50 Notre Dame Quotes Celebrating an Iconic Landmark

By Norbert Juma

Master quote curator and editor on a mission to inspire

Published August 5, 2023

Looking for the best Notre Dame quotes?

If so, this article is just right for you.

Here, we have shared Notre Dame quotes that are motivational and engaging.

We hope you enjoy reading and sharing these quotes with your friends and family.

We’ve also offered some background information about the Notre Dame Cathedral and the University of Notre Dame.

So, let’s dive in!

Notre Dame Cathedral

Located on the island of Île de la Cité, the Notre Dame Cathedral serves as a testament to faith, human artistry, and resilience.

It is one of the most iconic landmarks and continues to inspire people around the world.

The key feature of this cathedral is its Gothic architecture.

It remains a symbol of human resilience and creativity.

A Masterpiece of Gothic Architecture

The construction of this cathedral was started in 1163.

It was the time of King Louis VII.

The construction continued for a century.

The Gothic architecture is stunning and is still referred to as a masterpiece.

Some of the key features of this historic building include:

Arches
Ribbed vaults
Flying buttresses
Intricate façade details
Iconic statues and gargoyles

A Symbol of Spirituality and Faith

For centuries, the Notre Dame Cathedral has hosted important religious ceremonies and processions.

Hence, this cathedral has a spiritual significance, which is evident from its sacred relics and ornate chapels.

Notre Dame has also served as a historic place for various other events.

For instance, Napoleon Bonaparte’s carnation was also performed at Notre Dame Cathedral in 1804.

The University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States.

It is a private Catholic research university founded in 1842 by Father Edward Sorin.

This university is popular for its strong emphasis on research programs and commitment to Catholic teachings.

The university offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including:

Arts and Letters
Business
Engineering
Science
Architecture

The university is popular for its rigorous academic standards.

It takes the religious values from the Notre Dame Cathedral.

This is why it promotes a strong sense of faith.

Those who seek to integrate religious beliefs and academic pursuits are always welcomed at the University of Notre Dame.

Besides, this university ranks among the top U.S. universities.

Top 10 Notre Dame Quotes

This section includes the best Notre Dame quotes that will make you fall in love with Notre Dame.

1. “I graduated from Notre Dame.” — Pat Connaughton

2. “After Notre Dame, what is there?” — Ara Parseghian

3. “I truly believe the things Notre Dame stands for.” — Lou Holtz

4. “I’m going to be the next head coach at Notre Dame.” — Dan Devine

5. “Something big, … is about to happen at Notre Dame.” — John Grant

6. “My dream was to play football at Notre Dame more than anything.” — Baron Davis

7. “My first project was ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’. I co-produced that.” — Roy Conli

8. “My first walk illegally at 20 years old was between the towers of Notre Dame.” — Philippe Petit

9. “I just wanted to be a part of Notre Dame. The school and I have a great relationship.” — Rudy Ruettiger

10. “Ron Powlus will win the Heisman two times and be the greatest quarterback in the history of Notre Dame.” — Beano Cook

Notre Dame Cathedral Quotes

Notre Dame Cathedral is famous around the world due to its architecture. Here are some great quotes about Notre Dame Cathedral.

11. “I haven’t seen the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, or the Louvre. I haven’t seen anything. I don’t really care.” — Tyra Banks

12. “In 1953, there were two ways for an Irish Catholic boy to impress his parents: become a priest or attend Notre Dame.” — Phil Donahue

13. “The only reason I wanted to go to college was so I could go to Notre Dame, and so after I graduate from Notre Dame, I could go to heaven.” — Rudy Ruettiger

14. “Beauty is not generic, bland, and clinical. It isn’t all things to all people. The Cathedral of Notre Dame, in its endlessly intricate detail, was beautiful. Modern office buildings are not.” — Michael J. Knowles

15. “In 1984, I gave a speech at Notre Dame titled ‘Religious Belief and Public Morality.’ I said that Catholic legislators will live by the laws of the church because we want to stay in the club.” — Mario Cuomo

16. “I feel comfortable singing in the great cathedrals of the world because I spent so much time as a child singing in church. And it isn’t very different. Of course, nothing looks quite like Notre Dame de Paris.” — Jessye Norman

17. “When I went to Europe a few years ago, I felt very at home there, and I loved standing in Notre Dame and looking at all the gargoyles on the outside of that building and realizing that, as scary and frightening as they were, what I was looking at was something that was built to the glory of God.” — Scott Derrickson

18. “From the ages of five to twelve, I attended the Saint Laurence O’Toole elementary school in Lawrence, a city next to Methuen, and was taught by sisters of the Catholic order of Notre Dame de Namour. I enjoyed all my subjects there. I do not remember ever learning any science, except for mathematics.” — Elias James Corey

19. “Walking at random through the streets, we came by chance upon the Cathedral of Notre Dame. I shall long remember my first impression of the scene within. The lofty gothic ceiling arched far above my head, and through the stained windows, the light came but dimly – it was all still, solemn and religious.” — Bayard Taylor

20. “Back in the 1500s, the culture that we had built in the West embraced multigenerational projects quite easily. Notre Dame. Massive cathedrals were not built over the course of a few years; they were built over a few generations. People who started building them knew they wouldn’t be finished until their grandson was born.” — Jamais Cascio

Inspirational Notre Dame Quotes

These quotes will inspire you to visit Notre Dame.

21. “You don’t go to Notre Dame to learn something; you go to Notre Dame to be somebody.” — Lou Holtz

22. “Probably one of the most surreal moments of my career was acting in front of Notre Dame with a mime.” — Eric McCormack

23. “Notre Dame was my dream school growing up. But in recruiting, they had some other plans, what position they wanted me to play.” — Ezekiel Elliott

24. “Having studied at the Sorbonne, I spent my 21st birthday in Paris and celebrated with one of my professors in a cafe outside of Notre Dame.” — Joseph Abboud

25. “God has a plan for everybody’s life, so there was obviously a reason why He wanted me to go to Notre Dame. Everything happens for a reason.” — Justin Tuck

26. “When I was 16 and on a tour of Europe, I fell in love with Le Corbusier’s Notre Dame du Haut chapel in Ronchamp, France. I’d quite like to live in it.” — Roisin Murphy

27. “I appreciate the history and tradition of Notre Dame. I also appreciate the history and tradition of Oklahoma, and I have been part of building that tradition here.” — Bob Stoops

28. “I visited Notre Dame at 11 in the morning, and the sun was entering through the south rose window; it was so impressive. This is when architecture can be king and give people sensations, like music.” — Santiago Calatrava

29. “People sometimes just need inspiration to keep moving along, whether it’s going to Notre Dame and being rejected, or taking a long time to bring a sports movie and Hollywood together, which took a long time for ‘Rudy.’” — Rudy Ruettiger

30. “One of the blessings of Notre Dame is where it’s at. It’s in the middle of nowhere, but you become part of the community. It’s a lifestyle, and it has a code, and that code teaches young men and women responsibility and leadership.” — Barry Trotz

Notre Dame University Quotes

Notre Dame University has earned its place among the top universities in the world by providing quality education. The following quotes are specially compiled to give you some insights about this great university.

31. “At Notre Dame, even my statistics teacher wanted me to win.” — Rudy Ruettiger

32. “An atheist is a man who watches a Notre Dame – Southern Methodist University game and doesn’t care who wins.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower

33. “I teach in the Divinity School at Duke University, a very secular university. But before Duke, I taught fourteen years at the University of Notre Dame.” — Stanley Hauerwas

34. “I took a Russian class at Notre Dame. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would fly someday in a Russian spacecraft with two cosmonauts, speaking only Russian.” — Kevin A. Ford

35. “I have always respected how Bobby Bowden would go out and challenge any opponent, and he produced some legendary games against the University of Miami and Notre Dame.” — James Carville

36. “The University of Notre Dame does not redshirt, and I endorse that policy completely. I am very much in favor of redshirting, but not at Notre Dame. But there’s no doubt about it. It puts us at a huge disadvantage.” — Lou Holtz

37. “I noticed the drama majors on campus when I was at Notre Dame. They just seemed to be freer spirits than the rest of us. There was joy in their work; they were the only ones studying something whose work made them happy. I envied that.” — Catherine Hicks

38. “I remember when I drove into Notre Dame, getting ready for the first day of work. I had an electrical charge go up my back because I realized all of a sudden that I was responsible for the traditions that the Knute Rocknes and the Frank Leahys had set, and what Notre Dame stood for.” — Ara Parseghian

39. “I missed so many opportunities along the way to do what I wanted to do because I didn’t have the confidence to tell myself, much less anybody else, ‘Yes, this is the business I wanted to be a part of, and not feeling that I had the talent… and letting it go all the way through Notre Dame and then through two years of Navy service.” — Regis Philbin

40. “The message that President Obama delivered in his speech at Notre Dame was: morality is immoral. Pro-life is an extremist position, not a moral position. Yet we should compromise and work to reduce abortions. Where’s the compromise between life and death – and why work to reduce the number of them occurring if there’s nothing wrong with them?” — Rush Limbaugh

Football is a popular sport at Notre Dame. Notre Dame football players are known for their quality sport. The following quotes are related to football at Notre Dame.

41. “I’m a Detroit fan in everything pro, and I’m a Notre Dame fan in college.” — Rich Froning Jr

42. “There is no question that Notre Dame has the best, biggest, and finest name in college football.” — Lee Corso

43. “I had grown up during a time when Notre Dame football was held in the highest esteem. I listened to all of the games on the radio.” — Ara Parseghian

44. “Sure, I’d love to beat Notre Dame, don’t get me wrong. But nothing matters more than beating that cow college on the other side of the state!” — Bear Bryant

45. “When I was growing up, we didn’t have cable. All that came on Saturday morning was Notre Dame football, and I was there every time to watch it.” — Baron Davis

46. “I’ve followed Notre Dame football since 1946 when I listened on the radio and Johnny Lujack tackled Doc Blanchard in the open field to preserve a 0-0 tie.” — Lou Holtz

47. “You have to be equal at both – great at football and great at dedicating yourself to the academics at Notre Dame. It’s hard. There are no rooty-toot classes for athletes in South Bend.” — Justin Tuck

48. “To my father, Notre Dame represented the underdogs of the world, the Italians, and the Polish people. I told him that one day I would play football for Notre Dame and worked hard to make that dream come true.” — Rudy Ruettiger

49. “For me, it was my dream as a kid to play two sports at the highest level I possibly could. Doing that at Notre Dame just meant I had to sacrifice in ways a normal college student wouldn’t have had to sacrifice.” — Pat Connaughton

50. “Three coaches at Notre Dame made a big difference in my life, not that I played any football when I attended Notre Dame. But Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian, and Lou Holtz – they all made a difference to me, and I respected them for their attitudes about life and how they handled the loss.” — Regis Philbin