SPRING 2015
UNIVERSITY CONSECRATED ON FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION
also inside: $1 Million Gift Launches New Nursing Program
LOU HOLTZ keynotes AMU Scholarship Dinner, see page 36
Contents 03 Message from the President 04 News 08 Faculty 26 Athletics Roundup 28 Campus Community 32 University Digest 36 Scholarship Dinner Recap 40 Class Notes
12 COVER STORY: UNIVERSITY CONSECRATED ON FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION
Bishop Frank Dewane formally consecrated Ave Maria University to Jesus through Mary on the Feast of the Annunciation, the University’s patronal feast.
16 NURSING, REDEFINED
Find out how Ave Maria University’s newest major will help transform healthcare.
18 A LIFE OF SERVICE
From traveling with students on mission trips to participating in University events, Mary Towey plays an important role in the Ave Maria University community.
20 CLASSICS: A LIVING TRADITION
Dr. Andrew Dinan, professor of Classics and Early Christian Literature at AMU, bridges the gap between classical tradition and early American history.
24 IN DRAMATIC FASHION
AMU’s student-run drama club shone in their recent performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.
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SPRING 2015 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1
PRESIDENT JIM TOWEY EDITORS COLIN VOREIS TAYLOR PELISKA CONTRIBUTORS VICTORIA ANTRAM BRIETTA HAYNES KEVIN JOYCE DR. PATRICK KELLY STACY LAFFERE NATALIE PELISKA PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID ALBERS CHRIS DECLEENE THOMAS GREENFIELD SANTIAGO LOZANO JEREMIAH RAPPLEY TONY ZOLLO DESIGN REVEL ADVERTISING Ave Maria University Magazine is published by Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, Florida for alumni, parents and friends. Third class postage paid at Ave Maria, Florida. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Alumni Office, Ave Maria University, 5050 Ave Maria Blvd., Ave Maria, FL 34142. Ave Maria University subscribes to a policy of equal opportunity and does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability in any of its programs, admission or employment decisions.
Current and prospective students prepare s’mores at a preview weekend bonfire in January.
ON THE COVER BISHOP FRANK DEWANE LEADS THE UNIVERSITY IN A PRAYER OF CONSECRATION TO JESUS THROUGH MARY PRIOR TO THE ANNUAL ANNUNCIATION FESTIVAL. PHOTO BY DAVID ALBERS
Letter from President Towey
O
n the feast of the Annunciation of Mary, our patroness, Ave Maria University had its second “ground-breaking” President Towey and AMU sophomore Mary Kathryn Lee share a laugh at the 2015 Scholarship Dinner.
many years from now when we look back on the events that the cover story relates, we may begin to appreciate the significance of this public act of devotion. This edition of the magazine brings more good news: the official approval of our new nursing program (thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor family whose recognition will come in heaven); another sensational scholarship dinner that raised more than $600,000 for our students; a series of faculty insights and achievements that burnish our reputation in academia; and much, much more. Well, I am a bit biased here, but the article on my beautiful wife, Mary, who is celebrating her 50th birthday this month, is also a must-read! But don’t tell her I mentioned her age, ok?
Please enjoy this edition of our magazine and keep us in your holy prayers. The Lord is doing great things on our campus. May we take to heart the words the Blessed Mother heard from the angel Gabriel at the Annunciation, “Nothing is impossible with God.”
Kind regards, Jim Towey Ave Maria University President
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ceremony. You may ask, “How is it possible to have two ground-breakings?” My answer is simple: Our first ground-breaking, when Founder Tom Monaghan and then-Governor Jeb Bush took shovels and dug into the rich soil, initiated the construction of our magnificent campus and gave flesh to Tom’s vision for a new Catholic liberal arts college in Southwest Florida. But when Bishop Frank Dewane led Tom and the multitudes of students, faculty, staff, trustees and friends of Ave Maria in a prayer of consecration of the University to Jesus through Mary, a new dawn began. It was a ground-breaking in the spiritual order. With getting the facilities built, the faculty assembled, the various components of the institution operating, and the student body enrollment to 1,000 behind us, the University community was ready to be presented into Our Lady’s hands in a new, emphatic way. Many,
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AMUNEWS
Dr. Arthur Brooks speaks at AMU’s 2013 Academic Convocation.
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AMU TRUSTEE ARTHUR BROOKS TO ADDRESS CLASS OF 2015
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Dr. Arthur Brooks will be the commencement speaker this May at Ave Maria University’s graduation ceremony. “Arthur Brooks will delight our graduates and their families. His friendships with billionaire CEO’s, the “who’swho” of U.S. politicians, and spiritual leaders like the Dalai Lama have not deterred him from advocating for the poor
of the world and their quest for opportunity,” AMU President Jim Towey said. “We are very fortunate to have him.” The University will confer an honorary doctorate on Dr. Brooks in recognition of his exemplary achievements as a Catholic intellectual within academia, as well as his contributions to public
policy development. Dr. Brooks currently serves as the president of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a public policy think tank in Washington, D.C. He also holds an appointment as the Beth and Ravenel Curry Scholar in Free Enterprise. Immediately prior to joining AEI, he was the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business
and Government at Syracuse University. Brooks is also a monthly columnist for The New York Times. “Dr. Brooks’ remarks will be an inspiration to our students,” Towey said. “He is at his best when he is surrounded by young people like our Ave graduates, who sincerely seek the truth and want to place their faith into the service
of causes greater than themselves.” Brooks joins other high-profile commencement speakers who have addressed AMU graduates. Last year’s graduates were inspired by Librarian of Congress James Hadley Billington, who was honored with an honorary doctorate during commencement exercises.
D I D Y O U K N O W ? AT T H E A G E O F 1 9 , D R . B R O O K S B E C A M E A P R O F E S S I O N A L F R E N C H H O R N I S T
Recently re-elected Florida Governor Rick Scott was AMU’s commencement speaker in 2013. This winter, President Jim Towey was the keynote speaker at Governor Scott’s Inauguration Prayer Breakfast. The event
took place at the Florida A&M University Gaither Center in Tallahassee. Following the address, President Towey joined Governor Scott on the dais at his swearing-in ceremony, which was held on the steps of The Old Capitol.
Florida’s 43rd governor and 2012 honorary AMU alumus Jeb Bush has also been in the news as of late. Governor Bush is noted as “actively exploring” a 2016 run to become President of the United States.
quoted “This prayer breakfast honors democracy’s high ideal of self-governance. We place our hope in God, not government. The wisdom of our founders, in crafting the delicately balanced First Amendment that prevents the establishment of religion and protects the free exercise of religion, came from what Franklin called “superintending providence.” This balance allows people of diverse faiths or no faith at all to live in harmony, with mutual respect; and it allows the government to resist a drift toward either a theocracy or another form of state-imposed religion: a secularism which denies Divine Providence and moral truth.” – President Jim Towey at Governor Rick Scott’s Inaugural Prayer Breakfast
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UPDATE: AMU’S RECENT COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS IN THE NEWS
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AMUNEWS BISHOP KEVIN RHOADES SPEAKS TO DONORS AT ANNUAL PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL MEETING AMU Trustee, Bishop Kevin Rhoades, addressed the President’s Council during the group’s annual retreat, which took place on Thursday, February 19 before the 4th Annual Ave Maria University Scholarship Dinner. During the luncheon meeting, Bishop Rhoades shared his perspective on “The State of Catholic Higher Education in America.”
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Bishop Kevin Rhoades speaks to AMU President’s Council members.
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Recently the Bishop joined Pope Francis in celebrating Mass in the chapel at the Pope’s residence at the Vatican in Rome. He traveled to Rome at the end of last year with a group from Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, who were scheduled to present the report “Voices of Young Catholic Women” to the Pope. Bishop Rhoades was appointed the Ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne – South Bend on November 14, 2009, by Pope Benedict XVI, and installed on January 13, 2010, in the Cathedral of the Immac-
ulate Conception in Fort Wayne. Bishop Rhoades serves as a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth. He also serves as a consultant to the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities and is the Chair of the Board of Directors of Our Sunday Visitor. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees at Ave Maria University, he also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Episcopal Advisory Board of the Theology of the Body Institute, the Bishops’ Advisory Council of the Institute for Priestly Formation, the Advisory Board of the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors, the Advisory Board of the Augustine Institute and the Episcopal Advisory Board of the Catholic Leadership Institute.
