Thank you for your post and all the efforts. Below is a letter my wife and I e-mailed Father Jenkins tonight and plan to send a hard copy as well. I hope to e-mail as many fellows as possible also. God Bless, Ryan Walker class of 95 Elizabeth A. (Cillessen) Walker, Ph.D., ’95 Dear Father Jenkins and Fellows of the University, Well, the graduation ceremony has come and gone, and we can imagine that you hope this whole nightmare will go away—that people everywhere will forget the great scandal that befell the University of Notre Dame in 2009. We, on the other hand, pray that this is just the beginning—the beginning of a profound awakening among Catholics—an awakening to the Truth. My wife, Elizabeth, and I are alumni of the University (both from the Class of 1995). Elizabeth devoted herself to service work and the study of Psychology as an undergraduate student (she then went on to earn her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from UCLA). She was recipient of the John F. Santos award given for distinctive achievement in Psychology and she was one of 12 Notre Dame valedictorians. I was on full scholarship through the Navy ROTC program and I served as an RA in Grace Hall my senior year. I participated in numerous campus activities including bookstore basketball and Bengal Bouts. Elizabeth and I married in 1996, one year after graduation. Since graduation, I’ve remained the most passionate Irish football fan you can find. I fly my ND flag every Saturday in the Fall and more than one person has commented that I should expand my wardrobe to include more than ND apparel. We have made it a priority to be members of the Sorin Society for the past several years. And, we have taught our four children the fight song with every hope that they too would someday attend Notre Dame. Alas, I have not worn my ND t-shirts for over two months, nor have we written any checks to the Sorin Society. And, sadly, Notre Dame is about the last place we can imagine sending our children for college. Yet, we are not on the “fringes”—I would argue that we are ND. We love the school more than almost anyone we know. We love the beauty of the campus, we love the rigors of the academics, we love mass in the dorm chapels and in the Basilica, we love the Notre Dame family. We love Our Lady on the Dome. Undoubtedly, however, Our Lady—the mother of God who herself chose life under the most difficult of circumstances--now weeps. We are saddened by the University’s decision to provide President Barack Obama a platform on graduation day—the single greatest opportunity that a school has to put its mission, values, principles, and very identity on display for all to see. However, we are even more saddened by the University’s decision to bestow an honorary degree upon Mr. Obama. In a letter to the students, Fr. Jenkins, you stated, “As St. Peter wrote, we should honor the leader who upholds the secular order.” Really? From this perspective, then, the 2004 statement of the USCCB would never apply to political leaders (we urge you to read Archbishop Chaput’s “Render unto Ceasar” for a proper understanding of what it means to honor political leaders). Fr. Jenkins, you have also maintained that Notre Dame is “unequivocally committed to the sanctity of human life and its protection from conception to natural death.” Well, as Bishop D’Arcy has stated, “Sometimes the actions are so loud, it is impossible to hear the words.” After all, why should ordinary Catholics think that the abortion issue should be a big deal in their ordinary lives if the University of Notre Dame, the preeminent Catholic institution in the country, does not believe that it should be a very big deal when bestowing honorary law degrees? Not only are we deeply saddened by the honorary degree bestowed upon President Obama, we are also saddened that the University would choose not to be in communion with the Church. During this scandal, the University has all but dismissed the protests of Bishop D’Arcy, over 70 other bishops and cardinals, thousands of alumni, and hundreds of thousands of faithful Catholics. Like George Weigel, we wonder: What “Church” does Notre Dame belong to? It’s been appalling to witness the University’s blatant disobedience to the bishops. It’s been profoundly disappointing that not one board member has publicly condemned the University’s decision. And, on a more personal level, we have felt utterly betrayed by the University. We have written. We have called. We have sent e-mails. We have withdrawn financial support. Yet, nary a word to us from the University. Does the University care at all that we and thousands of alumni are hurting? That we are grieving? That we, the lifeblood of the University, feel cutoff? And so, less than two weeks ago, my wife and I flew from Colorado to South Bend with our two oldest children to participate in the ND response rally on graduation day. As always, the campus was beautiful. But, we sensed a sadness. The University had changed. As Air Force One landed in South Bend and the abortion president was honored for his legal policies, Notre Dame gave away something precious, something special. We are so grateful to Fathers Miscamble, Russeau, Raphael, Pavone, and Corapi, as well as Lacy Dodd, Mary Daly, and the many other courageous souls who sponsored the ND response rally. Finally, some sense on this issue. Finally, truth instead of moral relativism, clear talk instead of hypocrisy. And, finally, we experienced some small bit of healing. Sadly, however, the University and mainstream media did little to acknowledge the event. So much for dialogue, discourse, and engagement. Fr. Jenkins, my wife and I brought our class rings with us, fully intending to leave them in Mary’s care at the Grotto. However, great individuals, like Fr. Miscamble, reminded us to hold on to hope when all seems hopeless. And, though Our Lady surely weeps, we also know that, in the end, she will crush the head of the serpent. And so, for now, we will hold onto our rings, confident that, someday, Our Lady will reclaim her University for the greater glory of her Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. In the mean time, we mourn. Sincerely Yours in Christ, Ryan J. Walker, ‘95 Elizabeth A. (Cillessen) Walker, Ph.D., ‘95