About

"So this is who we are, and who we are called to be. Seekers of truth. Sustainers of hope. Builders of bridges. Extending and expanding these gifts we’ve been given—to others and to the world."
—Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., Inaugural Address

The 2025-26 Notre Dame Forum will focus on the theme, "Cultivating Hope."

Before his passing, Pope Francis declared 2025 to be a Jubilee Year—a special year of forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal celebrated by the Church every 25 years. In speaking about choosing “Pilgrims of Hope” as the theme for this Jubilee Year, Pope Francis observed that “hope and kindness touch the very heart of the Gospel.” He noted that “kindness is not a diplomatic strategy” nor “a set of rules to ensure social harmony,” but rather “a form of love that opens hearts to acceptance and helps us all to become more humble.” He added that “wars, social injustices, and the many forms of violence we are exposed to every day should not dishearten us nor draw us toward skepticism and discouragement.”

As members of the Notre Dame community, these notions of hope and love resonate with us in a special way. Blessed Basil Moreau, the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, saw education as the “work of resurrection”—a means of lifting up others and instilling hope. Hope is also reflected in the motto of the Congregation of Holy Cross: “The Cross, Our Only Hope." You can find these words etched in Latin on the floor of the Main Building Rotunda. And, in his inaugural address in September 2024, University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., encouraged us all to be “seekers of truth, sustainers of hope, and builders of bridges.”

In light of all of these points of resonance, Father Dowd has chosen “Cultivating Hope” as the theme for this year's Forum. This theme is timely in a world where hope is often in short supply, and fittingly follows on the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum theme, “What Do We Owe Each Other?" 

All members of the Notre Dame community are invited to consider how they might participate in the exploration of this year’s Forum theme, whether in the context of the classroom, through informal conversations with fellow students and colleagues, or by hosting or attending a Forum event.

If you or your department, club, or organization are planning an event that relates to this year’s Forum theme, please let us know by emailing forum@nd.edu.

Join us for a Forum event

Previous Forum Themes