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Ave Maria is clear in affirming that it is ‘dedicated to the formation of joyful, intentional followers of Jesus Christ through Word and Sacrament, scholarship and service…’. It professes its faithfulness to the magisterium of the Catholic Church. It also recognizes the indispensable role of the local bishop. Ave Maria is really quite unique in these explicit affirmations of these aspects of Catholic identity.” —Bishop Rhoades at AMU’s 2015 President’s Council Meeting
Bishop Rhoades meets with Pope Francis during a recent visit to Rome.
FOUNDER’S CORNER
MY TIME WITH TOM BY BRIETTA HAYNES (‘17)
were excited and honored to share our experiences at Ave Maria with the high school students. After our MY TIME WITH TOM MONAGHAN WAS A SPECIAL, humbling experience, and brief speeches, we met separately with students. one that I will treasure forever. I am a sophomore at Ave Maria University, As I was talking to prospective students, I noticed where I am privileged to be a student-athlete on the cheerleading team. In a man playing hacky sack with some of the students December, a teammate, our coach Susan Moore, and I went on a trip to Ann on the other side of the room. It took me a moment Arbor to recruit high school students for the team and to speak to students to realize it was Mr. Monaghan. The act struck me as interested in attending Ave Maria. something so simple, yet We departed sunny Southwest Florida with our something that spoke to winter clothes packed and our cheerleading spirits his desire to engage future high. Upon arriving in Michigan, we went straight generations. to Mr. Monaghan’s famous “Tar Paper Shack,” Eventually, I met Mr. where we were welcomed with warm hospitality Monaghan, which of by his assistant, Jeff Randolph. It was so generous course was my favorof Mr. Monaghan to let us stay there, and we took ite part of the trip. We full advantage of the privilege by taking numerous snapped a quick picture Brietta Haynes (second from pictures and enjoying the overall serenity of the right) with the AMU cheerleading (which is now framed in squad during a men’s basketball Shack. my dorm), thanked him, game in January. The next morning we attended a beautiful Mass and enjoyed the rest of in the Ave Maria chapel at Domino’s Farms. As we the night talking with the toured Domino’s Farms after Mass, I learned more about Mr. Monaghan and high school students. My time with Mr. Monaghan his journey through life. I grew more excited to meet the man who founded was very humbling. When someone’s goal is to Ave Maria University. bring as many souls to heaven as possible, how can We then traveled to Mr. Monaghan’s home, where he was hosting Winterone not be impressed by his leadership, generosity, fest, an event for Michigan high school students interested in attending Ave and warmth? It was the trip of a lifetime, someMaria. After a performance by a professional ice skater, the ice was opened thing that I will always remember. I am but one of up for everyone to skate. There was unlimited hot cocoa and ice cream, and thousands, perhaps millions, whose lives have been many games. When the time came for Coach Moore, Jill and me to speak, we touched by Mr. Monaghan.
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Senior Jill Riordan (left) and sophomore Brietta Haynes (right) visited AMU founder and chancellor Tom Monaghan (middle) in Michigan to help recruit students.
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AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY
Faculty Scholarly Publications, Presentations, Performances, and Honors 2014 Listed below are those faculty members who published peer-reviewed articles, books, chapters of books, edited works, presented papers at academic conferences, gave invited lectures in academic settings, gave musical performances, or received special academic honors or fellowships during the 2014 calendar year. Lectures given on campus, works in progress or in press, non-peerreviewed publications, consulting work, or attendance at meetings are not included.
of Essay in Montaigne’s Essays.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of Association of Core Texts and Courses, Los Angeles, CA, April 2014. COLLOQUIUM PARTICIPANT: “Liberty, Separation of Powers, and Government by Bureaucracy.” Liberty Fund Colloquium, Emigrant, Montana, October 2014.
DR. TRAVIS CURTRIGHT, Associate Professor of Humanities and Literature
Meeting, Washington, DC, August 2014.
Grant: Grant from the Earhart
ARTICLE: “Thomas More’s Uses of Humor,” LOGOS: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture 17:1 (Winter, 2014): 13-35.
DAYAMÍ ABELLA,
“Catholic Conscience and Papal Authority in American History.” American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, August 2014.
PRESENTED PAPERS: “La presencia
INVITED LECTURES: “The First
hispana y el español de los Estados Unidos: unidad en la diversidad”, Primer Congreso de la Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., June 6-8, 2014.
Amendment in Catholic Historical Context.” Law and Religion Colloquium, Villanova University Law School, Villanova, PA, April 2014.
Instructor of Spanish
“En el bicentenario de Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda: legados de creación femenina”, XXIV Congreso anual de la AILCFH, Hotel Nacional, La Habana, Cuba, November 10, 2014.
DR. PAUL BAXA, Associate Professor of History
BOOK REVIEW: Review of Everyday
Life in Fascist Venice, 19291940 by Kate Ferris, The Journal of Modern Italian Studies 19 (3) 2014.
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DR. MICHAEL BREIDENBACH,
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Visiting Assistant Professor of History ARTICLE: “Aquinas on Tyranny, Resistance, and the End of Politics,” Perspectives on Political Science 44, no. 1 (2015): 10-17. (Appeared in late 2014.)
“The Historical Origins of John F. Kennedy’s Catholicism,” James Madison Program, Department of Politics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, February 2014. “Conciliarism and Early American Catholicism.” James Madison Program, Department of Politics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, February 2014.
DR. JOSEPH BURKE, Associate Professor of Economics
ARTICLE: “The Scholastic Analysis of ZIRP: Justice and the Zero Interest Rate Policy,” Journal of Markets and Morality, 17(1), 2014.
Catholics in Early America.” American Political Science Association Annual
PERFORMANCE: Directed William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, or What You Will, Ave Maria University, April 16-27, 2014. PERFORMANCE: invited participant
to “Finding Signals for Performance in a Shakespeare Text,” Shakespeare Association of America Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, April 9-12, 2014. PRESENTED PAPER: “From Thomas
More’s Workshop: De Tristitia Christi and the Catena Aurea” for The Thomas More Center of Studies, “The Theology of More’s Tower’s Works,” at the University of Dallas, Nov. 7-8, 2014.
DR. DAVID DALIN,
Professor of Politics
CHAPTER IN A BOOK: “Jews, Judaism,
and the American Founding,” in Faith and the Founders fo the American Republic. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. REVIEW: “Present at the
DR. JOHN COLMAN, Associate
Professor of Politics
ARTICLE: “Philosophy and the PRESENTED PAPERS: “Anti-Papist
Foundation.
City in Plutarch’s Life of Numa.” Perspectives on Political Science (2014). PRESENTED PAPER: “On the Meaning
Creation.” Review of Menachem Begin: The Battle for Israel’s Soul, by Daniel Gordis, National Review, 2014.03.24.
DR. BARRY DAVID, Associate Professor of Philosophy
A New Look at Natural Law.” In Searching for a Universal Ethic ed. John Berkman & William C. Mattison III (Grand Rapids Michigan: Eerdmans: 2014) pp. 261271. ARTICLE: “Theophany: The Neoplatonic Philosophy of Dionysius the Areopagite.” International Philosophical Quarterly, May 2014.
DR. KEITH HOUDE, Associate Professor of Psychology INVITED ARTICLE: “The Mystery
of Persons: Catholic Foundations for a Psychology of Persons within the Thought of Karol Wojtyla/Pope John Paul II.” Christian Psychology Around the World (EMCAPP Journal), 5, 43-61 (2014).
DR. DEANA BASILE KELLY,
Instructor of Italian and Literature PRESENTED PAPER: “Women and
Dialogue in Dante’s Divine Comedy.” New College Conference on Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Sarasota, FL, March 2014.
DR. PATRICK KELLY, Associate Professor of Physics
BOOKS: Elements of
Mechanics. Florida: CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group: 2014. Principles of Materials. Florida: CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group: 2014. Electricity and Magnetism. Florida: CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group: 2014.
FR. MATTHEW LAMB, Adam
Cardinal Maida Professor of Theology
PRESENTED PAPER: “The Thomism
of St. John Paul II: Why St. Thomas Aquinas is a Teacher for Humanity”, St. Thomas University, Houston, October 19, 2014.
