Current:Home > FinanceLegendary football coach Knute Rockne receives homecoming, reburied on Notre Dame campus -CapitalWay
Legendary football coach Knute Rockne receives homecoming, reburied on Notre Dame campus
View
Date:2025-04-15 21:07:37
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Ninety-three years after the death of historically revered Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne, his casket was exhumed and reburied at the Cedar Grove Cemetery at the University of Notre Dame.
Rockne, who coached from 1918 to 1931 and won three national championships, died in 1931 in a plane crash. He was 43. His mass was celebrated at Notre Dame’s Sacred Heart Church, now the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, on April 4, 1931.
Rockne’s grave, along with the graves of his wife, son and grandson, were moved from Highland Cemetery in South Bend to Cedar Grove Cemetery on Notre Dame’s campus, accompanied by an interment service led by Fr. Paul Doyle, C.S.C. on April 28.
The University of Notre Dame released a statement regarding their assistance to the Rockne family.
"At the request of the Rockne family, the University of Notre Dame was honored to assist with the disinterment of the remains of football player, coach and athletic director Knute Rockne and several Rockne family members from Highland Cemetery in South Bend and their subsequent burial at Cedar Grove Cemetery on campus," the statement wrote. "The prayers of the Church were offered for the repose of their souls upon their reinterment."
Opinion:A Notre Dame football coaching legend (finally) returned to where he belongs on campus
Tricia Sloma, morning anchor for Tribune reporting partner WNDU-TV, attended the reburial and spoke with Rockne’s surviving family about their decision to move the graves decades later.
"The reburial was a relief for so many of these family members," Sloma said, describing the reburial as somber, with tears shed during the interment, yet they had feelings of a weight lifted, as well.
"The family seemed relieved that they had finally reached this point with the university," she said. "These surviving relatives buried their parent’s ashes with this family plot. They were saying goodbye to mom and dad again. Knowing the legacy of their family and their family name, it’s a lot of weight. I think all that weight lifted, yesterday."
When Sloma attended the reburial, she spoke with Rockne’s granddaughter, Jeanne Anne Rockne, who said moving the graves had been a topic of discussion for decades, but it was something her father was against.
Seven surviving Rockne grandchildren made the decision to move the graves, WNDU reported.
Cedar Grove Cemetery is open to the public from dawn to dusk. Video or photography is allowed for private or personal use only.
Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com.
veryGood! (4477)
Related
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Don't be fooled by the name and packaging: Fruit snacks are rarely good for you. Here's why.
- The Sunscreen and Moisturizer Duo That Saved My Skin on a Massively Hot European Vacation
- Montana Supreme Court rules minors don’t need parental permission for abortion
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Judge tells Google to brace for shakeup of Android app store as punishment for running a monopoly
- Wildfires are growing under climate change, and their smoke threatens farmworkers, study says
- Britney Spears' Ex Sam Asghari Reveals Special Girl in His Life—But It's Not What You Think
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Meta kills off misinformation tracking tool CrowdTangle despite pleas from researchers, journalists
Ranking
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Get 10 free boneless wings with your order at Buffalo Wild Wings: How to get the deal
- Bristol Palin Shares 15-Year-Old Son Tripp Has Moved Back to Alaska
- Jackson City Councilwoman Angelique Lee resigns after federal bribery charge
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Beyoncé leads nominations for 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards
- Taylor Swift Returns to the Stage in London After Confirmed Terror Plot
- Rare mammoth tusk found in Mississippi is a first-of-its-kind discovery
Recommendation
Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
These six House races are ones to watch in this year’s election
Proposal to allow local police to make arrests near Arizona border with Mexico will appear on ballot
Red Cross blood inventory plummets 25% in July, impacted by heat and record low donations
Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Back Channels
Chet Hanks Details Losing 27 Pounds in 3 Days at Rock Bottom Before Sobriety Journey
Lady Gaga’s Brunette Hair Transformation Will Have You Applauding