Notre Dame Family,
Two weeks ago, the Zahm community was given the devastating news that one of our brothers, Xavier Murphy, had lost his month-long battle with leukemia. Xavier, a 2011 graduate of Notre Dame and a four-year resident of Zahm House, was a Notre Dame man in every way. He was a political science major, a Zahmbie, a top football manager and a loyal son of Notre Dame. The stories of his suffering make us all proud to have known him and would make anyone else proud to have shared this University with him.
Zahm now wishes to honor the memory of Xavier — but we need your help. During the Celtic chant of every football game, the men of Zahm typically raise the controversial "X" into the air, refusing to act out the cheer. Most see the "X" as just another way for Zahm to bring attention to itself, a belief not too far off the mark. This Saturday against Navy, however, the "X" means so much more. We ask you, Xavier's fellow students of Notre Dame, to join us as we "Raise an X for X" during every Celtic chant in the first quarter.
We do not call upon you as men of Dillon, women of Lewis, or even former students. In times of need, we are all sons and daughters of Notre Dame, our Mother. When you raise an "X" this Saturday, it won't be to spite anyone, it won't be to support Zahm ... it will be to let a mother know what X meant to our dorm, our community, our University. It will show what Notre Dame does when she loses a son.
When we initially embarked on this campaign, we hoped to give Xavier a ray of hope as he watched the game from his hospital bed in central Indiana. Upon granting us her permission to continue with our campaign after her son's death, Mrs. Murphy charged us with a new mission: Make it bigger. Make it better. With Xavier looking down on us from Heaven, we intend on doing just that.
While Xavier sat in his hospital bed, his mother reached out to our dorm. She told us how brave X was — as if we expected anything different. He took every treatment with a smile, never lost his sense of fight and became a source of comfort and courage to those who watched him suffer. In his mother's words, "Xavier has reminded me to not only be humble and to accept my weaknesses, but that I also have the strength to help him bear his cross." In his moment of suffering, X walked as Christ. Nothing in this world could make you more of a Notre Dame man. Please honor his memory and raise an X for X.
Yours in Notre Dame,
Charlie Harig
senior
Zahm House
Oct. 26
Daniel Duffey
senior
Zahm House
Oct. 26
Luke Lennon
senior
off-campus
Oct. 26