DR. STEVEN LONG,
INVITED LECTURE: “The Teleological
Grammar of the Created Order in Catholic Moral Discourse.” St. Paul School of Divinity Center for Theological Formation, 2014. INVITED RESPONSE: “Causality and Chance: A Response to Fr. Michael Dodds.” Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” Berkeley, CA, July 16-20, 2014.
DR. TIMOTHY MCDONNELL,
Assistant Professor of Music ORIGINAL COMPOSITION: Domine,
ad adiuvandum. World Premier: December 8, 2014. Et incarnatus est, for chorus. Pennsylvania Premier: August 15, 2014. PERFORMANCE: Conducted Vivaldi’s Gloria and M. Haydn’s Requiem in C-minor, Sanibel & Fort Myers, FL, February 4 & 9, 2014.
Conducted Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Ave Maria & Naples, FL, March 26 & 30, 2014. Prepared Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, “The Choral” for the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, Artis, Naples, FL, April 1012, 2014. Conducted Haydn’s Nelson-Messe (Feast of the Assumption), Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul, Philadelphia, PA, August 15, 2014. FELLOWSHIP: Granted by the
Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, June 2014.
Professor of Theology
AWARDS: Third prize in the
CHAPTER IN A BOOK: “Teleology,
American Prize for Choral Conducting (University Division).
Divine Governance, and the Common Good— Thoughts on the ITC’s The Search for Universal Ethics:
Adjunct Professor of Philosophy
INVITED LECTURE: “Moral Courage
in Medicine.” Annual Conference of the Catholic Medical Association, Orlando, FL, September, 2014.
DR. ROGER NUTT, Associate
Professor of Theology
ARTICLES: “Gaudium et Spes and the Indissolubility of the Sacrament of Matrimony: The Contribution of Cardinal Journet,” Nova et Vetera, English Edition, 11 (3) (2013): 619–26. (published in 2014)
“On Analogy, the Incarnation, and the Sacraments of the Church: Considerations from the Tertia pars of the Summa theologiae,” Nova et Vetera, English Edition, 12 (3) (2014): 989–1004. CHAPTER IN A BOOK: “Christ’s Esse
and Filiation: Interpreting St. Thomas on the Metaphysical Status of Christ’s Human Nature,” in Redeeming Philosophy: From Metaphysics to Aesthetics. Edited by John J. Conley. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2014, 115–29.
Catholic University of Louvain, Louveain-laNeuve, Belgium, December 19-21, 2014. REVIEWS: Review of Aristotle’s
Modal Syllogistic, by M. Malink, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2014.03.04. Review of The Reception of Aristotle’s Ethics, by J. Miller, Ethics, 124 (3), April 2014.
DR. MICHAEL RAIGER,
Assistant Professor of Literature
ARTICLE: “Coleridge, Hopkins,
and the Unity of Beings.” The Coleridge Bulletin 44 NS (2014): 1-13. PRESENTED PAPERS: “Coleridge,
Hopkins, and the Unity of Beings.” The Fourteenth Coleridge Summer Conference. Bridgwater College, Cannington, England, July 28-August 1, 2014. “Desire and the True Poet: Blake’s Revisioning of Satan in Milton’s Paradise Lost.” The Forty-Third Wordsworth Summer Conference. Rydall Hall, Rydal, Ambleside, Cumbria, England. August 1-14, 2014.
DR. RICARDO RODRIGUEZ,
PRESENTATIONS: With T. E. Smith,
“Vertical Distribution of Sulfur within the Calcareous Algal Mats from the Florida Everglades.” Florida Academy of Science, 2014. With T. E. Smith, “Determination of Phosphorus and Nitrogen Concentrations in Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest, Western Florida Everglades.” Florida Academy of Science, 2014.
DR. THOMAS SCHECK,
Associate Professor of Theology ARTICLE: Review Essay of A.J. Brown (ed.), Opera Omnia Desiderii Erasmi, VI-4 NOvum Testamentum ab Erasmo Recognitum, IV Epistolae Apostolicae et Apocalypsis Iohannis (Leiden: Brill, 2013). Erasmus Studies 34.1 (2014), 59-62.
DR. THOMAS SMITH,
Associate Professor of Biology
ARTICLE: With T. Annang, R.
Yirenya-Tawiah, G. Clerk, “Aspects of the Ecology of Freshwater Algae in the Densu River and Two Tributaries in Southern Ghana.” International Journal of Environment. 3 (2): 246-257 (2014).
Assistant Professor of Physics
PRESENTATIONS: With L. Sallai,
PRESENTED PAPER: “Enhanced Jet
PERFORMANCE: Conducted Lessons
Quenching in Strongly Interacting Quark Gluon Plasma.” Center for Nuclear Matter Science (NMS) Huada School on QCD 2014, “Third Summer School on Frontiers of Theoretical Physics: States of Nuclear Matter under High Temperature and Density.” Central China Normal University, June 2014.
“Vertical Distribution of Sulfur within the Calcareous Algal Mats from the Florida Everglades.” Florida Academy of Science, 2014.
and Carols for Advent, Ave Maria & Naples, FL, December 5 & 8, 2014.
DR. MICHAEL PAKALUK, Professor of Philosophy
INVITED LECTURES: “A Glance at the
Face of God.” Conference on “Roger Scruton on the Sacred”, McGill University, Montreal, April 12-13, 2014. “The Declaration of Independence as a Paradigm of Appeals to Natural Law.” Wilson Seminar on Jurisprudence and Natural Law, Washington, DC, May 3, 2014. “The Significance of the Kalon in Aristotle’s Ethics.” Aristotle Workshop,
DR. LYLAS ROMMEL, Associate
With L. Sallai, “Determination of Phosphorus and Nitrogen Concentrations in Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest, Western Florida Everglades.” Florida Academy of Science, 2014.
Professor of Literature.
JOURNAL EDITOR: Reviewed 14
AWARD: National Endowment
articles as an Editor for the International Journal of Algae.
for the Humanities, Seminar on “World War I and the Arts,” Summer 2014.
DR. LADISLAV SALLAI,
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
DR. SEANA SUGRUE,
Associate Professor of Politics PRESENTED PAPER: “Property:
Deserving of Fundamental Right Status.” Southern Political Science Association Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA, January 11, 2014.
DR. JOSEPH TRABBIC, Associate
Professor of Philosophy
INVITED LECTURE: “Heidegger on
REBECCA OSTERMANN, Lecturer in Music
Princeton University, NJ, June 2014.
DR. MICHAEL SUGRUE,
Professor of History
INVITED LECTURES: “World History.”
Medina Judges Seminar,
Faith and Philosophy in the Introduction to Metaphysics,” Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” Berkeley, CA, July 16-20, 2014.
DR. SUSAN TREACY, Professor of Music
CHAPTER IN A BOOK: “Joseph Bonnet
as a Catalyst in the Early Twentieth-Century Gregorian Chant Revival. In Mystic Modern: The Music, Thought, and Legacy of Charles Tournemire, ed. Jennifer Donelson and Stephen Schloesser. (Richmond, VA: Church Music Association of America, 2014), pp. 11-21. INVITED LECTURES: “Should Women
Sing in Choirs and Scholæ?: The Early Twentieth-Century Controversy over Women’s Role in Liturgical Music.” Presented on 3 July at the Church Music Association of America Colloquium XXIV, 30 June-6 July 2014, at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana. “Holy Mass: A Beautiful Sum of Many Parts.” Presented on 1 July at the Church Music Association of America Colloquium XXIV, 30 June-6 July 2014, at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel, Indianapolis, Indiana. PERFORMANCES: Directed the Women’s Schola Gregoriana in the Gregorian chants for a
Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart, at the opening Mass of the annual conference of the Catholic Medical Association, Orlando, FL, September 25, 2014. The celebrant of the Mass was His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke. Directed the Women’s Schola Gregoriana in “A Gregorian Chant Celebration of Feasts and Seasons,” a concert of Gregorian chant, at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church, Bonita Springs, November 16, 2014.
DR. GREGORY VALL, Professor of Theology
INVITED LECTURE: “Yahweh’s
Repentance and the Immutability of the Divine Will,” Thomistic Circles Colloquium, Dominican House of Studies, Washington, DC, March 13, 2014.
ANTHONY VALLE, Adjunct Professor of Theology
AWARD: Academic Fellowship.
Fondazione Vaticana Joseph Ratzinger— Benedetto XVI. 2014. COLLOQUIUM PARTICIPANT: Annual Academic Symposium. Neuer Schülerkreis Joseph Ratzinger—Papst Benedikt XVI. Vatican City: August 2014.
