Carter, Rice, Holtz set to speak at tribute for Hesburgh
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz will be among the speakers at a tribute to the late Rev. Theodore Hesburgh.
"We are honored that the Carters, Dr. Rice and our other distinguished guests will join to pay tribute to Father Ted and his many contributions to national and international affairs, the Catholic Church and higher education," said the Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame president. "This tribute will be a special opportunity to celebrate Father Ted's remarkable life and career."
Hesburgh, who served as Notre Dame president for 35 years before retiring in 1987, died Thursday at the age of 97. Notre Dame is planning two days of services to remember the accomplishments of Hesburgh, who also was a founding member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in 1957 and joined hands with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at a 1964 rally in Chicago.
Others scheduled to speak at the tribute Wednesday night are Gov. Mike Pence, Sen. Joe Donnelly, former Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming and the retired archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The memorial service is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Purcell Pavilion, which seats about 10,000.
The university announced Monday a limited number of tickets will be made publicly available Tuesday for the memorial service. The number of tickets available has not been disclosed, and they must be requested in person.
Alumni were sent an email that let them request memorial service tickets, the South Bend Tribune reports. Students lined up for tickets Sunday on campus.
"The short time waiting in this line compared to the years of service he did for so many is nothing," Notre Dame freshman Michael Anderson told WNDU-TV.
A public visitation will take place from noon Tuesday to 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on campus, pausing for the wake from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday. A wake for Hesburgh will be held 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Rev. Edward A. Malloy, who succeeded Hesburgh as president, will preside over the service and deliver the homily.
The funeral, which is by invitation only, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday. Jenkins will deliver the homily. The service will be streamed on the school's website, as will the memorial service.
After the funeral, the public is invited to line the road for a procession from the basilica to the Holy Cross Community Cemetery, where Hesburgh will be laid to rest.
The public also is invited to view the wake, funeral and tribute at the Compton Family Ice Arena on campus.
Classes after noon Wednesday at Notre Dame have been canceled.