Five old Notre Dame Football photos on a Good Friday

A sacred place

Happy Good Friday everyone! Last week I started kicking around a few different ideas for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish offseason. I have access to thousands and thousands of photos, and will never use a small fraction of those on this site — but I want to, and I’m going to give it a solid shot as a way to bless the beginning of the weekend throughout the offseason.

So let’s go!

Holy Grounds

Many consider Notre Dame Staium to be sacred and holy ground for college football fans. Whether or not that’s hyperbole — or even blasphemy — is something I’ll leave to you to decide, but this photo of a priest sitting all by himself in the House That Rockne Built certainly gives off that kind of vibe.

Photo by Leonard McCombe/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images

God, Country, Notre Dame

The most inspiring building on campus may not be the Golden Dome or Notre Dame Stadium — but the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

Photo by Collegiate Images via Getty Images

A Place of Peace

You’d be hard pressed to find a former Notre Dame student to not have the Grotto listed as one of their top two places on campus. Even on a Notre Dame football Saturday, the atmosphere at the Grotto is peaceful, quiet, and spiritual.

Photo by Collegiate Images via Getty Images

Say your prayers

Prayer on the battlefield is an ancient rite that continues to be a prominent form of preparation in today’s version of the gladiator games. Tom Zbikowski, shown below, is as much of a Notre Dame football throwback as we have seen in the past 20 years. The Polish boxer from Chicago laying it all out on the field inside Notre Dame Stadium… excuse me as my emotions explode.

Photo by Matthew Mitchell/WireImage

Father Ted

I won’t cheapen Father Hesburgh’s memory with a joke or a pun. I’m putting this right here to remind people that standing up for those that have been oppressed and looked down upon is exactly what Christ wants us to do. Love y’all… you can do it.

Photo by Frank Scherschel/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

See ya next week!