Photos of Notre Dame president Rev. Robert Dowd inauguration ceremony

Notre Dame has a long and storied history, but only three times has a new president actually been inaugurated. The latest has come with the inauguration ceremony for the Rev. Robert Dowd, the 18th president of the university. Though he officially assumed the role in June, he finally had a chance to bask in the pageantry that comes with becoming a new president.

The day didn’t come without some tension though. The day before the ceremony, Dowd tested positive for COVID-19. The good news is the isolation period for the disease only is 24 hours now, but he still masked up while near others indoors. It’s a reminder that illnesses can affect even the most thought-out plans.

Despite the development, it still was a day of celebration in South Bend. Hopefully, it’s the perfect stepping stone to what will be steady leadership from Dowd for many years to come.

If you missed the ceremony, here are some images of it: