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Ars praedicandi: The Materiality of the Medieval Sermon — a spotlight exhibit in Special Collections

by David T. Gura, Ph.D., Curator, Ancient and Medieval Manuscripts

During the Middle Ages, the sermon was the most influential vehicle for religious and moral instruction: virtues, vices, canon law, and living the faith all reached the masses in urban centers through preaching. The term ars praedicandi (art of preaching) describes the literary genre of treatises that provide techniques (artes) and instruction for preaching. In addition to the composition of the sermon, artes praedicandi also address how a preacher should comport himself, what to study, and even how to speak and gesture while preaching. Numerous treatises from the twelfth- and thirteenth-century on the topic survive composed by well-known masters like Alan of Lille, Richard of Thetford, Humbert of Romans, and Ranulf Higden, but many anonymous examples exist.

The June-July spotlight exhibit displays a medieval sermon composed from a variety of preaching aids and sourcebooks, and emphasizes a few of the many items from the Hesburgh Library’s collection of medieval manuscripts created for and used by actual medieval preachers.

During the thirteenth century a new, more thematic type of sermon originated in the medieval universities, particularly the University of Paris: the scholastic sermon (sermo modernus). Likewise, new religious orders focused on preaching were created: namely the Franciscans in 1209 and Dominicans in 1216, who were in need of instruction and books. This resulted, especially in Paris, in an outpouring of different types of manuscripts need for sermon composition and preaching. Pandect Bibles (all biblical books in one volume) became pocket sized and portable, and a host of preaching aids were produced. For example, knowledge was systematized into reference manuals (summae) and textual anthologies (florilegia), both of which were used in composing sermons.

According to Sigfried Wenzel’s method of analysis (2015), a typical scholastic sermon can be outlined like this:

Thema is announced (quote from Scripture that the sermon builds on)
Protheme (prepares audience and capture their good will)
Oratio (prayer for divine assistance, often Hail Mary or Our Father)
Thema is repeated
Bridge passage (adapts the thema to the intention of the sermon)
Introductio thematis (why the thema was a good choice; helped by proverb, simile, quote, story)
Diuisio thematis (thema divided into parts; meaning of the thema unfolded)
Confirmatio (confirmation or proof of divisions; often with sentence from Scripture)
Prosecutio (thema developed with subdivision, subdistinction, elaboration, examples, etc.)
Vnitio (combination of all the parts)
Conclusio (closing formula with a prayer asking for God’s grace)

Some sermon collections enjoyed broad circulation and different traditions of use. For example, ca. 1240 Philip the Chancellor composed 330 scholastic sermons on the Psalms while he was chancellor of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. These sermons originated within the university milieu, but continued to have a robust afterlife. The fragmentary copy currently in the Hesburgh Library’s collection (cod. Lat. b. 11), once was part of the Servite Library at San Marcello al Corso in Rome ca. 1382–1402, where it was used in the formation of its novices despite being over one hundred forty years old. The Servites added an ownership inscription when the manuscript entered the collection at San Marcello. By 1402 the starving friars were selling books to survive and the library burned down in 1519. A later owner erased the inscription and obscured the medieval provenance of the manuscript, which was later dismembered in Cleveland, Ohio by biblioclast Otto F. Ege. Using ultraviolet light, the erased text can be revealed and for the first time the Servites’s ownership is known.

Cod. Lat b. 11. Ultraviolet light reveals the erased inscription: conuentus sancti Marcelli alme urbis Seruorum sancte Marie. The inscription identifies the Servites of San Marcello al Corso as former owners of this sermon collection.

Bibliography

David T. Gura, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts of the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College, pp. 204-213. University of Notre Dame Press, 2016.

David T. Gura, “The Medieval Provenance of Otto Ege’s ‘Chain of Psalms’ (FOL 4),” Fragmentology 4 (2021): 94-99.

Sigfried Wenzel, Medieval ‘Artes Praedicandi’, pp. 48, 50-95. University of Toronto Press, 2015.