DR. MICHAEL WALDSTEIN,
Professor of Theology
INVITED LECTURES: “John Paul II’s
Theology of the Body and Art.” Lecture presented to the University of Eichstätt, Germany, 2014. “John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and Medicine.” Lecture presented to the University of Creighton Medical School, 2014.
ave ma r ia maga z i ne | ave ma r ia.edu
FR. ROBERT MCTEIGUE, S.J.,
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FROM THE CLASSROOM OF DR. PATRICK KELLY
Ave Maria University physicist
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The Advanced Laboratory is the capstone for the entire Physics Program at AMU. Students use the laboratory to measure several fundamental constants of nature, such as the speed of light, c, the quantum of electric charge, e, the mass of an electron, m_e, Planck’s h, the G appearing in Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, and more. Students in this class have encountered all of these parameters in theoretical models developed in earlier courses. Here, they measure these universal constants themselves. The apparatus shown is used to determine the charge-to-mass-ratio of the electron. Recent tests were in spectacular agreement with the value accepted by the broader physics community.
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Each of the first three courses includes a laboratory component intended to present scientific experimentation as a subject in its own right. Students plan experiments, make measurements, and analyse the data that they acquire with great attention to “experimental error,” i.e., how precise the measurements are, and how this affects what is calculated. Labs also allow students to corroborate (or falsify!) models presented and discussed in lecture. The very low friction environment afforded by these sets of cars and tracks pictured enables the direct experience and quantitative analysis of various aspects of particle motion.
Kelly is also the author of the textbooks for the first three University Physics courses: Mechanics, Materials, and Electricity & Magnetism. While they were written for AMU students, they provide a rich exposition of introductory classical physics for those studying Natural Science and Engineering disciplines anywhere. For information about the Physics program at Ave Maria University, please visit us at www. avemaria.edu/physics
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Ave Maria University physicist, Dr. Kelly, in his native habitat: The Saint Michael the Archangel Physics Laboratory.
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Rejoice! University Consecrated on Feast of the Annunciation
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ith Bishop Frank Dewane presiding and a standing-room only crowd assembled, Ave Maria University was formally consecrated to Jesus through Mary. In August the Board of Trustees of the University had passed a resolution asking Bishop Dewane to consecrate Ave Maria to the Immaculate Heart and the celebration on the feast of the Annunciation was the fulfillment of the governing board’s request. “What a great day for Ave Maria! I couldn’t be more proud,” said Tom Monaghan, founder of the University. “It was moving to see so many young people publicly profess their Marian devotion. They are the Church’s future.” President Jim Towey recognized the sublime significance of what took place on the University’s patronal feast. “Today is Ave Maria continued on page 14
The Feast of the Annunciation Mass.
AMU students perform on stage for the Annunciation Festival guests.
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Siblings John (freshman) and Sara (sophomore) Geiger enjoy the Annunciation festivities.
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University’s second ground-breaking. Our future is now firmly secured as Our Lady’s University,” he said. “I can’t wait to see what will happen through her intercession.” The Annunciation Mass and ceremony followed a year-long period of preparation for hundreds of Ave Maria University students, faculty and staff. Many used Fr. Michael Gaitley’s “33 Days to Morning Glory” collection of meditations as a guide. Free copies of Fr. Gaitley’s book were made available to students, faculty and administrators, and 400 copies were distributed. Some students who had made their personal consecration on the Feast
of Our Lady of Guadalupe in December renewed their vows, while others stepped forward for the first time to profess their devotion to the Mother of God. “Having the University consecrated reminds me that I am in the right place, and that I can trust in our Lady,” said junior Christine Marie Angeles. “The Feast of the Annunciation is always one of the most beautiful days on campus, and truly shows what Ave Maria University stands for.” George De Los Reyes, a sophomore majoring in Economics and Theology, agreed. “With this year’s renewal of my consecration, I was really able to connect with Mary by reading Fr. Gaitley’s book,” said De Los Reyes. The gathering after Mass beneath the marvelous Annunciation sculpture took place exactly four years after the unveiling of the 31-foot tall, 50-ton marble masterpiece. Chairman of the Board of Trustees Michael Timmis paid tribute to Gene and Sheelah Windfeldt and their son, Michael, for providing the financial resources for the sculpture. The Windfeldt family was in attendance and joined Bishop Dewane, pastor of the parish Fr. Corey Mayer, and numerous Ave Maria trustees on the platform for this historic event. A plaque recounting the history of the sculpture and honoring the Windfeldt family is now on permanent display in front of the Oratory.
Mary Towey (left) and AMU Founder Tom Monaghan (right) share a smile after the Ave Maria University community serenaded Mr. Monaghan with a “Happy Birthday.”
(From L to R) Briana Edwards, Rachael Wisely, and Paula Shute celebrate Rachael’s 19th birthday at the Annunciation festival.
Bishop Dewane (second from right) and President Towey (far right) join the Windfeldt family by the plaque recognizing the Windfeldts’ generous donation for the Annunciation Sculpture.
Bishop Frank Dewane rubs elbows with AMU students during the Feast of the Annunciation Festival.
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The fact that the Annunciation celebration took place on Tom Monaghan’s birthday made the event even more meaningful. He and three students who share the same March 25th birthday – Caitlin Bostrom, Kellen Creech, and Rachael Wisely – were serenaded by the crowd at the close of the proceedings. “I had a great birthday! I am sure we will see many graces that will follow as Mary leads Ave Maria University to her Son,” said AMU freshman Caitlin Bostrom. Following the ceremony, approximately 1,500 members of the Ave Maria University community and town gathered for a steak cookout and live music. This new tradition, now in its third year, depends upon the cooperation of Mother Nature, and once again, there was not a cloud in the sky. The bright blue sky that formed a canopy over the event seemed to be a gift from heaven and made the festival and the entire day’s celebration one to remember.
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NURSING, REDEFINED
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How AMU’s Newest Major Can Help Transform Healthcare BY TAYLOR PELISKA
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n the first day of the fall semester at Ave Maria University, 25 AMU students will take their first steps towards becoming the University’s first nursing graduates. “Ave Maria is reaching yet another milestone with the installation of the new nursing major this coming year,” says Ave Maria University president, Jim Towey. “The University is proud to be the first four-year nursing program offered in our area, but more importantly, proud to be
producing graduates who will take their Catholic liberal arts training and strong ethical and moral values, and place them in the service of the healing profession.” The nursing major at AMU came about through hard work and careful planning. A wing of the Canizaro Library at Ave Maria was renovated into a nursing annex equipped with laboratory facilities, mannequins, beds, and other handson instructional equipment. Nursing Program Director, Dr. Denise McNulty, was hired to develop course curricula and manage the program. The major was approved by the AMU Board of Trustees in
late 2013, and then officially certified by both the State of Florida Board of Nursing and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), in December 2014. With that official recognition, AMU’s launch of the nursing major was undertaken. All of this was made possible by an anonymous donation of $1 million to start a nursing program. “Ave Maria is indebted to the family that made the nursing major possible,” Towey said. The addition of the new major brings AMU’s total number of majors to 30.
