"The Grotto at the University of Notre Dame is a “cave” constructed of fieldstone. It shelters iron racks where people may place 24-hour candles encased in glass, then kneel or sit nearby to pray. Despite the existence of a beautiful French Gothic church up the hill and a chapel in most university buildings, generations of Notre Dame students, faculty, and staff consider it their favorite place on campus to pray, meditate, or reflect. That includes non-Catholics.
All of that prayer produced a lot of glass waste and a lot of anguish for the religious community responsible for the Grotto. Until recently, the un-recyclable and wash-resistant, wax-covered glass (about 90 tons of it annually) went into a landfill.
A group of staffers in campus ministry and the office of sustainability were determined to find a solution. I met with each one of them as their quest unfolded, attended an end-of-semester presentation by business student “consultants,” and visited the Grotto during the pandemic to participate in the care-taking of an area that in better times is visited by 600 people each day.
The story explains the reasons why conventional recycling and reuse methods weren’t viable and how the partners found their replicable solution—a model for sacred sites all over the world. This was the university’s only story promoting the project and the feedback from readers was a mix of astonishment, relief, and pride in their school."
From the Judges
Perfect blend of topic and narrative for their target audience. Keeps the reader engaged throughout.