A Depiction of the Papal Conclave of 1700

by David T. Gura, Ph.D., Curator, Ancient and Medieval Manuscripts

With the passing of the Holy Father, Franciscus PP I, the Church has entered a state of transition in which there is currently no pope (sede uacante). With the interment of Francis on April 26, 2025, the Novendiales (nine-day mourning period) began. After the Novendiales conclude on May 4, the process by which the next pope is elected will begin. The cardinals will enter into the Conclave on May 7, and all officials and attendants will swear the prescribed oaths and the appropriate attendees will enter the Sistine Chapel. The term ‘conclave’, from the Latin cum claue (lit. ‘with a key’), refers to an area that can be locked up, since no one may enter or leave until the new pope has been elected.

The May spotlight exhibit features a depiction of the Papal Conclave of 1700 by Domenico de Rossi. The Conclave began on October 9, after the death of Innocentius PP XII, and ended on November 23, when Giovanni Francesco Albani was elected pope. Albani had been ordained to the priesthood in September of the same year, though he had been a cardinal for the previous ten years. He celebrated his first Mass only three days before he was elected. Albani then became Clemens PP XI when he was consecrated as bishop on November 30, and his papal coronation took place on December 8.

The cycle of illustrations around the edges shows the events and processes of electing a new pope. Since the Conclave is not public, the images depict its activities. The large illustration in the center shows St. Peter’s and the sixty-six cells for the cardinal electors during the Conclave. Their names are listed in the bottom of the print. Some interesting vignettes are the following:

The Pope’s Death and Destruction of the Fisherman’s Ring

The pope’s seal (bulla) and Fisherman’s Ring (Anulus piscatoris) are broken by the Camerlengo in the presence of the cardinals. This signifies the end of his pontificate and prevents the creation of fraudulent documents.

Processions

Three separate processions are depicted: (1) the Cardinal Camerlengo into the conclave; (2) the pope’s body to the Sistine Chapel from the Quirinal Palace (if he died there); (3) the body of the deceased pope to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Peter’s.

The Pope’s Body Lying in State

The pope’s body lies in state publicly for three days in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.

Requiem Masses and the Novendiales

Requiem Masses were celebrated for nine days in the Choir Chapel of St. Peter’s during the Novendiales (nine-day mourning period). The body was usually buried before this period and thus not present. The Conclave can be convened only after the interment. This vignette depicts the four cardinals who come to the altar to change into black pluvials and mitres for the ritual of absolution, after candles are distributed to all cardinals and the funeral oration is completed.

Mass of the Holy Spirit

The cardinals celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit before the beginning of the Conclave. This vignette depicts the traditional celebration of the Mass where the celebrant faces ad orientem (literally, “to the east”). The Holy Spirit is depicted in the form of the radiate dove.

Cardinals Entering the Conclave

The cardinals enter the Conclave to elect the new pope after the Novendiales were finished. The term ‘conclave’ originates from the Latin phrase cum clave (with a key), since the cardinal electors are locked in seclusion until a new pope is elected.

Voting Sessions

The cardinal electors cast their votes, the votes are tallied, then the ballots are burned. If no election is made, straw is added to blacken the smoke. If a new pope is elected, the smoke will be white. The stove with a chimney can be seen to the right.

Food Brought to the cardinals

Since the cardinal electors cannot leave the Conclave, food is brought to them twice per day. The victuals in these vignettes are transported in baskets specifically marked for each cardinal with their coats of arms. The meals are delivered to the cardinal electors through rotating hatches

First Homage to the New Pope

The newly elected pope accepts his canonical election and chooses his name. The cardinal electors pay homage and pledge obedience in the Sistine Chapel. The Holy Father usually then appoints or confirms the Cardinal Camerlengo, who places the Fisherman’s Ring on his finger.

Transportation from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter’s

The new pope is then transported from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter’s to give the apostolic blessing, Vrbi et orbi.

Subsequent Homage to the New Pope

This vignette depicts subsequent homage (adoratio) to the new pope in St. Peter’s above the Papal Altar (l’altare maggiore).

