The Passion in Our Daily Lives
Led by Grammy® Award winner and Director of the Notre Dame Folk Choir Dr. J.J. Wright, experience The Passion, a new artistic production combining Scripture with original poetry and set to original music. What is the relationship of Christ's Passion to our daily lives? Through it, we learn to encounter suffering and incarnate love, to behold one another in our “not-enoughness.” As we enter the upcoming Lenten and Easter seasons, journey with the Folk Choir and some of our closest collaborators through the development, rehearsal, and performance process of The Passion. Along the way, we will explore the Passion and Resurrection in light of the most pressing issues on the minds of our students, including the clergy sexual abuse crisis, the role of women in the Church, and climate change.
Experience the Episode
Presented by Notre Dame Folk Choir
Can a musical performance change the trajectory of your spiritual life? Moderated by J.J. Wright, this session explores how art serves as an invitation to open our hearts. Listen as Grace Murphy ’22 and Anna Staud ’22 share how the Passion project helped them recognize the holy in the ordinary. From the intensity of performance to the quiet of prayer, discover how collaborative creativity can draw you more deeply into a relationship with Jesus and your community.
Click below to watch the video of this conversation.
Click below to listen to the audio podcast of this conversation.
Subscribe to the ThinkND podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
MoreMeet the Student Speaker: Grace Murphy '22
Grace Murphy ’22 is a senior Science-Preprofessional major at Notre Dame and is current co-president of the Folk Choir. She has worked on The Passion since her sophomore year from a variety of angles – from early brainstorming sessions to deeper theological conversations to her current role playing Mary Magdalene in the adaptation. In the fall 2022, Grace is headed to medical school.
Meet the Student Speaker: Anna Staud '22
Anna Staud ’22 is a senior at Notre Dame studying Economics and English with an Honors Concentration in Creative Writing and minors in Theology and Latino Studies. She serves as Co-President of the Folk Choir and Assistant Stage Director of The Passion, and has been honored to be part of the writing and composition of this project. She is originally from South Bend and will be teaching for the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) next year.
A Lenten 2026 Reflection from the Notre Dame Senior Alumni
Dear Alumni and Friends,
The Passion of Christ is not simply a moment in history; it is a lens through which I am called to view my daily life. In Christ’s willing suffering—His endurance, humility, and obedience for the redemption of humanity—I am reminded that love is proven not in comfort, but in sacrifice.
As a husband and father of four adult sons, the Passion recalibrates my understanding of leadership at home. Christ leads not by force or fear, but by presence, faithfulness, and self-gift. His example calls me to patience, to listening before speaking, to loving consistently even when the path is difficult or misunderstood. Fatherhood, like the Passion, requires laying down one’s own desires so that others may flourish.
As a surgeon, I see suffering daily—not in the abstract, but in real lives entrusted to my hands. The Passion reminds me that suffering, while never sought, can be redemptive when met with compassion, skill, and integrity. It grounds my vocation not in technical excellence alone, but in reverence for the dignity of every patient, especially in moments of vulnerability and fear.
My service in the military, private practice, and organized medicine has taught me that sacrifice often goes unseen. Christ’s Passion affirms that unseen faithfulness matters. It strengthens my resolve to stand for what is right, to advocate for patients and physicians, and to endure challenges without becoming hardened or cynical.
Now, as a physician leader in the role of Chief Medical Officer, the Passion continually recalibrates my understanding of authority. Christ shows that true leadership is rooted in service, accountability, and moral courage. He bears the weight of others, speaks truth with love, and remains faithful to His mission even at great personal cost. This calls me to lead with humility, to protect those entrusted to me, and to make decisions guided not by expediency, but by conscience and compassion.
Ultimately, the Passion of Christ is the foundation of my life. It reminds me that suffering does not have the final word—love does. In every role I hold, I am called to carry the cross entrusted to me with faith, trusting that through sacrifice, perseverance, and grace, God continues His work of healing and redemption in the world.
Mark A. Dobbertien ‘80
Regional Director, Florida
Notre Dame Senior Alumni Board