting one of Indiana’s mass vaccination clinics on campus Friday and Saturday. State health officials expect to administer just under 6,000 doses of the one shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to Indiana residents who registered ahead of time. They say all appointments are already taken. 

This weekend Notre Dame announced its latest Laetare Medal recipient. 

Today Notre Dame announced that scheduling changes and a reservation system would be in place as Holy Week and Easter Sunday approaches. Most Holy Week services will not be available to the general public, with the exception of Easter Sunday when a reservation will be required.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — State health officials say coronavirus vaccine shots were given to more than 16,000 people during Indiana’s first mass vaccination clinic and all appointments have been filled for two similar upcoming clinics. The four-day clinic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway wrapped up Monday with 16,511 getting shots of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. All appointments have been taken for the mass vaccination sites set for this Friday and Saturday at Ivy Tech Community College in Sellersburg  and March 26-27 at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend.

NEW (Mar. 1):

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Former Notre Dame and NFL player Louis Nix III has died after being missing for several days, but many questions linger about the circumstances of his death. Nix's mother Stephanie Wingfield told multiple news outlets in Jacksonville, Florida, that authorities said her son died but haven't been able to tell her how. Family members say his car was pulled out of a pond near his home on Saturday. In December 2020, he was shot in an armed robbery. Nix had received high praise during his time with the Fighting Irish. He was then drafted by the Houston Texans in 2014 but struggled to make an impact in the NFL due to injuries.

The distribution of ashes at Notre Dame’s Ash Wednesday services will look a little different for this year.

According to the university’s Campus Ministry site, ashes will be sprinkled on the head, rather than marked in the sign of the cross on the forehead.

The Notre Dame women's basketball team has been impacted by COVID-19, forcing the postponement of a game on Monday. You can read more below. 

Today Notre Dame announced plans to hold in-person commencement. 

(You can read more in the release below.) 

In a message today to the University of Notre Dame community, President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., provided updates on the University Commencement Ceremonies in May for the classes of 2020 and 2021, as well as for alumni reunions in June.

"It's here or will be arriving soon."

That's the word from Dr. Mark Fox of the St. Joseph Co. Health Dept. on his predictions for the presence of variants of COVID-19 showing up in the county. He says people should operate on an assumption that they need to protect themselves from these strains which are more contagious. Although none of the strains have been detected yet in St. Joseph County, some have been detected in Indiana and in Michigan, particularly in the Ann Arbor area. 

January blue skies dominate in WVPE's latest Photo of the Week. Thanks to Becky Baxter for this image that she captured on Sat., Jan. 23rd in the Charles B. Hayes Family Sculpture Park on the Notre Dame campus. Against those blue skies you see a bronze sculpture of a horse that was created by sculptor Deborah Butterfield.

We'd love to see what you are taking photos of.

Email Photo of the Week submissions to us at wvpe@wvpe.org.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame's football program is on NCAA probation until next January. The school admitted to recruiting violations in 2019 in which a now-former assistant had an impermissible in-person meeting with one prospect and sent impermissible text messages to another. The NCAA  announced the negotiated resolution after it was reviewed by the Division I Committee on Infractions. Official recruiting visits will be reduced from 56 to 55 to this year and there will be cuts in number of days prospects can make unofficial campus visits.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Notre Dame has lost another playoff semifinal in Texas, falling 31-14 to No. 1 Alabama in the relocated Rose Bowl. It was a better showing for the Irish than their blowout loss to Clemson in the semifinals two years ago. But the fourth-ranked Irish still lost in a playoff or New Year's Six bowl for the seventh straight time since 2000. Notre Dame was a three-touchdown underdog and fell behind quickly 14-0. But the defense improved, and Ian Book had the Irish moving with a chance to get within a touchdown in the second half before throwing an interception.

WVPE's latest Photo of the Week is entitled "Fresh Snow." The image was taken on December 29th outside Dillon Hall on the campus of Notre Dame by Sam Lima of South Bend. Sam has contributed several great photos here at WVPE since we started our Photo of the Week feature. 

We'd love to see what you are taking photos of.

Email Photo of the Week submissions to us at wvpe@wvpe.org.

Make sure to include your name, where you live, names of people in the photo, date the photo was taken and the location where the photo was taken.

