Chaplain Corby of Gettysburg

Chaplain Corby of Gettysburg is a bronze sculpture showing a priest with his right arm raised in a blessing gesture. The figure stands on a limestone boulder and sits on the Notre Dame campus.

The statue was created in 1911 by Samuel Murray to remember a priest who gave absolution to Union soldiers during the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. The work honors a moment when religious and military worlds met on the battlefield.

The raised hand gesture shows a priest in an act of blessing, connecting spiritual practice directly to military life. Visitors walking past can sense how religious leadership became part of the soldier's experience during war.

The sculpture sits near Corby Hall in the heart of the Notre Dame campus and is easy to find. The stone beneath the figure comes from the battlefield itself, making it worth taking time to understand the connection between the two places.

Students at the university playfully call the figure 'Fair Catch Corby' because the raised hand resembles a gesture used in American football. This tongue-in-cheek reference shows how a historical religious sculpture fits into modern campus life.

Inception: 1911

Creator: Samuel Murray

GPS coordinates: 41.70225,-86.24075

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:42