NURSING TIMELINE
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree at Ave Maria will follow a typical format for any undergraduate nursing program. Students will spend their first two years at AMU studying general education courses and pre-nursing requirements, and then spend their last two years focused almost entirely on nursing-specific coursework. While completing their coursework and on-campus laboratory practice, students in the nursing major will be required to conduct clinical rotations. There are over ninety clinical agencies in the Southwest Florida region alone, and these clinics are where AMU’s nursing students will gain the hands-on experience to supplement their classroom work. “The clinical requirements are essential for students to be able to apply knowledge learned to actual clinical practice,” explains Dr. Denise McNulty, the program’s director. “Early on, students will experience what it is like to work in the nursing field. The program will prepare students for the Registered Nurse (RN) licensure exam. Once they pass the exam, the graduates will be eligible to work as RNs,” she added. Originally from Pennsylvania, McNulty has been serving in the medical field in Florida for 14 years. Her expertise and connections were instrumental in designing both the physical nursing space on campus and in developing the technical aspects of the nursing curriculum. Ave Maria Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, Dr. Michael Dauphinais, worked with McNulty in
AUG. 2013
AMU Ad Hoc Committee on Nursing submits proposal for a nursing major to the AMU Academic Affairs Committee
NOV. 2013
AMU’s nursing program will be limited to 25 students in its first year, with plans for expansion in the near future. In order to be admitted into the program, students must meet GPA standards, submit a written proposal, and undergo an interview. After their first two years at Ave Maria, students can choose to transfer to related degrees such as biology, biochemistry, and exercise science. developing the curriculum. “Nursing at AMU is centered on developing students in both the clinical and ethical aspects of providing healthcare,” Dauphinais says. “Along with the courses they will take as part of their major, Ave Maria’s nursing students will have the benefit of taking classes in the University’s core curriculum. Helping students to engage their future profession from a Catholic perspective is a central aspect of the nursing program here at AMU.” The nursing major at Ave Maria is already drawing students who are looking for a program rooted in Catholic tradition. “I transferred to Ave Maria from a
NOV. 2013
University faculty members unanimously vote in favor of nursing program
AMU Academic Affairs Committee approves proposal for nursing major and presents faculty members with proposal
DEC. 2013
AMU’s Board of Trustees approves the proposal for the nursing program
large state school,” says AMU sophomore Kendall Parker. “I was in their nursing program and found that the values I was encountering in my classes were not in line with my Catholic faith. I wanted to get involved with a program that would not just help teach me to be a nurse, but a Catholic nurse.” An aspect of nursing that is often lost in many contemporary nursing programs is the realization that healthcare is more than simply caring for the body. When a nurse treats a patient’s physical ailment he or she is not only administering medications or taking blood pressure, but is also affirming the human dignity of that individual. The patient is more than simply a body to be treated, but rather a person in need of compassion. Future AMU nurses like Parker will work in emergency rooms, delivery rooms, hospices and hospital administration. Graduates of Ave Maria’s nursing program will be able to perform their jobs with Christ-minded compassion and kindness. Founder Tom Monaghan expressed his joy at the development of the nursing major. “The addition of nursing to AMU’s offerings is yet another step toward the vision of having a strong liberal arts university which offers students the opportunity to obtain degrees in majors that will prepare them to be leaders in the Church and society. As our graduates embrace the inherent dignity of the human person from conception to natural death, they cannot help but be witnesses to those they care for and work with.”
JULY 2014
Anonymous donation of $1 million received for nursing program
AUG. 2015
Nursing curriculum implemented, courses begin
NOV. 2014
AMU officially announces nursing
APRIL 2014
AMU applies for approval of nursing program with state and regional accreditation agencies
NOV. 2014
The Florida Board of Nursing approves AMU’s nursing program
DEC. 2014
SACSCOC approves AMU’s nursing program
AUG. 2016 Clinicals begin
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A LIFE OF SERVICE Mary Towey’s Important Role at AMU
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Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of having a conversation with Mary Towey, wife of AMU President Jim Towey, will have noticed that the last thing she wants to talk about is herself. She answers questions quickly, then seamlessly shifts the focus to someone else. This would surprise no one who knows her, for Mary Towey lives much of her life thinking of others before herself. When she is not busy with her five children, she is likely to be found leading a weekly rosary group on campus, participating in University events, entertaining donors, or traveling on mission trips with students to the homes of the Missionaries of Charity. And she still finds time to coach the 5th and 6th grade basketball team at the Donahue Academy of Ave Maria. The Towey family, which includes Ave Maria University president Jim Towey, Mary, and their five children, James, Joseph, Maximilian, John, and Marie, moved to Ave Maria in 2011. “In late 2010 my husband was asked
BY TAYLOR PELISKA
if he was interested in coming to Ave Maria University.” Mary remembers. “I was barely on the campus for 5 minutes when I began to be drawn in. Then I met the Timmis family, and my favorable impression of Ave Maria was confirmed with an exclamation mark. Jim came on board two months later, and the rest of us moved here from Maryland after the conclusion of the school year.” Mary immediately became a noticeable presence in the university community, laughing and talking with students at campus gatherings. She soon became involved with AMU’s new missionary outreach programs. The Mother Teresa Project at Ave Maria University is one such program. The initiative, begun in January 2014 by the University, reaches out to those who suffer, and advances the New Evangelization of the 21st century. As part of a service-learning program, Ave Maria students travel the world on mission trips to be God’s love in action through service to the poor, inspired by the life and works
of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The program is near and dear to Mary’s heart. “In the classroom, students learn about God’s love for us, and mission trips go hand in hand with that. It gives students an outlet for expressing God’s love to others,” she explains. Last year she traveled to Haiti, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic with students, and will be serving at mission houses in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic this spring. “The University is blessed to have Mary going on the mission trips,” says Jim Towey. “As a mother, she is great with the students. She embodies what the Mother Teresa Project is about: forming joyful, intentional followers of Jesus Christ. Her presence on the trips is invaluable.” Mission trips played an important part in the formation of Mary’s own faith, and she considers it a blessing to work with students towards the same goal of becoming engaged, active Catholics. “It was during my first mission trip as
nizing events, and leading prayer groups would be a full-time job for most people, let alone a mother of five. But Mary wouldn’t change a thing. “All the love and sacrifices you make for your kids and the AMU students are worth it. In the end, you probably will only wish you had loved more and better.” Since her arrival at Ave Maria, Mary has impacted the lives of many people. “I smile when I think of Mary Towey,” Chairman of Ave Maria University’s Board of Trustees, Michael Timmis commented. “I will never forget seeing her biking through campus at high speed, ‘no-handed’. Her cheerfulness, joie de vivre, and love for people is a gift to the AMU community.” For Mary Towey, life is about finding God in others. Be it through raising a family, in her work throughout the Ave Maria community, or in the mission trips she takes with AMU students, Mary views the people around her as a blessing. “The Ave Maria community is such a great gift to me,” she says. “There are so many people to love here.”
Above, Mary in Haiti at the Missionaries of Charity house. Below, AMU students visit with Mary before departing for Calcutta in May of 2014.
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a college sophomore that I truly encountered Jesus. Passing that experience on to students has been a great joy in my life,” Mary recalls. “It’s amazing traveling with the students on these trips because they are so open and accepting to God’s presence in the poorest of the poor. Being around others that have the joy of the Lord is contagious.” AMU sophomore Victoria Antram and a group of students traveled to Haiti with Mary in January of 2015. The group visited an orphanage run by the Missionaries of Charity. “[Mary] expressed her motherly love to the orphans of Haiti and my fellow missionaries like we were her own children,” Victoria recalls. “By the example of her love, she inspired all of us to empty ourselves in service of those suffering.” The Mother Teresa Project is unique in that it is officially endorsed by the Missionaries of Charity, the religious order founded by Blessed Mother Teresa. This comes as no surprise considering the Towey family’s long association with the religious order. Both Jim and Mary Towey have served with the Missionaries of Charity at numerous locations over the past 30 years. Jim Towey served as legal counsel to Blessed Mother Teresa for 12 years, and the couple first met in an AIDS home opened by the Missionaries of Charity. In addition to her charity work, Mary Towey leads a rosary for Ave Maria University with members of the community every Monday. “It was something I felt I should be doing. It is beautiful to see so many come and pray for the University,” Mary says. Another role Mary plays at AMU is in organizing campus events. She was the main force behind bringing The Undertones, an all-male a cappella club from the University of Notre Dame, to perform on campus this January. Perhaps her involvement stems from the fact that her eldest son, Jamie, is an Undertones member. Participating in mission trips, orga-
“The Ave Maria community is such a great gift to me. There are so many people to love here.”
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HOW DR. ANDREW DINAN IS BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN CLASSICAL TRADITION AND EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY
he works of classical antiquity are considered to be some of the most influential in Western history. The classical age is typically thought to begin with the epic poems of Homer and is considered to end concurrently with the decline of the Roman Empire. It encompasses both secular works, such as those by the philosophers Plato and Cicero, as well as the early Christian works that would lay the theological foundation for Christianity throughout history.
But can the study of the classics help us learn about the early history of Catholicism in American history? Dr. Andrew Dinan, associate professor of Classics & Early Christian Literature at Ave Maria University, thinks so. His teaching and scholarship draw upon the richness of language and synthesize diverse literature and historical periods. Dinan has always been a lover of language. “My father was a great supporter of a liberal education and always upheld the study of language as something to be desired,” recalls Dinan. “In 8th grade, I was told I had to pick between studying Spanish and French. I couldn’t decide, so I studied them both.”
