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Is Abortion Allowed In Monaghan’s Ave Maria? (University Honors Tom Golisano)
The Wanderer Press.com ^ | Top Stories for Thursday, January 14th, 2010 | MARIELENA MONTESINO de STUART

Posted on 01/10/2010 11:55:18 AM PST by GonzoII

Is Abortion Allowed In Monaghan’s Ave Maria?


By MARIELENA MONTESINO de STUART

Now a lie is directly opposed to truth. Therefore dissimulation or hypocrisy is also” — St. Thomas Aquinas.

Appearances Are Deceiving

Appearances are deceiving — and such is the case in the Town of Ave Maria — a town named after the moment of conception of Our Lord and after the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On November 5, 2009, during a press conference at Ave Maria University, the administration, various faculty members, and selected students proudly honored and gave a standing ovation to Tom Golisano, a billionaire with a long history of supporting pro- choice politicians. Mr. Golisano has been a key sponsor of institutions like the Clinton Global Initiative, which promote the culture of death. On the day of his honoring, Golisano had no record of ever having publicly renounced his quoted position on abortion — or made any clarification about it. In fact, his positionwas so controversial that the university’s public relations firm, Falls Communications, issued a recommendation as to how to proceed in the event that Golisano’s background would come into question during the press conference.

Why would such a recommendation be necessary if Golisano’s political background was not in clash with the university’s stated mission? This controversial recommendation from Falls Communications has been circulating in the public domain for several weeks. For the benefit of the readers, it is quoted below: “ Golisano: Recommendation from R. Falls “I recommend we come up with a single positioning statement that Ave Maria leadership can refer to with regard to any and all questions regarding other entities that Mr. Golisano has contributed funds to in the past that may be contrary to the mission of Ave Maria ( or any positions he has held politically). Please keep inmind, that if we don’t like the premise of a question — we can always change the premise.

“ Let me state how pleased and grateful we are to Mr. Golisano for his generosity and his obvious support of our mission. A gift of this magnitude is a clear demonstration of a personal commitment he has made to Ave Maria which encompasses our curriculum, our core values and our dedication to the teachings of the Church.

“ It all comes down to how pressing the media might be regarding his other contributions (or positions) that may be contrary to AMU’s mission. This statement is strong because it focuses on two primary messages: “1. Our gratitude for the gift “2. Dedication to our mission “We can precede our answer above with a dismissal of a premise by saying:

“I think that question is not applicable to what we are celebrating today.

“I think it is just the best way out of the situation. Otherwise they will just pick apart any other answer we give them.”

The reader should understand that nothing in this article is intended to question the commitment of any entity or any person to the stated goals of Ave Maria University and related entities. We freely concede that all persons involved are acting in what they see as the best interest of Ave Maria University and the other entities involved.

But why was this billionaire being honored? Golisano had just given a 4 million-dollar donation to the university. The university, in turn, chose to honor Golisano by naming a building after him.

On November 5, 2009 theNaples Daily News reported how Monaghan approached Golisano for a donation:

“The donation came about because someone told Monaghan that he should speak with Golisano about a donation, Monaghan said. So, the university’s founder contacted Golisano and they set up a time for him to visit Ave Maria.”

“He did his basic sales work,” Golisano said. “You prospect, then you present and then you close.”

Golisano’s public honoring, on November 5, 2009, was in violation of the instructions from the U.S. bishops, based on the information revealed in the Falls Communications recommendations and Golisano’s political background. The decison to honor Golisano was also in stark contrast with the following statement given by Ave Maria University President, Nick Healy, to theNaples Daily News television program “One on One With Jeff Lytle” — on the subject of Notre Dame University’s honoring President Obama: Excerpt from Nick Healy’s interview aired October 18, 2009: “The United States Catholic bishops have made a very clear rule that no Catholic college university is to honor a pro-abortion politician. Period.

“. . . but to have him [ Barack Obama] preside over commencement, and then award him a doctor of laws, was a way of honoring him, and it sends a very mixed message to the whole community.”

Yet, Mr. Healy appears to ignore the fact that Golisano ran for governor of New York three times on the abortiontolerant Independence Party of New York platform.

Golisano’s honoring prompted the Cardinal Newman Society, which includes Ave Maria University in its Guide to Catholic Colleges, to issue a statement in support of the Church’s stand in the defense of human life.

Nearly one month after his honoring, Ave Maria University made public a letter that Golisano addressed to Tom Monaghan at AMU. In that letter, which is dated December 3, 2009, Golisano states that he has always been pro-life, and thatThe New York Times1994 article quoting him as being “pro-choice” was a” misinterpretation”of his position. Here is the quote from The New York Times: “Where do you stand on abortion?” one woman asked him.

Mr. Golisano responded, “ The Country has been very clear that it wants choice, and I’m pro-choice.”

The following is Golisano’s clarification in his December 3 letter, regarding the above quote: “What I proclaimed as a candidate was that, if elected, I would be bound to enforce the laws of the State of New York, whether I agreed with them or not. Those laws obviously allow a woman to choose to have an abortion.”

How can Golisano claim to be prolife? He gave 1 million dollars to Barack Obama in 2008 for his coronation in Denver. Add to this his financial support of 50 politicians that NARAL- New York deemed prochoice, his sponsorship of the Clinton Global Initiative — which promotes abortion on an international level, his breathtaking monetary contributions to the William J. Clinton Foundation, etc., etc.

In spite of Golisano’s track record, the administration of Ave Maria University chose to buy Golisano’s rhetoric, rather than the reality. This is no surprise.

Chilling Speech And Limiting Freedom Of Movement

Golisano’s honoring gave way to a scandal, which was widely covered by print, Internet, and television media — mostly drawn by the fact that the university’s administration chose to ban this journalist from the press conference where Golisano was being honored. An amazing fact, given that I was the only Catholic journalist who would have been present at this pressconference — one reporting for a prominent Catholic newspaper (The Wanderer) — after having secured the necessary press invitation from the university’s public relations/media firm.

But the university’s administration took it a step further. In a draconian approach, they chose to also indefinitely ban me from the entire university campus private property, comprised of over 900 acres!

Nineteen days before Golisano’s honoring, Ave Maria University President, Nick Healy, also stated on television during his interview for theNaples Daily News show “One on One With Jeff Lytle” that “there is never any attempt to restrict the public” from the university.

Well, not only am I forbidden to enter the university campus as a journal-ist, resident, and taxpayer inside this district, but FOX Television News reporters were also banned from entering the university campus, with or without cameras — after my ban was set in motion.

This pattern of rhetoric, which is contradicted by actions, is consistent with Golisano’s approach.

The university administration claims that my ban has nothing to do with the articles I have written about Ave Maria University — but everything to do with questions I had asked two days before the Golisano press conference, at a town government Stewardship District meeting — questions related to Florida statutes, which I asked as a property owner and taxpayer in the Town of Ave Maria.

Such questions were deemed “disruptive” by the university’s administration. Was this a coordinated effort between the university’s administration, the town government, and the developer (who are all interconnected through board memberships) to control not just free speech, but also to control freedom of movement, inside Ave Maria?

Welcome to Ave Maria — where if you ask unwelcome questions as a property owner, regarding Florida statutes at a town government meeting, you may be banned from the very limited cultural activities available in this remote town in the Everglades — a town mostly controlled by the overlapping boards of the university and town developer.

In the meantime, Barron Collier Companies (the developer of the town in partnership with Tom Monaghan) continues to advertise on its web site that “town residents also benefit from the cultural and academic resources provided by the university.”

Back To The Beginning

When the plans for the development of the Town of Ave Maria began, the name of Tom Monaghan, Ave Maria University, and Ave Maria Foundation were used interchangeably, in reference to the 50/50 partnership with Barron Collier Companies.

For example, an early press release from AveMaria.com reads “Barron Collier Companies and Ave Maria University are pleased to announce a partnership which will create Ave Maria, Florida.” In the same web page, the reader is offered the choices of requesting information about the university and about Ave Maria, Florida.

A Press Release from the former Ave Maria College in Michigan, dated 11/ 20/2002, stated that “a new Catholic university will be built east of Naples, Fla., with a new town to support it.” “The new town, also named Ave Maria, will have an integrated town-university center” and “the development of the town, including comprehensive residential areas will be undertaken through a 50/50 joint venture between Ave Maria University and the Barron Collier Companies.” Another article titled “Ave Maria Development Taps Pulte,” written by AMU Staff, describes how “the Town of Ave Maria is being developed by the Barron Collier Companies in partnership with the Ave Maria Foundation.”

The Angelus (which is AMU’s newspaper/ newsletter) used to have the subtitle of “The Voice of Progress for Ave Maria University and Town” — until approximately October 2008 when “and Town” was dropped. Was the university distancing itself from the town? Why?

The Angelus inaugural issue featured Monaghan’s personal letter to the readers where he states, “As the newspaper and community grow and expand into the Catholic hub we anticipate” — then he goes on to say “I encourage our 42,000+ readers to peruse these pages and read the articles with a heart toward the community of faith we are building.”

The January 2005 issue ofThe Angelus featured “Ave Maria Town grows a Christian community in the Tomato Fields of Collier County.”

The opening paragraph reads: “Since the announcement that Thomas Monaghan had taken his vision of a truly Catholic community to Southwest Florida, people in the area and beyond have been clamoring for information.”

In June 2005 The Boston Phoenix

reported that at a Boston Catholic Men’s Conference, Monaghan told a crowd of over 2,000 — including over 80 priests, about the construction of Ave Maria University and the Town of Ave Maria. The following is Monaghan’squoted statement inThe Boston

Phoenix:

We’ve already had about 3,500 people inquire on our web site about buying a home there — you know, they’re all Catholic.”

That’s right — Mr. Monaghan, 98% of residents in Ave Maria are Catholic, because you promoted this as a Catholic town. Why else would they be in this remote area in the middle of a swamp?

A “Letter of Intent” signed at Ann Arbor, Michigan, on November 18, 2002, by Ave Maria University and the Barron Collier Companies, included the following provision: “6. The New Town in its character, ambiance, restricted covenants, zoning, etc., shall allow no public activities which are offensive to traditional Christian values or which might represent a scandal to Catholic and Christian sensibilities. Thus, no topless bars, abortion clinics, ‘adult’ bookstores or the like shall be permitted. The town or village shall be called ‘Ave Maria’ or ‘The Town of Ave Maria’.”

While the Letter of Intent from 2002 was not a binding legal document, it did serve as the framework for the town. Indeed, Monaghan confirmed his intentions on the Catholic identity of the town, during his Boston address in 2005.

In addition, fund-raising solicitations included statements, such as: “When we announced that we would be building a town for Catholics like you, along with the university, we received . . . 3,000 requests for information.”

At the intersection of the town and university will be the focal point of both — a beautiful Catholic church.”

This statement was immediately followed by,“With your help, Ave Maria will truly be a city of God!”

Charles E. Rice is Professor Emeritus of Law at University of Notre Dame. On March 28, 2006, Professor Rice wrote a letter to Tom Monaghan and to the Ave Maria School of Law Board of Governors. Professor Rice was a member of the board at the time of the letter, where he expressed his deep concerns over the relocation of the Ave Maria School of Law, from Michigan to Florida.

The following is an excerpt from his letter: “The constitutional and prudential concerns I expressed were, and are, substantial and legitimate. The Monaghan- Marinelli statements do not resolve the constitutional problems arising from the overall symbiotic relation between AMU and AMT [Ave Maria Town].” Professor Rice goes on to comment that the university with town vision was “likely to fall in a crossfire of litigation, possibly including even criminal proceedings founded on various misrepresentations.”

Yet, on August 19, 2006 The Wall Street Journal reported that Monaghan continued to “tailor his message to his audience” — and that in June 2006 he [Monaghan] told a Catholic gathering in Denver that “our plan is that no adult material will appear on the town’s cable system and the pharmacy will not sell contraceptives.” It seems obvious that Monaghan has played both sides, in the way that he has misrepresented Ave Maria Town.

Another quote, this time from one of Nick Healy’s most famous articles inThe Angelus, titled “University, Town Set Precedent Long Lost in Europe”:

What kind of university will this be, which will determine the character and ethos of Ave Maria Town?”

There is an answer for Nick Healy’s prophetic question.

Ave Maria University Is Not A Catholic University

Ave Maria University has no official recognition from the Church that would allow the university to call itself a “Catholic university.” The claim of “the first new Catholic university in 40 years” was a huge misrepresentation.

The university and town relation is another misrepresentation of the “Christian” values both would embrace — given the present reality that I face as a resident of Ave Maria Town, banned from over 900 acres by a university administration which claims detachment from town matters, while participating in coordinated efforts to control and restrict this resident’s freedom of speech and freedom of movement. It is important to note that representatives from all three entities (university, town government, and the developer) were present at the town government meeting that I attended, which AMU’s administration has claimed, in writing, as the basis for my ban.