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — The College Football Playoff semifinal in Texas will be allowed to call itself the Rose Bowl Game, but Pasadena officials don’t want the New Year’s game relocated in the future. Pasadena officials agreed to allow the Tournament of Roses to move the game to Arlington, Texas, on New Year’s Day. No. 1 Alabama will play fourth-ranked Notre Dame in the first CFP semifinal at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas. The Tournament of Rose will pay the city $2 million to help Pasadena with its expenses and lost revenue as a result of the game being relocated.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Ian Book threw three touchdown passes and ran for two scores in his final home game at Notre Dame, leading the second-ranked Fighting Irish to a 45-21 victory against Syracuse. The fifth-year senior led the Irish to a victory as a starter for the 30th time, the most ever for a Notre Dame quarterback. The Irish ran their winning streak to 16 games, best in the country, and their home winning streak to 24. Next up is the Dec. 19 ACC championship game against Clemson in Charlotte, North Carolina.

With Thanksgiving behind us and the December holidays in the offing during the pandemic, it's a time for reflection. WVPE's Photo of the Week offers a scene of tranquil reflection captured on Thanksgiving Day by Katie Gotfried on the Notre Dame campus. If Katie's name sounds familiar, you may recognize it from some of the previous Michiana Chronicles she has contributed here at WVPE. 

We'd love to see what you are taking photos of.

Email Photo of the Week submissions to us at wvpe@wvpe.org.

President Donald Trump calls Lou Holtz “one of the greatest coaches in American history” and has honored the college football Hall of Famer and political ally with the nation’s highest civilian honor. Holtz had a 34-year coaching career that included the 1988 national title at the University of Notre Dame. Holtz received the Presidential Medal of Freedom during an Oval Office ceremony. Holtz led six different programs to bowl games and is an outspoken Trump backer. The 83-year-old Holtz says being honored by Trump makes the award particularly meaningful.

Today Notre Dame announced it is implementing a reservation system for people interested in attending Christmas Mass at the Basilica.

No. 2 Notre Dame wrapped up a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game by virtue of the league shuffling its schedule Tuesday to create an open date for the Fighting Irish and No. 4 Clemson before their likely rematch on Dec. 19. The ACC announced Notre Dame's game against Wake Forest, which was rescheduled for Dec. 12 after being postponed in late September, will not be played. The first-place Irish host Syracuse on Saturday to complete their regular season. Clemson's postponed game at Florida State will also not be made up.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Destinee Walker scored 24 points, Maddy Westbeld added 19 plus nine rebounds and Notre Dame gave new head coach Niele Ivey her first victory, 88-68 over Miami of Ohio. Ivey took over for Hall of Famer Muffet McGraw, who retired with 939 career wins. Ivey's Fighting Irish gave her the lead for good just over three minutes into the game, extended it to 15 points at halftime and kept it in double figures the rest of the way. Peyton Scott scored 18 points and Katie Davidson had 16 along with 10 rebounds for the Redhawks in their opener.

COLUMBIA. S.C. (AP) — Lou Holtz has tested positive for the coronavirus. The 83-year-old former college football coach confirmed the test Thursday to Columbia TV station WOLO. Holtz led Notre Dame to the 1988 national title in a Hall of Fame career. He has worked for ESPN and campaigned for President Donald Trump. Holtz is set to receiver the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump.

BOSTON (AP) — Ian Book passed for three touchdowns and ran for another and No. 2 Notre Dame overcame an early deficit to roll to a 45-31 victory over Boston College. The Fighting Irish's eighth straight win in the series between the FBS's only Catholic institutions gave coach Brian Kelly his 100th career victory at the school, tying him with Lou Holtz for second all-time. He is now just five behind coach Knute Rockne. A week after upsetting Clemson, Notre Dame racked up a season high 561 total yards led by Book, who finished 20 of 27 for 283 yards.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Paul Hornung, the dazzling "Golden Boy" of the Green Bay Packers whose singular ability as a runner, receiver, quarterback and kicker helped turn the team into an NFL dynasty, has died. He was 84. Hornung won the Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame, then headed to the Packers. He was the NFL MVP in 1961 and played on four championship teams. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

BOSTON (AP) — Second-ranked Notre Dame is looking to avoid another historic loss to Boston College as it tries to continue its journey to the College Football Playoff. The two schools will square off Saturday in the 26th edition of college football's Holy War. Boston College has some history of spoiling good seasons for the Irish, who come into the game with a 7-0 mark. The Irish beat Clemson at home in double overtime in their last game. The Eagles are 5-3 and nearly knocked off Clemson two weeks ago.