After completing a B.A. in the Great Books program at the University of Notre Dame in 1994, Dinan earned an M.T.S at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. He went on to earn his M.A. and Ph.D. in Latin and Greek from The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. While there, he taught at The Heights, a prestigious all-boys preparatory school in Potomac, Maryland, were he lived with his wife, Sandy, and began his family life. When he moved to Ave Maria to begin teaching at the University in 2004, Dinan brought with him a rich understanding of the Classics. Like many classicists, he believes that the basis for mastering
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By Taylor Peliska
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Dr. Andrew Dinan, wife Sandy, and children (from L to R) Maria, Paul, Anna, and Veronica.
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classical literature lies in the study of the classical languages themselves. “At AMU we foster an active engagement with the languages. In Latin classes, for example, we will read and even enact dialogues or scenes from plays. We try to show that Latin was not only a language of beautiful and profound literature, but it was also a language of daily communication for many centuries.” Dinan’s teaching philosophy is evident in every lecture. “Dr. Dinan is great at asking pointed questions that make you think more deeply about what you are studying,” says senior Classics & Early Christian Literature major, Ben Houde. “He challenges as well as encourages. He helps you to discover for yourself the material at hand.” In addition to his love for the classical languages, Dinan brings a unique perspective to studying classical literature. “There are two ways to approach the study of classic writers,” explains Dinan.
“One way is of course to read and study the classical writers, Plato and Aristotle for example. An interesting way I like to teach the classics is from the Fathers of the Church, backwards.” Patristics, or the study of the Fathers of the Church, is a core component of Ave Maria University’s Classics & Early Christian Literature program. The Fathers of the Church, comprised of a group of some of the most influential theologians in the Christian tradition, are credited with laying the base for much of Christian thought. “The Church Fathers were very familiar with the classical writers,” explains Dinan. “We can read Cicero, and we can read Virgil, but we can also read the people who read Cicero and Virgil and were influenced by them. That’s what it means to be a classic—that we return to it again and again, that it continues to inform thought throughout history.” Because it deals with both the origins of Chris-
“IN 8TH GRADE, I WAS TOLD I HAD TO PICK BETWEEN STUDYING SPANISH AND FRENCH. I COULDN’T DECIDE, SO I STUDIED THEM BOTH.” to Florida 11 years ago, he initially felt discouraged that he had lost his connection to America’s historical heartland. He decided to find solace in investigating his new home’s past. What he found sent him back further than the colonial period, and in fact, all the way to the 16th century. “In one book, I found a Latin account of some of the earliest missionaries in Florida. This piqued my interest. When we think of Latin, we usually think of a language used only in Europe. This is simply not true. Here I was reading accounts in Latin written in and about America. I started collecting them.” Dinan’s pursuit of pre-colonial Latin literature led him to accounts describing the activities of a group of people that have become known as the Florida Martyrs, a group of Spanish missionaries who came to Florida during the middle of the 16th century, several decades before the founding of Jamestown. Some of the documents he discovered tell the story of Father Pedro Martinez, a Jesuit priest who
was in the first Jesuit missionary party to Florida. He was killed near Jacksonville in the fall of 1566. This summer, Dinan will travel to Rome to do further studies on the Florida Martyrs. He points out, “Most have heard of the North American martyrs, such as St. Isaac Jogues and his companions. But some of these Florida missionaries are even earlier—and some labored in southwest Florida. Now there is an effort being made to canonize these early American martyrs.” For Dinan, it is almost poetic justice that some of the accounts of the early Catholic era are written in a classical language, and that these accounts are being used today to learn about America’s past. “Classics, by its definition, will never cease to be important. It’s a living tradition, as shown in its usage throughout the centuries. It stands at the beginning of western thought, and it is the beginning that sets in motion the rest of history.”
Left, Dr. Dinan and AMU alumus Daniel Whitehead (’14) catch up after Dinan’s recent Laub-Novak Award ceremony. Above, Sean Robertson, a first-year M.A. student at AMU, and Dr. Dinan discuss a lesson in a second-semester Theological Greek class.
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tian and secular intellectual traditions, Patristics is an important part of Western thought. “These works come out of the Classical tradition, but stand at the base of the Christian tradition.” As a graduate student, much of Dinan’s research focused on Patristics. His doctoral thesis was on Clement of Alexandria, an early Christian thinker who is known for his references to, and understanding of, classical Greek writings. While his love for the classical age has not diminished, Dinan’s most recent research has taken him forward in time nearly 1,500 years. The research largely involves investigation into early American history, particularly accounts of the original European settlers in the Americas, many of whom were Catholic missionaries. And the most interesting part? Some of these accounts were written in Latin. Dinan is a self-admitted history buff. Having grown up in Virginia, he became an avid lover of American colonial history and relished the Virginia area for its rich historical personality. When he moved
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In Dramatic Fashion AMU’s Student-Run Drama Club Shines in Latest Production
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By Taylor Peliska
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Clockwise from top: Philip Collins performs “I am the Model of a Modern Major General.” Drama Club production director and AMU sophomore Katherine Miller and the Pirates of Penzance cast receive a standing ovation after the closing night performance.
he Ave Maria University Drama Club’s performance of The Pirates of Penzance garnered rave reviews, drew standing-room only audiences at all three performances, and left attendees amazed at the singing and staging of the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera. The logistics of the production were daunting. Apart from the personnel needed to produce scenery, costumes, and lighting, The Pirates of Penzance called for more than 20 cast members to sing over 30 songs, including several very demanding numbers. “I knew it would be a big project,” said Ave Maria sophomore and production director, Katherine Miller. “At first it seemed impossible to pull off a Gilbert and Sullivan show, but with the support I had from the other members of the club and, after praying about it, I had a sense of peace about the whole production.” The Drama Club had a limited time to prepare for its performance, which brought a sense of excitement and urgency to the rehearsals. “In order to do it right, we needed to form a strong cast, and that’s exactly what
we got,” explains Miller. “We were surprised by the talent of a lot of new club members who auditioned.” One of them was Philip Collins, who played the role of Major General. By many accounts, he stole the show with his performance of the song “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.” The performance impressed so many people that Collins and the rest of the cast were asked to perform the tune at the Fourth Annual Ave Maria University Scholarship Dinner. The Drama Club at AMU started in 2010, and has received organizational support from University faculty members and administrators. This year was the first year that the club has operated solely under student management. “When they told me about wanting to perform The Pirates of Penzance, I was eager to see what they would do with it,” said Vice President for Student Affairs, Julie Cosden. “They exceeded my expectations. They blew me away.” Ave Maria University President Jim Towey was in the front row on closing night. “It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen at AMU,” said Towey. “The students were simply amazing!”
Jacob Cornwell, playing the role of The Sergeant, demands that the pirates yield “in Queen Victoria’s name”
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Mabel, played by Hanna Sternhagen, singing “Go to Glory.”
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ATHLETICS ROUNDUP
Hannah Gunkel, a sophomore midfielder, defends in AMU’s first-ever lacrosse home match in February.
A Season of Firsts
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his spring is a season of firsts for Ave Maria University Lady Gyrenes lacrosse team. The program, in its inaugural year, has already crossed a number of milestones. AMU freshman Kaylin Mayeski of Naples, Florida, scored the Lady Gyrenes’ first goal in program history during a match against Davenport University. AMU lacrosse garnered its first victory against Truett-McConnell College, beating the Lady Bears 20-1. Coach Kelly Buikus was thrilled with the program’s early success. “We’ve come a long way in a short amount of time. The girls are amazing, I can’t imagine coaching a better group of athletes.”
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The AMU women’s lacrosse team huddles in a practice before their first home game.
Sophomore Abby Castro advances up field in the women’s lacrosse team’s first home game versus Davenport University.
A Champion of Character University, Bonner finished the game with 11 points and played a large part in AMU’s 1-point halftime lead, despite falling to FGCU 49-36. “Every good attribute you can think
to attach to a student-athlete should be attached to Jelani Bonner’s name,” said AMU Head Coach Ken Dagostino. “He truly exemplifies a champion of character.”
Senior Jelani Bonner (left) is photographed with Sun Conference commissioner Mark Pope after receiving the Cazzie Russell Champion of Character award.