As of January 2008, the town developer’s web site inserted (in the Q&A section) a statement that Ave Maria is “absolutely not” a Catholic town. That is definitely true, as Ave Maria’s true reality continues to be exposed. A huge Catholic church in the middle of town, processions, and a university “in the Catholic tradition” does not determine the ethos of this town — since that Catholic public identity has been switched and denied. That makes this town like any other town in America — except that it is in a remote location in the middle of a swamp, where until this last summer one could not even buy the most basic necessities.

Why is Ave Maria like any other town? Read on, and you’ll understand.

The Final Betrayal

On November 15, 2007 at 3:44 p.m., the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Collier County recorded a document titled, “Amended and Restated Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions of Ave Maria Town Center I / Core.” It was signed by Paul Marinelli of Barron Collier Companies, Donald R. Schrotenboer (who was Monaghan’s Project Director for Ave Maria Town), and Blake Gable for The Residences of La Piazza Condominium Association, Inc.

The document includes the following statements:

6.5 Restrictions and Prohibited Uses The following operations and uses shall not be permitted on any Lot under any circumstances: (T) Any facility performing embryonic stem cell research or other activity involving the destruction of human embryos or any facility performing in vitro fertilization or human cloning, or any use by which such prohibited activities are promoted or are the subject of counseling or referrals when such promotion and/or counseling and/or referrals are a substantial part of the use of the facility, i.e., comprising 25% or more of the activity of the facility; (V) Operation of any facilities in which abortions, as defined in Chapter 390, Florida Statutes (2006), are performed, or any use by which abortion is promoted or is the subject of counseling or referrals when such promotion and/or counseling and/or referrals are a substantial part of the use of the facility, i.e., comprising 25% or more of the activities of the facility;

This may well have been an effort to appear to “restrict” abortion; however, it confirms that abortion is allowed in such premises. Take, for instance, a 2,000 sq. ft. space, which is the size of an average medical office. This apparently could allow up to 500 square feet to be used for abortions, embryonic stem-cell research, destruction of human embryos, in vitro fertilization, etc., in Ave Maria. An abortion provider, or those involved in the activities listed in the above amendment, could hardly find this objectionable!

Monaghan spoke of having no abortions in this town named Ave Maria, which he actively promoted and advertised to Catholics. Indeed, in a deposition dated February 20, 2008 Monaghan stated, “Well, I thought that a disproportionate amount of the people that moved there would be Catholics; serious Catholics.”

Given that we do have in Ave Maria a disproportionate amount of residents that are “Catholics, serious Catholics,” Mr. Monaghan — how can they not find abortions in La Piazza offensive? How can “serious Catholics” in Ave Maria not be horrified to have paid $600,000 — and possibly more, for residences that are sitting above retail space where abortions are allowed — not completely prohibited, pursuant to town covenants?

The pre-2007 Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions does not ban abortion. The 2007 revision actually allows abortion, up to 25% of the activities of the facility. These documents are available in the Collier County Public Court Records. There has never been any public statement from Monaghan, or Barron Collier, recanting the “no abortions in Ave Maria” language.

Are the disproportionate number of “Catholics, serious Catholics” who actually moved to Ave Maria supposed to ignore all of Monaghan’s promises? Were they expected to assume that abortion is allowed? Not to mention the other activities which are also permitted pursuant to the revised covenants — activities which are, in fact “offensive to traditional Christian values” and do in fact “represent a scandal to Catholic and Christian sensibilities.”

Parting Thoughts

Ave Maria University has chosen to honor Golisano, in spite of his active history of supporting pro-choice politicians, and being part of institutions that are enemies of the culture of life. This action, on the part of Ave Maria University, speaks louder than any stated mission that appears on paper or on the university’s web site.

Is the honoring of Golisano an attempt to pull away from the original “Catholic” mission of the university — into a secular one — just like Ave Maria Town? After all — how else are we to interpret Nick Healy’s prophetic question, “What kind of university will this be, which will determine the character and ethos of Ave Maria Town?”

My husband and I moved with our young children to this town named after the Blessed Mother — this “City of God”— where there would be a ban on the culture of death.

Instead, the ban is on me — for exposing the bitter truth.+ + + Marielena Montesino de Stuart writes for The Wanderer and www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com . You may write to her at ContactTRCW@aol.com.



The Wanderer has been providing its readers with news and commentary from
an orthodox Catholic perspective for over 135 years. From vital issues
affecting the Catholic Church to the political events which threaten
our Catholic faith. The Wanderer is at the forefront every week
with its timely coverage and its cutting edge editorials.



