Because of its beauty, sacredness and location, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame is the coveted site of more than a hundred weddings annually. Beginning July 1, changes will be implemented to the process of reserving a date and time for a wedding.
For more than 25 years, the Basilica has opened the process of reserving a date and time for weddings on a specific date, which came to be known as “Basilica Day” or “Basilica Monday.” This date, the first Monday of March, when the following calendar year dates opened, came to symbolize equal parts excitement and stress as brides — and often many of their family members — would prepare to flood the phone lines of the Liturgy Office for their preferred time and date.
As the use of online reservations has become more ubiquitous, the liturgy staff of Campus Ministry began exploring the possibilities of switching to an online reservation process.
Beginning July 1, reservations will be made through an online form found at campusministry.nd.edu/weddings. At that time, all available dates for two years (through July 1, 2020) will be visible and open for reservations. This two-year calendar will advance each day so that the two-year window will roll forward on a daily basis.
Through this new online reservations process, couples will be able to view available dates and times within the two-year window, and indicate their top date and time preferences by formally submitting the reservation form. Any reservations submitted outside of regular business hours will receive an email confirmation the next business day. As is the current practice, receipt of a deposit is the final step in reserving a date and time. This online reservation process will not replace all human interaction; only the first step in the reservation process will be online. After that, the couple will be assisted by a member of the liturgy office.
In addition to the Basilica, Lady Chapel and Log Chapel, the Mary, Queen of Angels Chapel in Flaherty Hall will be available for select summer weddings beginning in 2019.
“We are grateful to our local bishop, the Most Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades, who has given us his blessing to open this additional campus chapel to summer weddings,” said Rev. Pete McCormick, C.S.C., director of campus ministry.
The Mary, Queen of Angels Chapel in Flaherty Hall will be available for summer weddings on Saturdays in June and July, beginning in 2019. This chapel is ideal for couples who would like to celebrate their wedding on Notre Dame’s campus but have a smaller-sized ceremony (up to 125 people), and is offered as a way to encourage more couples to celebrate their wedding as a sacrament in the context of the Catholic Church, either as the Rite Within the Mass or the Rite Outside the Mass.
None of the existing prices will go up ($1,000 for the Basilica; $500 for the Log Chapel). The cost for the Mary, Queen of Angels Chapel in Flaherty will be $750.00. However, a new pricing strategy of selected lower-cost dates and times, acknowledging the varying levels of demand at different times and seasons of the year, can be found on the website. Notre Dame students, alumni, members of Sacred Heart Parish, and current, full-time faculty or staff members who have been employed at Notre Dame for at least five years are all eligible to get married in the Basilica.
Contact: Danielle Collins, associate director of communications, 574-631-5241, Danielle.Collins@nd.edu