THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S AND HOLY CROSS ESTABLISHED 1966
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2026 | VOL. LX, NO. 45
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Bishops urge ND to rescind Ostermann appointment Bishops Rhoades, Barron, and others say professor’s abortion advocacy is disqualifying to lead Liu Institute By Observer News Staff Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend has called on Notre Dame to rescind its appointment of professor Susan Ostermann to lead the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies because of her public advocacy for abortion rights. He said her advocacy “clearly should disqualify her from holding a position of leadership within the Keough School.” The public statement Rhoades issued on Tuesday marks a significant intensification of the pushback against Ostermann’s appointment. “Professor Ostermann’s extensive public advocacy of abortion rights and her disparaging and inflammatory remarks about those who uphold the dignity of human life from the moment of conception to natural death go against a core principle of justice that is central to Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and mission,” Rhoades said in the statement. Rhoades also argued that Ostermann’s appointment should not be protected by appeals to
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend and Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester have called on Notre Dame to rescind its appointment of professor Susan Ostermann to lead the Liu Institute.
academic freedom. “Academic freedom concerns the liberty of faculty to conduct research according to their own professional judgment and interests. This appointment, by contrast, concerns the official administrative appointment to lead an academic unit. Such
HCC presidency extended to 2030 By Berhan Hagezom Saint Mary’s News Editor
The Board of Trustees and the Members of the Midwest Province of Brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross have approved the continuation of Holy Cross College President Marco Clark’s presidency to 2030. In an interview with The Observer, Clark shared that as the first layperson serving as president of the College, the extension helps to build further confidence in his leadership and the institution’s future. He described the process of renewal from the Board of Trustees. “I go through a pretty rigorous evaluation process every year. And so as we concluded last year’s evaluation process … the conversation began to look towards the future, and so the board had their own level of meetings
and convened to discuss a continuation of my contract,” he explained. “They sought some outside counsel as well, through consultants that help with these sorts of matters, and then they presented me with the option for a four year extension to the contract.” He also described why he initially chose to become president of the College, which he owed to being taught by the Holy Cross brothers and lay teachers, who instilled in him an appreciation for education and mentoring in addition to Catholic values. “I often will use the joke, I’ll say that while I don’t have the initial CSC after my name, I do have CSC in my DNA,” Clark said. His education was what led him to also go back to Bishop McNamara High School to become the principal and later the see “President” on page 4
appointments have profound impact on the integrity of Notre Dame’s public witness as a Catholic university,” he wrote. “I call upon the leadership of Notre Dame to rectify this situation. The appointment of Professor Ostermann is not scheduled to go into effect until
July 1, 2026. There is still time to make things right,” Rhoades concluded. Notre Dame has not publicly changed course on the appointment. A University spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Observer on Wednesday that Ostermann “is well prepared
to expand the Institute’s global partnerships and create impactful research opportunities that advance our dedication to serving as the preeminent global Catholic research institution.” While the University of Notre Dame is located within the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Rhoades does not have the ability to make decisions regarding University policy or personnel; though he could issue a formal warning, request an intervention by the Vatican or forbid the University from identifying itself as Catholic. This is not the first time Rhoades has criticized a decision made by Notre Dame. In 2016, he criticized the University’s decision to award then-vice president Joe Biden the Laetare Medal, billed by the University as the “most prestigious award given to American Catholics.” In 2018, he publicly disagreed with the University for providing contraceptive coverage in its health insurance plans. Notre Dame moved see “Bishops” on page 4
University updates housing process for Gateway students By Lucy Loes News Writer
This fall, as a result of the advocacy of previous Gateway students, a new housing process has been introduced for current gateway and transfer students. These students will be able to request another
transfer as their roommate and rank their top three hall preferences, prioritizing whether matching their roommate or hall is more important to them. Previously, neither Gateway students nor transfer students had the same
choice in the housing process afforded to undergraduate sophomores at Notre Dame. Transfers were not guaranteed on-campus housing, while Gateway students, who spend one year at Holy Cross see “Gateway” on page 4
Doubleheader to open 2026 basketball season in Rome By Observer Sports Staff CBS Sports reported Tuesday that Notre Dame and Villanova are close to finalizing an agreement to open the 2026-27 college basketball season with a doubleheader in Rome. The proposed twin bill would see the
Irish and Wildcats square off in both men’s and women’s basketball as the first games of the new season. The monumental arrangement is rooted in religious connections. Palazzetto dello Sport, the proposed 3,500-seat venue for the event, sits just over 3.5
miles from the Holy See. While Notre Dame operates as the globe’s preeminent institution of Catholic higher education, the newly elected Pope Leo XIV is a 1977 graduate of Villanova, an Augustinian Catholic university see “Rome” on page 9
NEWS | PAGE 3
OPINION | PAGE 5
SCENE | PAGE 8
SPORTS | PAGE 10
SPORTS | PAGE 11
Two ND students teamed up to code a competitor for the Marriage Pact matchmaker.
Editor-in-Chief Liam Kelly argues Notre Dame should stand boldly for its Catholic mission.
Sisyphus must be happy now that dating stress at Notre Dame can be relieved by an algorithm.
Irish ready to embark on 202526 season on Feb. 13 with a strong roster yet low ranking.
Notre Dame faces Minnesota again after being narrowly defeated in November.
CrossPaths startup
ND must choose
ND matchmaking
Baseball preview
Hockey