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Pro Dorm Mass - Emma Vales
Unpopular opinion: My favorite thing about attending the University of Notre Dame is attending Ryan Hall Mass in my dorm every Sunday (and Wednesday) night at 9 p.m. instead of the classic Basilica Mass. In my opinion, hall Mass encapsulates the renowned student body culture at Notre Dame. For me, there is nothing like walking into St. Anne’s Chapel at the end of a long day and being welcomed by Rev. Joe Carey, C.S.C., and all of my best friends from Ryan Hall. It is so special to sit in the pews for the few minutes before Mass starts and debrief the weekend with fellow Ryan Wildcats across all years. As Mass begins, we are enchanted by the beautiful Ryan Hall orchestra and choir, playing a crowd favorite hymn like “All Are Welcome.” One of the most special things about hall Mass is the classic hymns that are played nearly every week in each dorm that tie together the hall community, as we all pull out the missals to sing along and whisper to each other, “Oooh, that’s a good one!” In Ryan, some of these songs include “Pescador de Hombres / Lord, When You Came to the Seashore,” “Servant Song” and the cult classic number 772, “Canticle of the Turning.”
The primary reason why I’ll never miss a Ryan Mass is because of Father Joe’s homilies. Each week, his homilies give me a deep sense of peace unlike any other priest on campus, because he personalizes them to Ryan Hall and our community.
The other thing that makes the hall Mass experience unparalleled is the exchange of the Sign of Peace. In any dorm Mass that I’ve been to, Ryan Mass included, everyone gets up and walks around the chapel to give hugs to one another while exchanging the Sign of Peace. This is where I find it to be the greatest exhibition of the community at Notre Dame. It makes me inexplicably happy to see everyone in the chapel share their love and gratitude for one another across all grade levels. It is the truest embodiment of strong dorm culture at Notre Dame on a weekly basis.
Overall, the personal aspects of dorm Masses at Notre Dame makes the experience far superior to any Basilica Mass I’ve attended. In my opinion, there is no better way to be immersed in any dorm community than by attending Mass in our own home.
Pro Basilica Mass - Kaitlyn Boston
44 windows, each telling a story through 222 intricate scenes, bathed in the light of stained glass created by Carmelite nuns. Above, an organ with over 5,164 golden pipes rising 40 feet high, its majestic sound filling the entire space, radiant blue ceilings alive with the presence of angels, home to one of the largest collections of nineteenth-century French stained glass outside of France. Everywhere you turn, the walls are adorned with images of saints and martyrs, prophets and patriarchs — forebearers of the faith, whose legacy echoes through the ages. Each step, each glance, reveals a deeper layer of history, reverence and divine beauty. This is the beauty and the grandeur of Basilica Mass at Notre Dame.
This Basilica Mass is (clearly) more extravagant than Dorm Mass. Why show up to Mass in the dorm when you can go to a literal museum? Where the choirs will sing masterpieces like “Hallelujah, Christ on the Mount of Olives” by Beethoven. The church is perfectly built to resonate sound throughout the building, so that each note seems to envelop you. I love seeing everyone displayed in their Sunday best; the pews filled with suits and floral dresses. I appreciate how the main stressor of Mass is not just community, but the overwhelming beauty of God. The way everything — the art, the music, the space and even the incense — converges to point us toward the divine. I do certainly respect the Dorm Mass for its relaxed convenience. However, nothing has brought me closer to my faith than the Sacred Heart. The Basilica’s beauty allows me to fully absorb the teaching of the Word by simply looking up at the angels, or to the stained glass windows or to the statue of Notre Dame. In these sacred surroundings, every moment feels like an invitation to deeper prayer and reflection.
If you are a lover of the Dorm Mass, I invite you to try going to Basilica Mass one week. Use all five senses and allow yourself to be enraptured by its intricate details. Let the sacredness of the space draw you closer to God, and let the beauty of the Mass become a path to spiritual renewal.