Students to “March on the Dome”
The appointment of Susan Ostermann—associate professor of global affairs and political science at the University of Notre Dame and a public advocate of legal abortion—to direct the University’s Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies has generated serious concern within the Notre Dame community and well beyond it.
Two faculty members holding fellowships at the Institute resigned in protest of the decision. Notre Dame Right to Life publicly called for the appointment to be rescinded. Recipients of the University’s Evangelium Vitae Medal for lifetime achievement in the pro-life movement published an article describing the decision as a “betrayal.”
More than a dozen cardinals, archbishops, and bishops have since publicly expressed their support for Bishop Rhoades’s appeal that the University reconsider the appointment before it takes effect.
Notre Dame’s bishop, the Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades, issued a formal statement calling upon University leadership “to rectify this situation” before the appointment takes effect on July 1, 2026. More than a dozen cardinals, archbishops, and bishops have since publicly expressed their support for Bishop Rhoades’s appeal that the University reconsider the appointment before it takes effect.
Tomorrow, we will publish an open letter inviting members of the Notre Dame community, concerned Catholics, and others to stand with Bishop Rhoades in his call for the University to address this matter in fidelity to its Catholic identity.
Reaction has spread across Catholic and secular news outlets and social media platforms, reflecting the seriousness with which many faithful Catholics regard this matter and the importance they attach to Notre Dame’s witness as a Catholic university.
Now, a large group of Notre Dame students is organizing a public demonstration in response to the appointment and have issued the media release below outlining their concerns and calling upon University leadership to reconsider the decision in light of Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and longstanding pro-life commitments. The demonstration is scheduled to take place on campus this week, and organizers expect significant student participation.
We would welcome your coverage of this developing story. Please let us know if you would like additional background or documentation. Interviews with student leaders may be arranged using the contact information provided in the media release.
Respectfully,
Tim Dempsey, ND ’89
Sycamore Trust Executive Director
Notre Dame Students to “March on the Dome” Demanding Presidential Action to Save the University’s Catholic Identity
Friday, February 27, 2026, 6:00-7:30pm @ University of Notre Dame
In response to the recent appointment of Professor Susan Ostermann — whose outspoken advocacy for abortion access stands in direct opposition to Church teaching — as director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, University of Notre Dame students will gather this Friday evening for a candlelit procession and prayerful protest.
The March was inspired by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades’s February 11 statement expressing “dismay and strong opposition” to the appointment. The Bishop stated that the decision is “causing scandal to the faithful of our diocese and beyond” and urged University leadership to “rectify this situation.”
The demonstration, “March on the Dome,” calls on the Dowd administration to rescind the appointment and urges University President Father Robert Dowd, CSC, to exercise his authority to enforce Notre Dame’s Catholic mission. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27, moving from Main Circle to a stage on South Quad, where student leaders will address the crowd.
The March was inspired by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades’s February 11 statement expressing “dismay and strong opposition” to the appointment. The Bishop stated that the decision is “causing scandal to the faithful of our diocese and beyond” and urged University leadership to “rectify this situation.”
“The Bishop did not urge us to sit silently and watch our Lady’s University fall before our eyes; he gave us a clear call to action,” said Luke Woodyard, co-organizer of the March. Woodyard referenced Bishop Rhoades’s invitation for the faithful to pray at the Grotto, “invoking [Mary’s] prayers that Notre Dame will always stand firm in her commitment to the Gospel of her Son, the Gospel of Life.”
Gabe Ortner, fellow co-organizer, characterized the appointment as “the last straw in a long series of University actions counter to Notre Dame’s Catholic identity.” Other student leaders joined the call for a return to the University’s core values:
- Anna Kelley, Notre Dame Right to Life President: “As a Catholic adoptee from China, I take personal offense at this appointment. I am choosing to speak out with my own testimony to bring attention to the real-life consequences that [Professor Ostermann’s] ideology promotes.”
- Lucy Spence, The Irish Rover Editor-in-Chief: “[The appointment] is astonishing coming from a university dedicated to the mother of an unplanned pregnancy. The decision should be viewed as none other than a slap in the face to every woman here.”
The demonstration was organized by Woodyard and Ortner in collaboration with Notre Dame Right to Life, Knights of Columbus Council 1477, The Irish Rover, Students for Child-Oriented Policy (SCOP), Militia of the Immaculata, and Children of Mary.
Following student addresses from Woodyard, Ortner, Kelley, Spence, and Theo Austin (SCOP President Emeritus), Fr. Bill Miscamble, CSC, will lead a blessing of candles. The evening will conclude with a Rosary at the Grotto led by the Militia of the Immaculata.
All members of the Notre Dame community and friends of the University are invited to attend.
