THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S AND HOLY CROSS ESTABLISHED 1966
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2025 | VOL. LX, NO. 6
NDSMCOBSERVER.COM
Students reflect on Zach Bryan stadium concert
By Sophie Hanawalt and Megan Cornell Notre Dame News Editor and Associate News Editor
Over 80,000 people gathered in Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday night to watch country music artist Zach Bryan, comedian Shane Gillis and opener Dermot Kennedy. The concert was the stadium’s first since Billy Joel performed in 2022. To pull off such a largescale event, the University Operations, Events, and Safety team coordinated transportation with the Notre Dame Police Department and transformed the stadium into a stage with floor seating. The preparations were largely successful, according to executive director of the events team, Lee Sicinski. “Saturday night, Notre Dame Stadium proved to be more than a venue for winning
Gabriella Martin | The Observer
On Saturday evening, singer-songwriter Zach Bryan performed for over 80,000 people in Notre Dame stadium. Before he took the stage, comedian Shane Gillis and Irish artist Dermot Kennedy opened the show.
Hundreds of families gather for 75th Rosary Rally
MEGAN CORNELL | The Observer
On Sunday, families and students gathered outside for Rosary Rally, honoring the 75th version after Venerable Father Patrick Peyton, CSC.
By Megan Cornell
Meigs Turgeon, the special assistant to the president at Holy Cross Family Ministries, explained the significance of the rally and Peyton’s mission. “We are celebrating the 75th anniversary of Father Patrick Payton’s Rosary Rally at the University of Notre Dame football stadium … We are continuing Fr. Peyton’s mission of promoting the Rosary and encouraging devotion to our Blessed Mother,” he said. Holy Cross Family Ministries encouraged rally participants to pray for Fr. Peyton’s path to canonization. “Fr. Peyton is currently venerable and the next step would be for him to become blessed and then the final step on the path to canonization is sainthood, so he’s two steps away. Right now, we’re trying to encourage people to pray for Fr. Peyton’s intercession, if they have any kind of problems in their lives, to ask for his prayers. If a medical miracle is attributed to his intercession, then there’s a possibility that he could be recognized as a blessed,” Turgeon said. Rev. McCormick opened the
football, it was the setting for a great night of music, with more than 80,000 people enjoying beautiful weather and great music in a historic setting. From our law enforcement partners who managed traffic, to our vendors who served through the evening and events personnel who attended to every logistical detail, it was an enjoyable evening for all and the perfect tune-up for our season opener with Texas A&M,” Sicinski wrote in a statement to The Observer. Irish artist Dermot Kennedy opened the concert, performing hits such as “Outnumbered” and a rendition of Irish ode “Carrickfergus.” He thanked the University for raising the Irish flag in the stadium, sharing the sentiment — “We’re all home.” see “Concert” on page 4
Six HCC students struck by car By Berhan Hagezom Saint Mary’s News Editor
On Sept. 1 at 5:15 p.m., six students from Holy Cross College were injured by a vehicle turning left at the intersection of State Route 933 and Dorr Road. Three of the students were transported to Memorial Hospital in South Bend with minor injuries while the other three remained on campus, as reported by ABC57. Holy Cross College President Marco Clark released a statement that afternoon, saying that first responders quic kly took care of the situation and handled all individuals immediately affected, including the victims and the driver. Clark said the College is still gathering information regarding the incident and will continue to provide updates on the matter. On Friday, Clark further elaborated on the situation via an email to the Holy Cross community regarding the condition of st udents. As several of us sat in the emergency room with our students
and have followed up with them and their families since, I am grateful to be able to share they are all improving,” Clark wrote, “I’m also grateful that seve ral of you have reached out to express your concern for these students and offered to support them in any way you can. I t has been amazing to me to see the show of support from the Holy Cross community rallying around these students.” Students said that they heard about the incident first from their friends and later from Clark ’s emails. A few discussed their perspective on safety while crossing the major intersection. Freshman Jordan Nowak shared, “I bike across there and walk across there pretty much daily. It raises questions about safety on that street because it is a highway and there are lots of cars c oming at really high speeds. So, I don’t know what changes they are going to have to make, but I feel that it is kind of a
Venerable Rev. Patrick Peyton prayed the rosary with 20,000 people in Notre Dame Stadium. Known as the “rosary priest,” Father Peyton graduated from seminary at Notre Dame in 1937 and founded the Holy Cross Family Ministries, a global ministry promoting family values through the example of Mary. He traveled across the world leading
“Rosary Rallies” with thousands of Catholics in attendance, where he had preached to 28 million people in person at the time of his death — more than any other Catholic. 75 years later, hundreds of students, families and Holy Cross priests gathered in Bond Quad on Sunday for a “Rosary Rally” led by Holy Cross Family Ministries and Rev. Peter McCormick, the University’s assistant vice president for Campus Ministry in the Division of Student Affairs.
NEWS | PAGE 2
OPINION | PAGE 5
SCENE | PAGE 7
SPORTS | PAGE 11
SPORTS | PAGE 12
Jennifer Newsome Martin helped name St. John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church.
Jim VandeHei, Axios CEO, shares a few words of advice to college students on jumping into
It was a night of music and comedy, audio and visuals, masculinity and emotionality.
Izzy Engle and the Notre Dame women’s soccer team face NC state in first conference game.
The team battled vigilantly against the No.4 Indiana Hoosiers, but fell short 1-0.
Associate News Editor
On a Sunday afternoon in 1950,
ND prof. on Doctor
Message for students
see “Rosary” on page 2
Zach Bryan concert
Irish women’s soccer
see “Injuries” on page 4
ND men’s soccer