TOPICS: Catholic; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: avemaria; avemariau; billionaires; catholic; catholiccolleges; golisano; proaborts; university
My sympathies, Marielena, sounds like you got hoodwinked.
1 posted on 01/10/2010 11:55:18 AM PST by GonzoII
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To: GonzoII

duplicate thread
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2424682/posts


2 posted on 01/10/2010 12:05:53 PM PST by Notwithstanding (Wer glaubt ist nie allein. Who believes is never alone.)
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To: Notwithstanding

Thanks, I’m having it removed.


3 posted on 01/10/2010 12:15:33 PM PST by GonzoII ("That they may be one...Father")
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To: Notwithstanding
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To: Salvation

Seems like much ado about nothing.

Does anyone have any actual evidence of abortions happening there? Apparently not. Thus, this essentially bogus.

One of the worst aspects of orthodox Catholics is that they tend to be fractious. The proof is in the pudding: AMU produces excellent orthodox Catholics grads. End of story.

5 posted on 01/09/2010 10:02:55 AM PST by vladimir998 (Part of the Vast Catholic Conspiracy (hat tip to Kells))
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To: vladimir998

Exactly, vlad.

The university is Catholic to the core, and Golisano is a prodigal son on abortion - who has not exhibited enough contrition in the eyes of that author, apparently.

The town, on the other hand, cannot be Catholic and has to follow the law of the land, which currently interprets abortion to be a right which cannot be outlawed by any zoning or covenants.

Meanwhile, Ave Maria law school is trying to produce lawyers who will help change the law of the land on abortion.

The author seems to be a “holier-than-all-and-the-pope-is-not-quite-good-enough-because-he-still-permits-vernacular-Mass” type.

6 posted on 01/09/2010 11:41:36 AM PST by Notwithstanding (Wer glaubt ist nie allein. Who believes is never alone.)
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To: mlizzy
Ave Story Details

Ave Maria School of Law Students Join Thousands in March for Life Activities

A group representing Ave Maria School of Law joined thousands of marchers on January 22, 2009 at the 36th Annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. Members of Ave Maria’s Lex Vitae Society, along with Law School Chaplain Rev. Michael P. Orsi and Alumni Affairs Coordinator Ermin Gornik were among those who carried the pro-life message through the nation’s capital. Many began the day by attending Mass at the Basilica.

Andy Bodoh, Lex Vitae President, said he was privileged to attend the March again this year. “The March for Life is always an incredible event,” he observed. “With it we can practice our school's mission in a concrete way. I was amazed at how many strangers came up to us during the March and said, ‘You’re Ave Maria Law? You are our future. We are depending on you.’

The theme of this year’s March was the concept of equal care. “America can and should provide equal care to both the pregnant mother and the preborn child without exception,” proclaims the official March website, www.marchforlife.org. This principle of equal care is derived from the Declaration of Independence, which asserts that “that all Men are created equal . . . endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life … .”

When President Barack Obama declined an invitation to speak at the pre-March rally, this did not dampen the spirits of the marchers but only served to strengthen their resolve.

“Many of the gains that we may have made over the past few years to limit the horror of abortion and embryonic stem cell research can be overturned with the stroke of a pen,” Father Orsi told Teresa Tomeo during a live interview on EWTN. “We know we have our work cut out for us.”

Orsi explained that future Ave Maria graduates will work to protect life in the courts as well as by helping shape policy in the legislatures.

“They will train future generations regarding what is right, what is ethical, and what this country is all about – freedom and equality for all, born and unborn,” said Orsi.

After the March was over, students headed to La Loma Restaurant for the annual post-March alumni gathering hosted by the Law School’s Office of Development and Alumni Affairs. The get-together is a welcome opportunity for students to unwind after a long day and to connect with D.C.-area alumni.

“This is a highlight event for the Law School,” said Gornik, who organizes the gathering each year. “It is always inspiring to see our alums with clusters of current law students surrounding them, peppering them with questions and learning from those who have gone before them. This is what Ave Maria is about, building the relationships that will last generations and will further the mission of the Law School.”

Ave Maria’s marchers came back from Washington with a renewed sense of purpose in dealing with the challenges that lie ahead.

“Lawyers started Roe v. Wade,” Bodoh told Tomeo. “We are here to end Roe v. Wade, and Ave Maria School of Law will be there to see it end.”

Click here to view the complete EWTN interview with Teresa Tomeo.


