Architectural grandeur, artistic flair and spiritual tranquility combine at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Gaze up at one of the tallest university chapel bell towers in the U.S., admire frescoes by the Italian artist Luigi Gregori and study dozens of decorative windows. Browse an exhibition of insignia and vestments and join the congregation at pre and post-football mass services.
Construction of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart began in 1871. The Gothic Revival style of the building is thought to be the influence of Reverend Edward Sorin, a French priest and the founder of the University of Notre Dame. Its imposing structure measures 275 feet (84 meters) long and 114 feet (35 meters) wide. Dominating the façade is a 218-feet (66-meter) tall bell tower festooned with spires and pinnacles.
Inside the basilica are 44 stained-glass windows, which feature over 100 life-size images of apostles, saints and scenes from the bible. The windows are the work of a group of Carmelite nuns based in Le Mans, France. Most notable is one that depicts the Pentecost, painted by master glassmaker Eugène Hucher.
Spend time admiring the Stations of the Cross in addition to 56 frescoes by Luigi Gregori. Gregori was the artist in residence at the university and also responsible for artwork at the Vatican.
Look inside side chapels such as St. Joseph Chapel, where you can see a famed marble sculpture called Pieta by the Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović. In the church’s Bishops’ Museum is an assortment of robes and vestments that belonged to 19th-century American bishops.
Mass services at the church welcome both campus students and worshippers from nearby towns. On the day of a Notre Dame Fighting Irish football match a huge congregation meets before and after the game to prey for the competing teams and players.
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is open daily and admission is free. It’s a 10-minute drive from downtown South Bend. Metered visitor parking is available at Walsh Hall. Adjacent to the church is the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Golden Dome.
