ABOUT PROJECT SYCAMORE
Project Sycamore takes
its name from the "Guardian of the Grotto,"
the ancient tree standing watch over the Grotto
that, according to legend, reaches with its gnarled
branches toward God in prayerful memorial to the
innocent Indian murdered where it took root. As
this sentinel is perpetually protective of the
Grotto, so, too, have Notre Dame alumni always
been protective of the school’s formative
heritage as it is adapted to the challenges of
each age. At the heart of that heritage are Notre
Dame’s Catholic identity and its sustaining
relationship to the Church, even as institutional
links have been dissolved.
Recent events, in particular
the student on-campus production of The Vagina
Monologues and the staging of the Queer Film Festival,
have raised for many the question whether that
tradition and that relationship have been dangerously
eroded. A principal cause for these uncharacteristic
eruptions seems to have been a progressive secularization
of the faculty over recent decades.
A group of alumni
concerned about this phenomenon and its consequences
has established Project Sycamore and this web site
in order to provide alumni and others in the Notre Dame family with a source of information,
a vehicle for the exchange of views, and a means
for both offering support and expressing respectful
criticism with respect to issues relating to the
University’s Catholic identity.
If, after examining
the materials on this web site, you think this effort
worthwhile, please join us. We assess no fee, and
since we have deferred a decision whether to establish
Project Sycamore as a qualified charitable organization,
we are not seeking large contributions. Still, if
Project Sycamore is to accomplish its purposes,
it will require some funding. The costs to date
have largely been those associated with the establishment
of this web site, with the costs of maintenance
and modification to continue, of course, as long
as the organization exists. Given the novelty of
this enterprise, we cannot anticipate the magnitude
of other future expenses, but they should include,
for example, the costs of whatever research might
be useful in obtaining a better understanding of
Catholic identity issues at the University. Accordingly,
we hope that many in sympathy with this project
will provide modest initial financial support. In
turn, we will furnish periodic accountings. If at
any time it appears our resources will substantially
exceed the Project’s likely needs, we will
donate the surplus to Catholic-oriented organizations
or projects at Notre Dame.
For a list of Board members and brief bios, please click here.
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