New university president shares vocation story

Father Robert Dowd, C.S.C. entered into his new role as president of the University of Notre Dame on July 1, 2024, following the retirement of Father John Jenkins, C.S.C. last year. Earlier this summer, Fr. Dowd took some time to share with the Rover his advice on vocation, as well as his own experience as a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Schmitz: How would you describe your vocation story? 

Fr. Dowd: The oldest of two children, I grew up in Michigan City, Indiana. My sister is 11 months younger than me. My dad was a 1956 Notre Dame graduate and he passed on to me his affinity for Notre Dame. Growing up just 30 miles from campus, we visited Notre Dame often.  I would not describe my family as overly pious, but Church was important in our lives. The Sisters of the Holy Cross who served in the grade school I attended and the diocesan priests who administered our home parish were kind to my sister and me. They were also very attentive to my mom during a time when my dad struggled with health issues. Their care made a significant impression on me. In retrospect it seems that God began calling me through their example and, from an early age, I began to think about being a priest. I was also blessed to have some great priest-teachers at Marquette High School in Michigan City.

S: What led you to the Congregation of Holy Cross? 

D: While a student at Notre Dame, I met the Priests and Brothers of Holy Cross. I was especially drawn to Holy Cross because of the Community’s focus on education. Besides my interest in education, my calling to the priesthood was very much grounded in Gospel-oriented idealism and Catholic Social Teaching. I felt myself called to radically identify with the most vulnerable, to learn from them, and to be their champion. I graduated from Notre Dame in May of 1987, having double majored in Psychology and Economics. I entered Moreau Seminary the following fall. 

S: How does your vocation as a priest intersect with your academic work and your role as a professor? 

D: I see my vocation as a religious and a priest intimately bound up with the desire to move beyond my comfort zone, to deepen my understanding of the world, and to grow in awareness of God’s presence. For me, that’s what research and education are about. As a professor, I have this awesome opportunity to accompany students as they grow in understanding, awareness, and their calling in life. In essence, my vocation is at least in part to help them to discover their vocation, discover their gifts, and put their gifts at the service of others. 

A little background: After making first vows and beginning theological studies at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in 1989, I requested to spend a year and a half of my seminary formation with our Holy Cross Community in East Africa. This request was largely motivated by a desire to move beyond my comfort zone and a youthful appetite for adventure. My request was granted and I went off to Kenya. I resided with African Holy Cross seminarians and brothers in a large ‘slum’ of Nairobi called Dandora, where Holy Cross priests administered a parish. After studying theology at the Jesuit School of Theology in Nairobi for one academic year, I went to work at the parish, teaching catechism and directing a program that paid school fees for children from the poorest families in the area. I visited hundreds of families in their homes to determine their financial neediness. My time in East Africa was an eye-opening, challenging, and immensely rewarding experience. I found myself inspired by people who refused to let material poverty rob them of their humanity. I grew in awareness of the international mission of Holy Cross and the global reach of the Church while becoming intensely interested in the social and political changes that were occurring in much of Sub-Saharan Africa at the time.

My first three years as a finally professed religious and Holy Cross priest (1993–1996) were spent at Notre Dame, where I worked in Campus Ministry while also serving as assistant rector in Flanner Hall and associate rector of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. I had the honor of working under Fr. Richard Warner, C.S.C., Director of Campus Ministry at the time, who inspired me greatly. His leadership brought out the best in others. He exuded humble confidence. He was never too busy to spend time with students, especially those who were struggling. I loved working with students and helping them to recognize God’s presence in their lives.

After three years in Campus Ministry at Notre Dame, I began graduate studies at UCLA. I enjoyed my graduate studies immensely, choosing to specialize in the field of comparative politics. Due largely to my experience in Kenya a few years earlier,  I focused my research on Sub-Saharan Africa. I fell in love with the research, especially since it allowed me to return to East Africa and brought me into contact with the social and political dynamics I was most interested in understanding. 

Upon completing my PhD at UCLA, I applied for a faculty position at Notre Dame and joined the Political Science Department in 2004. The Department was welcoming and supportive. My research largely focused on whether and how Christian and Islamic religious communities affected support for democratic institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. I taught a variety of courses, from lecture courses with over 100 students to small seminars with as few as 12 students. I thoroughly enjoyed both research and teaching (I still do, though I have less time for it now.). 

S: How does your position as the president of the university intersect with your identity as a priest? 

D: My religious vows and priesthood are central to my identity. Among other things, I see my role as a priest as one who helps people to believe that there is more to life than what meets the eye and that God is with them. Quite simply, priests are called to build bridges that help people to connect with God and each other. While celebrating the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, is the most profound way a priest serves as a bridge builder, a priest is also called to build bridges by the way he lives his life while not celebrating the sacraments. A priest is called to bring people together across the differences that all too often divide them and help them to encounter God in each other. However imperfectly, this is what I strive to do as a Holy Cross priest.

In my view, the president’s responsibilities also include bridge building. The president is called to serve the entire Notre Dame community and to promote a strong sense of community across differences, ensuring they do not divide us. The president’s responsibility also entails making sure that our community does not become closed in on itself, but is instead turned outward in service to and focused on the great challenges of our time. I think Fr. John Jenkins has done a wonderful job in this regard and I hope to build on his legacy. 

As president, my responsibilities entail ensuring that we are always striving to deepen and further our Catholic mission and identity; to ensure that we are a community of learning pursuing truth and grounded in charity. For me, this responsibility is intimately bound up with my calling as a religious and priest.

S: What recommendations do you have for any student at Notre Dame discerning religious life? 

D: Be open and do not be afraid to follow your heart. Talk with someone you trust and who knows you well about what you are thinking and feeling. If you are at Notre Dame, Holy Cross, or Saint Mary’s, do not be afraid to talk with a Holy Cross religious or priest you know. 

Nico Schmitz is Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the Irish Rover. He can be reached at nicholas.schmitz@icloud.com.

Photo Credit: Notre Dame News.

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