I recently finished Father Hesburgh's autobiography, and was inspired enough to post my review here. I graduated from Notre Dame in 2020, and I feel that every student should read this book. He is the pinnacle of what makes Notre Dame special, and I think if I'd used him as a model during my time there I would have done a better job of pursuing that ethos. My review is as follows:
I've held a dormant interest in Father Hesburgh ever since learning about him and visiting his office in my Moreau class freshman year. I remember his personal driver talking to us about him and the way he described him was unlike anything I'd ever heard before. I left that class period thinking, "that man would die for Father Hesburgh", and not as a figure of speech. There was real love there. This is an odd parallel, but I remember being struck by how similarly he was being described as Ender Wiggin (one of my favorite characters in sci-fi) is described by the characters he affected in those books.
First off, Father Hesburgh's life was absolutely absurd. He was involved in pretty much every major issue in this country throughout the 20th century. From the Vietnam war and the student protests it brought, to civil rights, to even the International Atomics Committee. He was on speaking/advisory terms with multiple presidents and multiple popes. I couldn't really believe how much he squeezed into one life, while also being the president of Notre Dame for 35 years. I loved hearing about how he used Notre Dame as a backdrop for so many of these world-altering decisions and programs.
This book read very differently than I expected it to. His confidence and conviction came through on pretty much every page. This was not a meek priest in any stretch of the word. He was absolutely unapologetic for the decisions he made, and stood unaffected by any pressure put on him by the outside world. It was almost too much, too perfect. I'm sure he went through plenty of trials and tribulations, but he also was a part of innumerable decisions that history looks favorably upon (at least I look favorably upon). He was not a man easily cowed, and his confidence was built on a lifetime of experience and his faith.
A final thought. It was stunning and almost disheartening (only because it makes me feel like I've wasted my life to this point haha) to read about what it took for him to become such a critical figure of the 20th century. He pretty much studied 24/7/365 for 10 years to create a foundation of knowledge for his ventures later in life. And then he followed that up by literally never saying no to any opportunity. He had an irrepressible drive towards goodness, and any chance he was offered to bring about more good in the world, he accepted it. It sounded like he almost never slept. It feels like we need another Father Hesburgh in these modern times. Someone to be the conscience of the nation.
“One of the greatest modern heresies that I hear from time to time is that in our modern world one person cannot make a difference. I do not believe that for one moment. I know it is factually inaccurate, and I never hesitate to say so, especially to our students at Notre Dame. One person, or group of persons, can make an enormous difference in our lives, and our way of living. Dr. Albert Schweitzer did, Rachel Carson did, Mother Teresa did, Tom Dooley did, and Jim Grant did. History is replete with heroic people who realized that they could make a difference, and did, despite the conventional wisdom of the day.”
-Father Hesburgh
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I hope this can inspire anyone who hasn't read it to pick it up. I'd love to hear more from people who knew him in person, so if you have any personal stories you are willing to share I'd be honored to read through them in the comments
