Student-made ice chapel brings thousands together for Mass at Notre Dame

“This University’s Catholic identity is such a core part of campus life,” Wesley Buonerba ’27 said. “At first it was just something fun to try, but as we kept building, we realized it could be a great way of evangelization and showcase our Catholic identity.”

Notre Dame’s Catholic faith came to life earlier this month, when thousands of members of the Notre Dame family and South Bend community braved 19-degree weather to gather for Candlemas Mass at an ice chapel built by students on the University’s North Quad.

At 10 p.m. Monday, the newly-consecrated St. Olaf’s Ice Chapel glowed with candlelight. Altar servers processed an icicle cross and processional candles with stems of ice through a sea of people standing and kneeling in the snow.

The idea originated with seniors Wesley Buonerba ’27 and Martin Soros ’26, both residential assistants in Coyle Hall, who decided to try their hands at building with snow and ice.

The sacrament of Communion took over 30 minutes, and co-celebrants Rev. Greg Haake, C.S.C., and Rev. Pete McCormick, C.S.C., ran out of consecrated hosts even after dividing wafers into shards. 

“The mission is just to bring people together,” Soros said. “I think a big idea for us too is to bring people to Mass who don’t usually go, which for us is super important, you know, reaching out and spreading the love and mercy of Jesus.”

This Mass is a celebration of the Catholic faith. When you give the gift of Notre Dame, you make once-in-a-lifetime experiences like these possible. You help bring together students who celebrate their faith in community, no matter the weather. Thank you for creating more opportunities to see the light of our faith reflected in the faces of students who never cease to amaze with their creativity and spirit.

You can find this original article by Chloe Hanford on the Undergraduate Admissions website, or read more about the warmth of this snowy Mass in Notre Dame Magazine ›