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ve Maria men’s basketball senior Jelani Bonner was presented with the Cazzie Russell Champion of Character Award at the 2015 Sun Conference Tournament banquet in March. The 2014-15 Cazzie Russell Champion of Character Award was given to Bonner, a native of Winter Springs, Fla., who has maintained a 3.37 GPA as an Economics major at AMU. He will also graduate with minors in Math and Family & Society. He volunteers much of his time off the court with service projects through the University’s Mother Teresa Project. Bonner averaged 12.5 points and eight rebounds a game this season for the Gyrenes, both team highs. He scored a career-high 33 points in a mid-season matchup with then-15th ranked St. Xavier (Ill.). Just three days later, in a game against local rival Florida Gulf Coast
Bonner sets up the offense in an exhibition game against Florida Gulf Coast University in January.
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CAMPUS COMMUNITY
THE MOTHER TERESA PROJECT: CHANGING LIVES AMU Students Serve Those in Need
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1. AMU students in Haiti during a January, 2015 mission trip. 2. Freshman Nicole Ledesma cares for orphans in Haiti. 3. Freshman Lizzy Cox laughs with children during a recent mission trip to the Dominican Republic. The group spent more than a week at an orphanage, and helped with the daily demands of feeding, and caring for the children. 4. A group of AMU students and staff spent spring break in the Dominican Republic, working with an agency that is raising over 3,000 children in orphanages in nine countries. 5. Nick Root (left) and Killian Dempsey (right) help the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida at one of their mobile food pantries.
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CAMPUS COMMUNITY
AMU MARCHES More than 200 Students Travel to D.C. to March for Life
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1. Three buses transported AMU students on a 20 hour journey to Washington D.C. 2. The group was greeted with a light snowfall upon arrival to D.C. 3. Students tour the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. 4. AMU President Jim Towey and students stop for a photo during the March. 5. AMU students pose for a group photo following their arrival to campus after the 2015 March for Life.
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CAMPUS COMMUNITY
STUDENT (NIGHT)LIFE Dancing and Singing the Night Away
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1. Victoria Velasquez and Ben Houde share a dance at the Sock Hop. 2. AMU Senior Regina Russo performs at AMU’s “Give Them Wings” benefit concert, an event honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 2 3. Audrey Assad, a singer-songwriter and contemporary Christian music artist, performed on campus in November. 4. Students dance the night away at the annual Sadie Hawkins dance.
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CAMPUS COMMUNITY
CELEBRATE! AMU Observes Holy Days with Campus-Wide Festivals 1. A mariachi band performed at the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration, while students (from L to R) Tania Kelley, Maranda Juarez, and Hannah Corrao made a guest appearance. 2. AMU’s a cappella group, The Accidentals, perform during a festival on campus. 3. Danylo Fedoryka and “Scythian” perform before a large crowd at the All Saints Day festival. 4. Students sing and dance at the Scythian concert in November. 5. Members of the AMU softball team volunteer at Ave Maria’s Festival of Lights, in celebration of Christmas.
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UNIVERSITY DIGEST
WISDOM’S RENEWAL: GRADUATE THEOLOGY AT AMU During the first week of February 2015, the Aquinas Center for Theological Renewal at Ave Maria University hosted the conference “Wisdom and the Renewal of Catholic Theology: Celebrating the Graduate Programs in Theology at AMU.” Fifteen of the speakers at the conference were alumni of Ave Maria University’s graduate program in Theology. “The alumni suggested and helped organize the conference,” said Dr. Roger Nutt, Associate Professor of Theology, “as a means of showing their gratitude to Ave Maria University and Fr. Matthew L. Lamb for his role in their theological formation and the founding of the Patrick F. Taylor Graduate Programs in Theology.”
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At the conclusion of the events, Fr. Matthew Lamb was named recipient of the Aquinas Center Veritas Medal, an award that recognizes “those who have instantiated, in their lives and work, the integration of faith and reason.” The Veritas Medal was presented to Fr. Lamb by Mr. Michael Timmis, Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
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A LECTURE SERIES WITH ROGER SCRUTON
“THE HEAVENS PROCLAIM” In December, Brother Guy J. Consolmagno, S.J. of the Vatican Observatory spoke at Ave Maria University. In his lecture, entitled “The Heavens Proclaim: A Brief History of the Vatican Observatory,” Brother Guy spoke to the University community about the origin and operation of the Vatican Observatory. Brother Guy was awarded the 2014 Carl Sagan Medal by the American Astronomical Society for his excellence in public communication in planetary science.
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World-renowned philosopher, Roger Scruton, gave a series of lectures at Ave Maria University in October. The event, hosted jointly by AMU’s Philosophy and Theology departments, was entitled “The Representation of the Human Body in Art.” Scruton, who was invited to Ave Maria as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar, spoke on a variety of topics including aesthetics, natural science, and the human person.
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UNIVERSITY DIGEST
a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | s p r i n g 2015
ACTON INSTITUTE NAMES DR. CATHERINE PAKALUK 2015 NOVAK AWARD WINNER
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The Acton Institute, a think tank devoted to the study of religion and liberty, named AMU Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. Catherine Pakaluk the recipient of the 2015 Novak Award. Pakaluk is also Founder and Director of the Stein Center for Social Research at AMU, an interdisciplinary institute for advanced studies in social science and social thought. She currently works in the areas of demography, family studies, the economics of education and religion, and the interpretation of Catholic social thought. Named after distinguished American theologian and social philosopher Michael Novak, the Novak Award recognizes new research by scholars early in their academic careers who demonstrate outstanding intellectual merit in advancing the understanding of theology’s connection to human dignity, the importance of limited government, religious liberty, and economic freedom.
Michael Novak presents Dr. Catherine Pakaluk with the Acton Institute’s 2015 Novak Award.
STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS
The Voices of AMU
Highlighting Recent Student Publications Unplanned Parenthood: How One Woman’s Bravery to Choose Adoption led to a Legacy of Love BY KATIE TRUDEAU (’17)
Recently featured on the Concerned Women for America website, AMU sophomore, Katie Trudeau, spoke about how being an adoptee has impacted her life. In the spring of 2014, Katie interned at the Ronald Reagan Memorial Internship Program of Concerned Women for America. The following is an excerpt from her article. Visit www.avemaria.edu/katiecwfa to see the full article.
“I have grown to understand how God creates beauty from our earthly challenges. How could I be upset when two loving parents chose me out of every baby in the whole wide world? They chose me; they didn’t have to provide for me all these years, but they wanted to do that. My family and I pray for my birthmother and her family daily. I pray that she comes to know the love that I have for her, how astonishingly grateful I am and that I hope she has peace in her heart. Though I’ve never contacted my birthmother, her story keeps inspiring me to commit my life to God and try to make the right choices that will glorify Him. Regardless of what happens in life, I’m inspired to remember that when my birthmother realized that in the times she was too weak to walk on her own, Jesus was carrying her through each day until she was strong enough to walk side by side with Him.”
Ave Maria University senior, Peter Atkinson, was featured in First Things, a journal published by The Institute of Religion and Public Life. In his article, Peter interviews the composer for the 2014 film Calvary and discusses how the film’s music is enhanced by its classical score. The following is excerpt from that article. Visit www.avemaria.edu/peterfirstthings to see the full story.
Calvary’s Lost Catholicism BY PETER ATKINSON (’15) “Throughout, Cassidy’s score bears a deep nostalgia for home - both for Ireland’s past and a lost Catholicism. ‘When I was growing up, there would have been universal respect and reverence for priests, you know? And, especially in the cities, like Dublin and Limerick, I just don’t see that anymore.’ Now, Cassidy says, priests tend to go out in their ‘civvies’ rather than wearing their collar because they don’t want to be spat upon or cursed. ‘In one generation, Ireland went from being quite a poor country to being a quite wealthy country, and people with money are not as religious—that’s just a fact, you know? And also the abuse scandal—the two things together caused Ireland to change in a very, very rapid way. What might have taken a few generations in other countries, took one generation in Ireland. That in a sense is what Calvary is about.’”
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» » » Coach Lou Holtz Headlines
a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | s p r i n g 2015
An Evening to Remem
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Scholarship Dinner Highlighting AMU Champions for Life
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he temperature may have dipped below 40 degrees outside The Ritz-Carlton in Naples, but there was plenty of warmth inside as over 400 donors, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of Ave Maria University gathered to support the 4th Annual Scholarship Dinner. The theme, “Champions for Life,” highlighted the role of service and athletics in the formation of character and faith in the lives of AMU’s students.
