
Atlanta
Notre Dame fans take time to pray, volunteer during National Championship weekend
By MEG BUTLER, Special to the Bulletin | Published January 24, 2025
ATLANTA—University of Notre Dame fans made a pilgrimage to Atlanta for a large service project and Mass before cheering on their team in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
On Sunday, Jan. 19, more than 250 alumni and fans of Notre Dame participated in the service project benefiting the Center for Children & Young Adults, a Marietta-based nonprofit that provides housing for homeless and foster care youth. The spirited group built beds, painted dressers, painted rooms, prepared meals and refreshed outside landscaping at the center.
Later that day, about 3,000 people attended Mass celebrated by Notre Dame President Father Robert A. Dowd, CSC. The Mass was held at the Hilton Atlanta in downtown Atlanta. Both events were organized by the Notre Dame Alumni Association and the Notre Dame Club of Atlanta.

Fans of the Fighting Irish braved the cold to refresh landscaping for the Center for Children & Young Adults. The Notre Dame Alumni Association and the Notre Dame Club of Atlanta hosted a service project and Mass ahead of the football game against Ohio State.
“Any time the Notre Dame family gathers, there is a desire to serve and pray together,” said Annie Envall-Latowski, program director for the Notre Dame Alumni Association. “This service project is a way to live out our faith on this important weekend and a way for alumni and friends to feel more connected to the University and its mission to be a force for good, wherever we are in the world.”
Notre Dame has a history of bringing fans together for service and prayer to create lasting change in the communities where teams play notable games. Past service events included packing Thanksgiving meals in Chicago and refurbishing hospital spaces in Ireland. Prior to an October game versus Georgia Tech, the Notre Dame Club of Atlanta collected diapers, stocked a food pantry and mentored middle school students.
Despite a second-half comeback, Notre Dame fell to the Ohio State University Buckeyes in the game played Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The score was 34-23.