About

The Summer Seminary Immersion Program (SSIP) at the University of Notre Dame is a two-week residential program for Catholic young men in high school who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. Led by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross — the order that founded Notre Dame — SSIP is built around the actual rhythms of seminary formation: daily Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, Eucharistic adoration, common meals, common prayer, and community life, alongside rigorous academic coursework in theology.

The academic core is a college-level theology course taught by a Holy Cross priest and credited through Notre Dame's Theology Department. Students who complete the course successfully receive one credit of theology on a Notre Dame college transcript — a meaningful credential for a high schooler. Coursework engages Sacred Scripture, the Catholic Tradition, the theology of priesthood and religious life, Church documents, and the lives of the saints, with workshops on various forms of prayer including lectio divina, centering prayer, and journaling. Students live in St. Edward's Hall, a residence hall situated just behind the Golden Dome, with a chapel used for daily prayer. Meals are provided by the same kitchen serving the Holy Cross priests and brothers on campus — a detail that underscores the program's genuine integration into Notre Dame's religious community rather than a parallel tourist experience of it.

Total cost for the two-week residential program is $700, covering tuition, full room and board, activities, and field trips. Financial aid is available. The application requires a transcript, counselor report, and a letter of recommendation from a pastor or member of a religious order. Eligibility is restricted to practicing Roman Catholic young men who are rising juniors or seniors, actively involved in their parish or campus ministry, and genuinely interested in exploring a vocation.

SSIP occupies a genuinely rare category in this catalog: a program designed not for career exploration in the conventional sense, but for spiritual discernment, offered at one of the most historically significant Catholic universities in the world. For a young Catholic man seriously considering the priesthood, religious life, or undergraduate theological study, this program is an ideal summer environment.