Upcoming Events: May 2025 and through the summer

Please join us for the following public events and exhibits being hosted in Rare Books and Special Collections:

Tuesday, May 13 at 1:30pm | “Potawatomi in Un/Expected Places: Archives, Stories, and the Native American Initiative of Notre Dame” by Zada Ballew.

Last year, Ballew spent nine months at Hesburgh Library researching on behalf of the Native American Initiative (NAI) of Notre Dame. Her goal was to better understand the role that Indigenous peoples have played in the founding and shaping of Notre Dame’s history. What she found surprised her in ways that she didn’t expect. In this talk, she will share some of the most important findings with the people who helped make this work possible.

Presented by the Professional Development Committee (PDC) of Hesburgh Libraries.

Thursday, May 15 at 3:00pm | Hesburgh Libraries’ 2024-2025 Rare Books and Special Collections Postdoctoral Fellow Anne Elise Crafton (MI PhD ‘24) will discuss the major research and collections project they completed during their postdoc year. Crafton catalogued over 270 previously undescribed medieval and early modern documents in the Hesburgh Libraries’ collection. They will discuss the challenges and discoveries which emerged from the project and reflect on the intensive work of making the hitherto unknown documents accessible for scholars, students, and faculty at Notre Dame and beyond.

There are currently no events scheduled to be hosted in June or July.

The exhibition Tragedies of War: Images of WWII in Print Visual Culture runs through the summer and closes in late July. Learn more about the exhibit in this video, and plan your visit this summer.

The current spotlight exhibit is Building a Campus Boycott to Support Midwestern Farmworkers (January – May 2025). In May, we will install spotlights highlighting Medieval charters (May – August 2025) and Medieval homiletics (May – July 2025) from our collections.

Rare Books and Special Collections is open
regular hours during the summer.

RBSC will be closed Monday, May 26, for Memorial Day and Friday, July 4th, for Independence Day.

Upcoming Events: April 2025

Please join us for the following public events and exhibits being hosted in Rare Books and Special Collections:

Thursday, April 3 at 4:00pm | Medieval Institute Working Group “The Materiality of Medieval Texts” Lecture: “Workmanly and Truly Made: Everyday Writing and the Materiality of Literature” by Daniel Wakelin (University of Oxford).

Thursday, April 10 at 3:30pm | Exhibit Tour – Tragedies of War: Images of WWII in Print Visual Culture.

Thursday, April 10 at 4:30pm | Exhibit Lecture: “The Fascist Lair: the Battle of Berlin” by Robert M. Citino (retired Samuel Zemurray Stone Senior Historian at the National WWII Museum).

Thursday, April 22 at 3:30pm | Exhibit Tour – Tragedies of War: Images of WWII in Print Visual Culture.

Thursday, April 22 at 4:30pm | Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) Program commemorating the victims of Holocaust and featuring a live performance of “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” by Lori Laitman, performed by Anne Slovin (Soprano, University of Notre Dame) and Jason Gresl (Clarinet, Saint Mary’s College).

The Spring 2025 Exhibition — Tragedies of War: Images of World War II in Print Visual Culture — is now open and runs through the end of July. Based predominantly on recently acquired Rare Books and Special Collections European holdings, the exhibition commemorates the end of the Second World War (1939-1945) and will explore a diverse assortment of themes including Fascist Racial Ideology, the Holocaust, Children in War, Resistance, Liberation, and Memories of War.

Curated by Natasha Lyandres (Curator, Rare Books & Special Collections), Jean McManus (Catholic Studies Librarian, University Archives) and Julia Schneider (German Language and Literature and Italian Studies Librarian, Hesburgh Libraries).

The current spotlight exhibit is Building a Campus Boycott to Support Midwestern Farmworkers (January–April 2025). In 1980, the University of Notre Dame became the first major university to boycott Campbell Soup products in support of Midwestern farmworkers represented by the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (Toledo, OH). In a few short months, a small and dedicated cohort of students tapped into a growing movement and convinced the campus to act in solidarity.

Curated by Emiliano Aguilar (Assistant Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, and Faculty Fellow, Institute for Latino Studies).

Rare Books and Special Collections will be closed April 18 in observance of Good Friday.

We will resume regular hours on Monday, April 21.

Upcoming Events: March 2025

Please join us for the following public events and exhibits being hosted in Rare Books and Special Collections:

Thursday, March 6 at 5:00pm | Italian Research Seminar: M.A. Student Presentations (University of Notre Dame) — This semester’s speakers are: Samantha Civitarese and Carolina Minguzzi.

Friday, March 28 at 5:00pm | Faith in Action: Solidarity with Regional Migrant Farmworkers — view the RBSC Spotlight Exhibit, “Building a Campus Boycott to Support Midwestern Farmworkers,” and join a robust conversation afterward with curator Dr. Emiliano Aguilar (Assistant Professor in the Department of History). After viewing the exhibit, visitors will gather in room 125 for refreshments and discussion.

Monday, March 31 at 3:30pm | Exhibit Tour – Tragedies of War: Images of WWII in Print Visual Culture.

CANCELLED: Monday, March 31 at 4:30pm | Exhibit Lecture: “Fervent Faith, Relentless Persecution: The Daily Life of Erna Becker-Kohen, a Catholic of Jewish Descent in Nazi Germany” by Martina Cucchiara (Bluffton University). This event has been canceled. We apologize for the inconvenience. We will have the exhibit tour still.

The Spring 2025 Exhibition — Tragedies of War: Images of World War II in Print Visual Culture — will open shortly and runs through the end of July 2025. Based predominantly on recently acquired Rare Books and Special Collections European holdings, the exhibition commemorates the end of the Second World War (1939-1945) and will explore a diverse assortment of themes including Fascist Racial Ideology, the Holocaust, Children in War, Resistance, Liberation, and Memories of War.

Curated by Natasha Lyandres (Curator, Rare Books & Special Collections), Jean McManus (Catholic Studies Librarian, University Archives) and Julia Schneider (German Language and Literature and Italian Studies Librarian, Hesburgh Libraries).

The current spotlight exhibit is Building a Campus Boycott to Support Midwestern Farmworkers (January–April 2025). In 1980, the University of Notre Dame became the first major university to boycott Campbell Soup products in support of Midwestern farmworkers represented by the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (Toledo, OH). In a few short months, a small and dedicated cohort of students tapped into a growing movement and convinced the campus to act in solidarity.

Curated by Emiliano Aguilar (Assistant Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, and Faculty Fellow, Institute for Latino Studies).

Special Collections is open regular hours during Notre Dame’s Spring Break (March 10-14).

Welcome Back! Spring 2025 in Special Collections

Rare Books and Special Collections welcomes students, faculty, staff, researchers, and visitors back to campus for Spring ’25! Here are a variety of things to watch for in Special Collections during the coming semester.

Special Collections Welcomed Two New Curators in the Fall 2024 Semester

Matthew Knight and Payton Phillips Quintanilla bring subject matter expertise in Irish Studies and Latin American and Iberian Studies.

In addition to stewarding the Hesburgh Libraries’ Irish Studies collections in both general and specialized collections, Knight works with other University faculty members to foster the use of these materials broadly across campus within the larger field of Irish Studies teaching and instruction.

The new Irish Studies Librarian and Curator brings deep expertise in the field of Irish Studies, teaching, and librarianship, including in special collections. He previously served as an Associate Librarian at the University of South Florida and holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Celtic Languages and Literatures from Harvard University in addition to an M.A. in Library Science from the University of South Florida.

Phillips Quintanilla is responsible for stewarding the Libraries’ Latin American and Iberian Studies collections in both general and specialized collections. She works within the Libraries and across campus to foster the use of the collections broadly within the fields of Latin American Studies and Iberian Studies teaching and instruction. She also supports Latino Studies students and faculty in collaboration with Rachel Bohlmann, American History Librarian and Curator of North Americana.

Phillips Quintanilla brings deep expertise in the field of Latin American and Iberian Studies and teaching, as well as experience in the cultural heritage sector — particularly in areas of provenance and the stewardship of special collections. Before joining the Hesburgh Libraries faculty, she worked as a Research Specialist in the Pre-Hispanic Art Provenance Initiative at the Getty Research Institute. The new librarian and curator holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literatures with a specialization in transatlantic early modern literatures and cultures, as well as an M.A. in Spanish from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a Master of Professional Writing from the University of Southern California, and a B.A. in Urban and Environmental Policy from Occidental College.

