Sadly, the Notre Dame family lost one of its most devoted members this year. Rev. David Burke, a diocesan priest from Milton, Mass., might easily have been one of the University’s most enthusiastic fans. An Irish Catholic born and raised in Boston, his affinity for Our Lady’s University began early on, listening to Notre Dame football games on the radio as a child. For Fr. Burke, there was only one team—the Fighting Irish.
While family responsibilities dictated he remain close to home and attend Boston College, his love for Notre Dame never waned. After completing his seminary studies and being ordained, he began a long, fulfilling career as a parish priest, serving St. Pius X in the Boston area for more than 50 years. At the same time, he made weekly fall pilgrimages to campus, attending nearly every Notre Dame football game, home and away—and always returning to Milton as soon as the game ended so that he could attend to his priestly duties come Sunday morning. In 50 years, he missed only a handful of games.
You might say Fr. Burke was a creature of habit: he once declined an invitation to the President’s Pre-Game Brunch, explaining that his regular game-day routine meant arriving at the stadium two hours before kick-off to observe the team while evaluating the wind and other factors that might affect “how our boys play.”
A faithful supporter of the University, Fr. Burke was a longtime member of the Sorin Society. When he passed away in 2007 at the age of 92, he left the bulk of his substantial estate to Notre Dame.
When a friend inquired before his death why his will was to benefit Notre Dame instead of his own alma mater, he replied in characteristic fashion: “I went to Boston College for four years, but I’ve been a Notre Dame man my entire life.” As requested in his will, Fr. Burke’s remains were flown to campus where a memorial Mass was said for him in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
