Students, faculty collaborate to foster theological engagement, discussion
In the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, Notre Dame’s Theology Club was a forum for intellectual discussion and sacramental fellowship among theology students. The arrival of the pandemic, however, prevented many formerly well-attended activities, and club involvement gradually diminished.
In an effort to reignite the intellectual community that the club once promoted, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Teaching Professor Anthony Pagaliarini, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies and Faculty Advisor Michon Matthiesen, and a team of student leaders are spearheading the club’s revival.
“The Theology Club builds upon Notre Dame’s extraordinary tradition of excellence in theological study,” junior Sophie Miller, the club’s president, told the Rover. She added, “Guided by the principles of faith seeking understanding, the club provides undergraduates with opportunities to engage more deeply with their studies, connect meaningfully with faculty, and participate in a vibrant, supportive community. … We hope to enrich both the spiritual and intellectual formation of students.”
In the past, the Theology Club held major and minor, or “M&M,” Masses, as well as discussions between students and faculty members centered on theological and philosophical formation. Miller plans to emulate the original club by hosting social, intellectual, and spiritual events.
In addition to Masses, the prospective club will promote fellowship among students through activities such as faculty versus student soccer matches and a spring formal.
Regarding academic matters, the prospective club plans to host “flash seminars,” where theology professors will share a concept or reading from their recent classes. Discussion groups organized around campus theological lectures and film screenings are also in the works. The board members are also hoping to arrange service projects and volunteer opportunities benefiting the South Bend community.
“I want the club to be known as a space of openness and dialogue, where students can both explore theology seriously, and encounter it as a living, dynamic tradition,” Miller shared.
The well-known excellence of Notre Dame’s theology program has prompted an upsurge of theology major and minor declarations, with over 800 students declaring a theology major or minor as of April 2025.
While the rapidly growing nature of the theology program points to increased student engagement and institutional support for theology, Miller noted that this abundance can come with a sense of disconnection.
“Like many students at Notre Dame, I balance multiple academic commitments with an additional major and two minors. That can make it difficult to regularly connect with the theology faculty and peers outside the classroom,” she said.
Matthiesen echoed this sentiment, telling the Rover, “The gift of having an abundance of theology majors can also mean the downside of a lack of cohesiveness and of a sense of familiarity and communion among majors.” She explained that the prospective club hopes to remedy this deficit by “opening up opportunities for majors not only to get to know one another, but also to converse about those topics which spark their particular interests.”
In addition to fostering community, the anticipated Theology Club aspires to promote the pursuit of truth among Notre Dame students. Senior Rocco Granieri, the club’s vice president, noted that “theology is the foundation for everything. … All the other academic disciplines are built on this root, and there is good reason that the university has this [core curriculum] requirement.”
Granieri continued, “Because it is a requirement, theology can get lost in translation. … We want to spread the message of how important theology really is.”
Although the club was initially geared towards theology majors and minors, Granieri encourages any interested students, including those of different faith traditions than Catholicism, to involve themselves. “Theology is the study of God. It is all encompassing, especially for those who are pursuing the truth,” he affirmed.
The Theology Club is currently pending acceptance by the Student Activities Organization. If approved, the club plans to begin programming during the spring semester with a Welcome Mass. Interested students can join the prospective club’s GroupMe.
Madeline Page is a sophomore studying biology. She has fallen into the bad habit of leaving for the 11 p.m. Rosary much too late. As a result, she has been spotted running across campus at 10:59p.m. in an attempt to still make it on time. Her efforts thus far have been successful, but she welcomes any tips on punctuality or decreasing her cross-campus sprint times. Contact her at mpage4@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: Notre Dame Theology Club (via Sophie Miller)
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