Timothy Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics, delivers the commencement address at Jesuit-run Fairfield University in Connecticut May 18, 2025. Shriver is the recipient of the 2026 Laetare medal, a prestigious honor given by the University of Notre Dame to American Catholics. (OSV News photo/Fairfield University) The University of Notre Dame is awarding the prestigious Laetare medal, an honor reserved exclusively for American Catholics, to Timothy Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics.