Officials fail to address contraceptive distribution in Debartolo Hall
Irish for Reproductive Health (I4RH) is an unauthorized student group that distributes contraceptives and promotes “safe sex” on Notre Dame’s campus. Despite its unofficial status, I4RH has openly advertised its use of university academic buildings, including monthly “Office Hours” in Hesburgh Library. Most recently, I4RH hosted a “Catholics for Choice” workshop in Debartolo Hall followed by a “Safe Sex Bag” distribution on Halloween. Officials from the university did not respond to multiple requests for comment on I4RH’s use of campus buildings for their activities.
In a comment to the Rover, a spokesperson for I4RH described the club as “a student run organization that supports the right to reproductive health.” They added, “As a group, we distribute external condoms, pregnancy tests, and emergency contraceptives. … We also host events with doctors, scientists, and academic professionals to promote sexual health education to Notre Dame students and the surrounding community.” On their status as a club, I4RH told the Rover, “We are not affiliated with the University in any official capacity, nor do we intend to be.”
I4RH has operated on campus since 2018, according to the group’s public Instagram page. In the past, I4RH asked attendees to message their page directly for location details, but the group has advertised meetings openly in recent years. In 2024, I4RH promoted monthly “office hours” on Instagram, with posts listing various rooms in Hesburgh Library where attendees could pick up free “supplies” including condoms and contraceptives.
This year, I4RH has continued advertising monthly “office hours,” along with biweekly “general meetings” hosted in Debartolo Hall classrooms. On Wednesday, October 29, I4RH held a “workshop exploring the principles of pro-choice Catholicism” in Debartolo 242 at 7 p.m. The event included a presentation from the national group Catholics for Choice (CFC) as well as “resource distribution,” when attendees were invited to take home a brown bag filled with condoms, stickers, and a pregnancy test.
Three CFC representatives, including a self-described “abortion doula,” joined the meeting via Zoom. They opened with a CFC video aimed to “combat the false narrative that [Catholicism and reproductive freedom] are incompatible.” “There’s not a single [Bible] verse that even mentions abortion, let alone condemns it,” the video stated. CFC staff member Nicole Morino told attendees that “the invention of abortion as a political issue emerged in the 1970s out of a desire to maintain white Christian male power over politics and society,” rather than theology.
CFC members discussed Catholic Social Teaching and papal stances on abortion, along with advice for students on how to talk to their peers and older generations about “reproductive justice.” On the Catholic Church’s position on birth control, Morino said, “The Catholic Church’s position has impacted people in many parts of the world. … We know that birth control is not a sin, but for many folks, it is a lifeline. So the values stated in Catholic Social Teaching share many of the strengths and principles of reproductive justice.”
Following the presentation, several attendees were asked to delete photos they took during the event by I4RH organizers.
All of I4RH’s events are publicly advertised as taking place in university buildings, which are only available through a formal reservation process with the Student Activities Office (SAO). When asked about the event, Associate Director of Media Relations Erin Blasko referred the Rover to the du Lac student handbook. “Otherwise,” he wrote, “we refer all questions about this event to the organizers.”
The handbook states, “Individual students may not reserve space within University buildings, outdoor grounds, the lakes, and property adjoining the University. However, exceptions for individual students may be made for academic purposes within designated buildings (e.g. study rooms, labs, etc.), based on the respective facility’s policies.”
SAO’s policing of academic building use is robust. A representative from the Office of the Registrar confirmed that academic buildings are only available to students through SAO if they are reserved for use of an official club, and may not be reserved for personal usage. Alejandra Ricardo, Director of Programming for Notre Dame Right to Life, detailed the extensive SAO event approval process to the Rover, saying, “In order to book a room in Debart or on campus, one must go through ND Central and submit an event form. This event form requires groups to provide an exhaustive account of the plan for the event. … To access this form, one must be an officer for a student club on campus.” She added, “After filling out this extensive application, SAO then reviews your event request. … The whole approval process takes, on average, two weeks.”
After the Rover alerted SAO to I4RH using Debartolo for their event, Student Affairs Communications Director Kate Morgan wrote to the Rover, “The event being promoted… is being hosted by Irish 4 Reproductive Health, which is not a University-recognized student group. As such, neither the Student Activities Office nor the Division of Student Affairs are affiliated with this event in any way.” Morgan did not address how I4RH was able to access Debartolo Hall for their events. When asked multiple times why I4RH is able to use university facilities frequently, Blasko did not respond.
Haley Garecht is a senior studying political science, constitutional studies, and Irish studies. Send any comments or questions to hgarecht@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: University of Notre Dame
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