As guests made their way to their tables, AMU a capella group, The Accidentals, warmed the night up with three songs, including a rewritten version of the 1980’s Journey hit, “Don’t Stop Believing.”
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6:30 p.m.
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6:50 p.m.
Legendary Coach Lou Holtz was welcomed to the stage by the AMU cheerleaders.
8:00 p.m. 7:05 p.m.
A video created by AMU student Tyler Neil started the second half of the program and highlighted the evening’s theme, “Champions for Life.”
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8:05 p.m.
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Coach Holtz provided both humor and insights from his 50-plus years of coaching experiences. When speaking about his keys to success, Coach Holtz cited faith, devotion to Mary, a strong work ethic and clear vision, and a will to carry out the plan. He added that when it comes to people and personnel, “Effort always beats talent, 100% of the time.”
Sebastian Woods-Mariano, a junior at AMU, spoke to the crowd, which included his mother, Ingrid. Sebastian came to Ave Maria searching for an opportunity to get an education and continue playing football. While he was a very good student in high school, he struggled with standardized tests. Sebastian shared his story of fighting to succeed and gain acceptance to Ave Maria University. When he was admitted, it was on the condition that he would not be able to play in any football games his freshman year. He spoke of how that first year helped him focus on his studies and character development. Today he holds a GPA over 3.0, tutors young people in Immokalee, coaches the Donahue Academy High School girls’ basketball team, builds houses for Habitat for Humanity and is a starting football player for Ave Maria. Perhaps the most touching moment from Sebastian’s speech was when he thanked everyone in the room for their support of the Scholarship Fund. He said, “I want to thank all of you, because I couldn’t be here without your generosity.” Then he paused and added, “Most of all, I want to thank you, Mom, for having me.”
The student-run Drama Club performs a selection from the Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance.
8:30 p.m.
8:15 p.m. Lexie Hammerquist, a junior biochemistry major, shared her experiences as a Mother Teresa Scholar at Ave Maria. Like so many AMU students, Lexie was called to serve those in need, and shared a profound encounter with a dying and destitute woman she met while serving in Calcutta, India with 11 other AMU students. It was very clear to all those in attendance that Lexie’s experiences in Calcutta were personally transformative. Whether she was feeding, talking or praying with, or simply holding the hands of the dying in Calcutta, Lexie was deeply touched by the poor she encountered. This service opportunity, an important part of the Catholic liberal arts education she received during her time at AMU, has inspired Lexie to become a medical doctor. She said, “My education at AMU is made possible by your generosity. And I tell you this to assure you that your support of AMU helps bring hope and healing to body and soul.”
8:35 p.m.
YOUR LEGACY THEIR FUTURE. Make a lasting impact with your planned gift, and leave your mark on Catholic education.
P L A N N E D Patrick Logue Director of Planned Giving
G I V I N G 239-348-4715 www.supportamu.org
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In his closing remarks, President Towey offered his appreciation and gratitude to all of the sponsors and supporters of the annual dinner that raised over $600,000 for scholarships. He exclaimed, “Aren’t our students great!” President Towey closed by announcing the keynote speaker for next year’s Annual Scholarship Dinner: His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan. The event will be held Thursday, February 18th, 2016, and in light of this year’s soldout dinner, Ave Maria University can expect another packed Ritz-Carlton Ballroom – even if it snows!
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CLASS NOTES 2003
Erin Campbell (Wenck) I live in Ave Maria with my husband, Bob, and four kiddos, Marie, Rory, Emma, and baby Hugh, who just turned one. Recently celebrated a 5-year work anniversary as a Realtor with John R. Wood Properties. Bob is also an agent at our Ave Maria office. We love it here, can’t beat the warm winter weather!
2007
Thomas DeCaro I married my beautiful wife, Sara DeCaro (Flecher), on September 27th, 2014!
2009
Angela Gil (Loweree) Married in June 2012. Daughter, Agnes, was born in April 2013 and son Jean Luis in January of 2015. A stay at home mom and enjoying every second of it!
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Terry Beth Lewerenz Memories of classes
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during the IPT and the friendships made are very dear to my heart. Ave Maria is the greatest! Now I pray for our brother and sister Christians, particularly the innocent children, and all those who are enduring one of the greatest persecutions in the history of the world. Please join me in prayer for their relief and that God may be with them in their pain and suffering.
2011
Sean Lee I married my wife, Rozann, in July, 2014. We met while working at Fr. Barron’s Word On Fire ministry. We are happily expecting our first child in May.
SEND IN YOUR CLASS NOTES Send your Class Notes and wedding or birth announcements to the Alumni Office at www.avemaria.edu/classnotes
Jackie Gow (Mitzel)
Matthew Rochefort I am currently in my first
Shout out to the Class of ‘11! Miss you all! In January of 2014, I married the love of my life, Joshua Gow, and this December we welcomed our first little boy, Peter Elliot. So excited to see what the future holds!
year as a PsyD doctoral candidate at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences in Arlington, VA. IPS is a wonderful school, and I’m learning so much! I’m so grateful for AMU for giving me the preparation I needed to get where I am today! And I miss my classmates: Go Class of 2012!!
Melissa Dillier (Martin) I married my best friend in Oct. 2013 with a mini Ave choir in attendance! I’m currently working full-time at a music store in the D.C. area, am helping start a Catholic young adult group at our parish as well as singing in the choir!
2012
Matthew Vicinanzo I am currently enrolled at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. I have also recently been accepted to study transnational business at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies in London. Studying Business Administration and History at AMU has prepared me well for the challenges and diversity of working in the business world and the discipline required for further studies. The well-rounded education and personal faculty attention are some of the most helpful and unique qualities that AMU offered to me!
Paula Jacques Married in Fall, 2012. Now have two beautiful kids, Noah and Emma :) We are buying a house in Ave Maria!
Andrea Allphin In the last year, I started a new job as the producer of Redeemer Mornings, a weekday morning show on Redeemer Radio in Northeast Indiana, and I got engaged to a wonderful, holy man!
Patrick Gordon I am very grateful for my alma mater, Ave Maria University, and how it has assisted me both academically and spiritually. In particular, I would like to thank the philosophy department, Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J., and the many friends who helped form my character. Immediately after graduation I received a position teaching middle school at a small Catholic academy in southwest Colorado. Last year, the school board provided me with an opportunity to serve within the administration. Currently, I’m working on my Masters in Educational Administration while working as the Pope John Paul II Academy principal.
2013
Donald Orrico of Naples, Florida, is the Southwest Florida Development Director for The James Madison Institute. I will marry Mary Kelley on June 13, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. Victoria Congleton I graduated from Ave Maria University with a degree in Politics and minored in History. I am now currently a student at Suffolk University Law School in Boston, and just recently got a position as a paralegal at a law firm in New Hampshire. To all those currently in the throes of studying, exams, and endless papers: persevere! AMU is just the beginning of the rest of your life. The best is yet to come!
In Memoriam Sister Dorothy, M.C.
Ave Maria University remembers Sr. Dorothy’s life and works Sister Dorothy of the Missionaries of Charity passed away in December, 2014 in Bangladesh. Sister Dorothy was close to the Ave Maria community, and visited AMU in 2013 for the dedication of the Mother Teresa Project Exhibition Hall. Just a month before her death, Ave Maria students worked with Sr. Dorothy and the Missionaries of Charity in the Bronx, NY. Sr. Dorothy was one of the original twelve women to join Blessed Mother Teresa as Missionaries of Charity, and is survived by three of the original twelve nuns: Sr. Francesca, Sr. Clare, and Sr. Gertrude.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Sr. Dorothy looks on during the Mother Teresa Project Exhibition Hall dedication ceremony. AMU students receive prayer cards from Sr. Dorothy during the University’s 10th anniversary weekend in 2013. AMU students visit Sr. Dorothy in the Bronx in November of 2014. Sr. Dorothy, M.C. exits AMU’s Oratory with Mary Towey after morning Mass in 2013.
Ave Maria University 5050 Ave Maria Blvd. Ave Maria, FL 34142
Save the Date! THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016 THE FIFTH ANNUAL AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP DINNER FEATURING KEYNOTE SPEAKER HIS EMINENCE, TIMOTHY CARDINAL DOLAN