Read the full press release on the Hesburgh Library website.

Fall 2024 Exhibition — Notre Dame Football Kills Prejudice: Citizenship and Faith in 1924

Continuing through the end of January.

“Notre Dame football is a new crusade:
it kills prejudice and stimulates faith.”

— Rev. John F. O’Hara, C.S.C., Prefect of Religion,
Religious Bulletin, November 17, 1924

In the fall of 1924, the University of Notre Dame found great success on the football field and confronted a dangerous and divisive political moment. The undefeated Fighting Irish football team, cemented forever in national memory by Grantland Rice’s legendary “Four Horsemen” column, beat the best opponents from all regions of the country and won the Rose Bowl to claim a consensus national championship. Off the field, Notre Dame battled a reactionary nativist political environment that, in its most extreme manifestation, birthed the second version of the Ku Klux Klan. Sympathizers of this “100% Americanism” movement celebrated white, male, Protestant citizenship and attacked other groups—including Catholics and immigrants—who challenged this restrictive understanding of American identity.

In the national spotlight, Notre Dame leaders unabashedly embraced their Catholic identity. They consciously leveraged the unprecedented visibility and acclaim of the football team to promote—within the very real political constraints of the era—a more inclusive and welcoming standard of citizenship. Attracting a broad and diverse fan base, the 1924 national champion Fighting Irish discredited nativist politics and helped stake the claim of Notre Dame—and Catholics and immigrants—to full citizenship and undisputed Americanness.

Curated by Gregory Bond (Curator of the Joyce Sports Research Collection, Rare Books and Special Collections) and Elizabeth Hogan (Senior Archivist for Photographs and Graphic Materials, University Archives).

Spring 2025 Exhibition — Tragedies of War: Images of World War II in Print Visual Culture

Opening mid-February.

Based predominantly on recently acquired Rare Books and Special Collections European holdings, the exhibition commemorates the end of the Second World War (1939-1945) and explores a diverse assortment of themes including Nazi racial ideology, the Holocaust, Children in War, Resistance, Liberation, and Memories of War. By examining these topics through images created for personal use by ordinary people and for state-sponsored propaganda purposes, the exhibit presents a visual narrative of the war’s profound impact on individuals and societies, offering deeper insight into how war was experienced and remembered.

Curated by Natasha Lyandres (Curator, Rare Books & Special Collections), Jean McManus (Catholic Studies Librarian, University Archives) and Julia Schneider (German Language and Literature and Italian Studies Librarian, Hesburgh Libraries).

Spring Spotlight: Building a Campus Boycott to Support Midwestern Farmworkers

Opening end of January.

In 1980, the University of Notre Dame became the first major university to boycott Campbell Soup products in support of Midwestern farmworkers represented by the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (Toledo, OH). In a few short months, a small and dedicated cohort of students tapped into a growing movement and convinced the campus to act in solidarity.

Curated by Emiliano Aguilar (Assistant Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, and Faculty Fellow, Institute for Latino Studies).

These and other exhibits within the Hesburgh Libraries are generously supported by the McBrien Special Collections Endowment.

All exhibits are free and open to the public during regular hours.

Special Collections’ Classes & Workshops

Throughout the semester, curators will teach sessions related to our holdings to undergraduate and graduate students from Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College, and Holy Cross College. Curators may also be available to show special collections to visiting classes, from preschool through adults. If you would like to arrange a group visit and class with a curator, please contact Special Collections.

Upcoming Events

Thursday, January 16 at 5:00pm | The Spring 2025 Italian Research Seminar and Lectures will begin with a lecture by 4th-year Ph.D. student in Italian Rookshar Myram (University of Notre Dame) titled: “Forging Effigies in the Commedia: Deification as Artistry.”

Learn more about this and other Events in Italian Studies.

