The Laudato si' encyclical letter by Pope Francis has deeply influenced many Notre Dame students. In the face of global environmental crises, undergraduates at Notre Dame have found profound meaning in his invitation to engage in dialogue and care for our common home. Now, undergraduates have the opportunity to participate in a course inspired by Laudato si’ at the Gardens of the Pontifical Villas in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, the Holy Father’s summer residence and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Since 2023, under the direction of Pope Francis, the summer residence has been the home of the Borgo Laudato si’, envisioned as an educational center and living laboratory where the principles of Laudato si’ can be put into action.
In May 2026, 17 Notre Dame undergraduates traveled to the Borgo Laudato si’ to participate in an immersive course dedicated to cultivating a vision for living an integral ecology that reflects the joy of St. Francis and transforms our relationships with God, one another, and the Earth. A central pillar of Notre Dame’s partnership with the Borgo Laudato si’ focused on advancing education, research, and collective action for Integral Ecology, the one-credit course was designed by Notre Dame’s Office of Undergraduate Education, Institute for Educational Initiatives, and Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative. Rev. Daniel G. Groody, C.S.C., vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education and professor of theology, and Professor Arun Agrawal, director of the Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative and Pulte Family professor of development policy, co-taught the course.
“This course provides the opportunity to engage a critical issue at a critical time,” Fr. Groody said. “Guided by the vision of Pope Francis, which Pope Leo is continuing, it will allow our students to make a greater impact in the care of our common home.”
Throughout the week at the Borgo, students examined current sustainability challenges through the lens of integral ecology rooted in hope and justice. With an overarching thematic exploration into the doctrine of creation, along with human work and sustainability on Earth, each day examined how integral ecology connects us to the Earth, sun, and water, guiding us to protect God’s creation. Using the Borgo grounds as an experiential learning environment, the students learned from the Borgo’s practitioners about the grounds’ alternative energy sources, worked in the gardens, and participated in a local cooking class.
“I have developed a deep admiration for Pope Francis and his vision of integral ecology as something that is profoundly human and spiritual, inseparable from how we choose to uphold human dignity, compassion, justice, and solidarity with each other,” said Notre Dame senior Lauryn Biondi. “The values of ecological conversion and human solidarity are not only held at the Borgo, but truly lived and cherished by those who work on the grounds and believe in its mission. I’m so grateful to have encountered its many blessings firsthand through Notre Dame’s partnership with the Vatican.”
Students interested in participating in “Integral Ecology at the Borgo Laudato Si'” during May 2027 can visit the Notre Dame study abroad website for more information and a course application.