Community Support

"Becoming a rector was a bit of a leap of faith for me. I was completing twenty years in a leadership role in a Montessori school, and I thought that moving to Notre Dame to serve in a men’s residence hall would be a ninety degree turn from where my life and career were heading. I soon realized that that it was not such a dramatic turn, it was actually a continuation of the work and ministry I had engaged throughout my career. A new community, but the same focus: walking with others as we grow together in faith, service, confidence, and self-knowledge.

While there is only one rector in each residence hall, I have not felt alone; I rely on colleagues throughout campus for support, wisdom, and connection. We have regular rector meetings to hear how each other is doing in their work, to learn best practices, to engage with partners from other departments serving students, and to continue the ongoing formation that started the day we moved in. In addition to these formal meetings, we meet regularly for lunch in the dining hall or dinner in a rector’s apartment or a restaurant off campus. New rectors are assigned a mentor who remains available for checking in, and there is always someone ready to take a walk on this beautiful campus. Colleagues offer their time and friendship when I need to talk with someone who knows both the joys and the challenges of the work of the rector firsthand.

Being a part of a community has always been important to me, and I have been grateful and relieved to see how central the community is to this new phase of my life and work."

Daniel W. Driscoll, M.Div., Rector, Sorin Hall