Recent Acquisitions

Special Collections acquires new material throughout the year. Watch this blog for information about recent acquisitions.

Some of the recent acquisitions highlighted on the blog.

Upcoming Events: December 2024

Please join us for the following public events and exhibits being hosted in Rare Books and Special Collections:

Thursday, December 5 at 5:00pm | Italian Research Seminar: “A Reckless and Scandalous Doctrine: Matthias Ferchius, a Franciscan in the Index” by Eva Del Soldato (University of Pennsylvania).

The exhibition Notre Dame Football Kills Prejudice: Citizenship and Faith in 1924 is now open and will run through the end of January 2025.

Tours of the exhibit may be arranged for classes and other groups by contacting Greg Bond at gbond2@nd.edu.

The current spotlight exhibits are Wollstonecraft: Revolution & Textual Evidence (September–December 2024) and A Fourteenth-Century Chanson de Geste Fragment (September–December 2024).

RBSC will be closed during the University of Notre Dame’s Christmas and New Year’s Celebrations,
December 21, 2024 – January 1, 2025.

Upcoming Events: November 2024

Please join us for the following public events and exhibits being hosted in Rare Books and Special Collections:

Thursday, November 7 at 5:00pm | Italian Research Seminar: “Literary Celebs: Amalia Guglielminetti, Guido Gozzano and the Price of Fame” by John Welle (University of Notre Dame).

Thursday, November 21 at 5:00pm | Italian Research Seminar: “The Activism of Imagination: Fictions of Europe Between Utopia and Disenchantment” by Nicoletta Pireddu (Georgetown University).

The exhibition Notre Dame Football Kills Prejudice: Citizenship and Faith in 1924 is now open and will run through the end of January 2025.

Curators Gregory Bond and Elizabeth Hogan will host exhibit open houses on select Friday afternoons before Notre Dame home football games, including on November 8 and November 15. The drop-in open houses will run from 3:00–4:30pm and will feature brief remarks by the curators at 3:15pm.

Tours of the exhibit may be arranged for classes and other groups by contacting Greg Bond at gbond2@nd.edu.

The current spotlight exhibits are Wollstonecraft: Revolution & Textual Evidence (September – December 2024) and A Fourteenth-Century Chanson de Geste Fragment (September – November 2024).

RBSC will be closed during the University of Notre Dame’s Thanksgiving Break, November 28 – 29.

Upcoming Events: October 2024

Please join us for the following public events and exhibits being hosted in Rare Books and Special Collections:

Thursday, October 3 at 5:00pm | Italian Research Seminar: Dante’s Chorographies: From the Territory to the Comedy” by Giovanna Corazza (Cà Foscari University of Venice).

The exhibition Notre Dame Football Kills Prejudice: Citizenship and Faith in 1924 is now open and will run through the end of January 2025.

Curators Gregory Bond and Elizabeth Hogan will host exhibit open houses on select Friday afternoons before Notre Dame home football games, including on October 11, November 8, and November 15. The drop-in open houses will run from 3:00–4:30pm and will feature brief remarks by the curators at 3:30pm in October and 3:15pm in November.

Tours of the exhibit may be arranged for classes and other groups by contacting Greg Bond at gbond2@nd.edu.

The October spotlight exhibits are Wollstonecraft: Revolution & Textual Evidence (September–December 2024) and A Fourteenth-Century Chanson de Geste Fragment (September–November 2024).

RBSC will be open regular hours (9:30am–4:30pm) during the University of Notre Dame’s Fall Break, October 19 – 27.

Welcome Back! Fall 2024 in Special Collections

Rare Books and Special Collections welcomes students, faculty, staff, researchers, and visitors back to campus for Fall ’24! We want to let you know about a variety of things to watch for in the coming semester.

Fall 2024 Exhibition: Notre Dame Football Kills Prejudice: Citizenship and Faith in 1924

“Notre Dame football is a new crusade:
it kills prejudice and stimulates faith.”
— Rev. John F. O’Hara, C.S.C., Prefect of Religion,
Religious Bulletin, November 17, 1924

In the fall of 1924, the University of Notre Dame found great success on the football field and confronted a dangerous and divisive political moment. The undefeated Fighting Irish football team, cemented forever in national memory by Grantland Rice’s legendary “Four Horsemen” column, beat the best opponents from all regions of the country and won the Rose Bowl to claim a consensus national championship. Off the field, Notre Dame battled a reactionary nativist political environment that, in its most extreme manifestation, birthed the second version of the Ku Klux Klan. Sympathizers of this “100% Americanism” movement celebrated white, male, Protestant citizenship and attacked other groups—including Catholics and immigrants—who challenged this restrictive understanding of American identity.

In the national spotlight, Notre Dame leaders unabashedly embraced their Catholic identity. They consciously leveraged the unprecedented visibility and acclaim of the football team to promote—within the very real political constraints of the era—a more inclusive and welcoming standard of citizenship. Attracting a broad and diverse fan base, the 1924 national champion Fighting Irish discredited nativist politics and helped stake the claim of Notre Dame—and Catholics and immigrants—to full citizenship and undisputed Americanness.

Curators will host exhibit open houses on select Friday afternoons before Notre Dame home football games, including on September 6, September 27, and October 11. The drop-in open houses will run from 3:00–4:30 and will feature brief remarks by the curators at 3:30.

Other curator-led tours open to the public will be announced soon. Tours of the exhibit may be arranged for classes and other groups by contacting Greg Bond at gbond2@nd.edu.

This exhibition is curated by Gregory Bond (Curator of the Joyce Sports Research Collection, Rare Books and Special Collections) and Elizabeth Hogan (Senior Archivist for Photographs and Graphic Materials, University Archives).

Stop in regularly to see our Collections Spotlights

Currently on Display: Making Books Count: Early Modern Books in the History of Mathematics

Discover how books shaped science and our understanding of nature. The history of mathematics guides our understanding of astronomy, as revealed in works by Galileo, Copernicus, and others. Through ancient texts tracing the evolution of mathematical thought, visitors can explore the dialogue between mathematics and nature.

The last public spotlight tour is scheduled for August 28 at 1:30 pm.

This dual case spotlight is curated by Caterina Agostini (Indiana University Bloomington, Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine). She previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values and the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship. She is Co-PI in the Harriot Papers project.

Opening Soon: September Spotlights

RBSC spotlight exhibits will switch over for the fall during September. Two new exhibits will feature recently acquired editions of books by Mary Wollstonecraft and two manuscript fragments of French poetry. Stay tuned for more information!

These and other exhibits within the Hesburgh Libraries are generously supported by the McBrien Special Collections Endowment.

All exhibits are free and open to the public during business hours.

Special Collections’ Classes & Workshops

Throughout the semester, curators will lead instructional sessions related to our holdings to undergraduate and graduate students from Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College, and Holy Cross College. Curators may also be available to show special collections materials to visiting classes, from preschool through adults. If you would like to arrange a group visit and class with a curator, please contact Special Collections.

Events

These programs are free and open to the public.

Thursday, October 3 at 5:00pm | The Fall 2024 Italian Research Seminar and Lectures will begin with a lecture by Giovanna Corazza (Università Ca’ Foscari), “Dante’s Chorographies: From the Territory to the Comedy.”

Learn more about Special Collections and other Hesburgh Library events, as well as other events in Italian Studies.

Recent Acquisitions

Special Collections acquires new material throughout the year. Watch this blog for information about recent acquisitions.

National Women’s Football League Collection
A Revised Martyrology for 16th Century German Catholics
Women in Irish Prisons: Autographs of Prisoners in 1923
Influencing Opinion by Mapping the Early American Civil War
Some of the recent acquisitions highlighted on the blog in the past year.

Anticipated Closures

Rare Books and Special Collections is regularly open 9:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. The department will be closed for the following holidays and events:

September 2, for Labor Day (Monday)
September 13, for Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., Presidential Inauguration Events (Friday, afternoon only)
November 28-29, for Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday)

Our last day open before the campus closure for Christmas Celebration will be December 20 (the Friday of final exams week).

Hours and other information for all Hesburgh Library locations can be found on the Library Website.