7 posted on 01/09/2010 11:51:40 AM PST by Notwithstanding (Wer glaubt ist nie allein. Who believes is never alone.)
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To: mlizzy

WDEO Broadcast - The Advocate

WDEO The Law School's weekly radio talk show, The Advocate, focuses on the intersection of law and culture. Join co-hosts Father Michael Orsi and Acting Dean Eugene Milhizer each Saturday at noon as they explore a variety of timely issues with guests and callers. As of February 7, 2009, the show will be broadcast in Michigan on WDEO-AM 990 and WMAX-AM 1440 and in Naples, Florida on WDEO-FM 98.5. (The program can also be heard live via the stations' web site,http://www.avemariaradio.net. or viewed online at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-advocate)



WDEO - The Advocate - 10/24/2009





Click here to hear the audio file.Listen Now
Right Click and select SaveAS to download mp3 file.Download MP3
Topics: A first in The Advocate's history! This show was broadcast live on-location outside Planned Parenthood. Fr.Orsi and Dean Milhizer had the opportunity to speak with students and local residents who are there to stop abortion and give expectant mothers the knowledge that there are other options and that there are people who can help them without having an abortion.
 

Guests:

  • Father Michael P. Orsi, , Chaplain, Research Fellow in Law & Religion

  • Dean Eugene Milhizer, , Professor of Law, Ave Maria School of Law

  • Steve Muff, Student

  • John DePrisco, Ave Maria School of Law Network Operations Manager

  • Tony Petro, Ave Maria School of Law Audio Visual Coordinator

WDEO - The Advocate - 10/14/2009

8 posted on 01/09/2010 12:03:02 PM PST by Notwithstanding (Wer glaubt ist nie allein. Who believes is never alone.)
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To: mlizzy

Clubs and Organizations

 Chess Club  Tennis Club  Student Government Yearbook  International Students  Ice Skating Club 
 Students for Life  Knights of Columbus Chastity Team  Swing Dance Club  Sodalitas Pontificis Sancti Gregorii Magni  Faith in Action
 Habitat for Humanity Outreach  Immokalee Outreach Club  Drama Club  Student Activities Board  Operation Prayer Packages  Hiking and Mountaineering Club
Communion and Liberation  St. Thomas More Debate Society  Sigma  Big Brothers Big Sisters  Spring Break Mission Trip Rugby
Fishing Club          

Chess Club:
The Chess Club at Ave Maria motivates students to participate in this mental exercise.
More Information.

Tennis Club:
The purpose of the Tennis Club is to grow in fellowship while enjoying the physical benefit which the tennis game will bring. The tennis club will provide an opportunity for tennis players, as well as those interested in becoming tennis players, to compete against one another in a friendly setting.
More Information.

Student Government:
More Information. 

Yearbook:
The Yearbook Club is a group of students, staff and volunteers who spend countless hours of editing, picture taking, writing and formatting. This organization is good for anyone with an interest in publications or skills in communications.
More Information.

International Students:
On the whole, the essence of the I.S. is directed toward a deeper integration of the international students and the rest of the University in academic, social, and spiritual aspects.
More Information.

Ice Skating Club:
More Information.

Students for Life:
The Students for Life club is committed to education and empowering a majority of the AMY student body to become involved in Pro-Life activities.
More Information.

Knights of Columbus:
An officially recognized chapter of the national organization.
More Information.

Chastity Team:
A group for the promotion of chaste lifestyle.
More Information.

Swing Dance Club:
The Swing Dance club is a group of students who gather every Friday night and have fun with swing dancing.
More Information.

Sodalitas Pontificis Sancti Gregorii Magni:
To cultivate and restore traditional Catholic piety, practice and devotions unto the glory of God, the honor of His saints and the sanctification of ourselves,, the school, and the society at large by educating the student body in the "virtues" of the traditional Roman Liturgy, to increase the solemnity of newer forms of worship and advance modesty with regard to the Liturgy.
More Information.

Faith in Action:
The purpose of the Faith in Action club is to provide students opportunities to use and develop skills in teaching the faith. Furthermore to provide a community which prays together and learns from each other of those interested in this ministry. Faith in Action will work with a youth group on a regular basis to assist them in strengthening their community and prayer.
More Information.

Habitat for Humanity Outreach:
Every week a group of staff, faculty and students will assist Habitat for Humanity in building homes for those in need. It is a great outreach program which allows those who participate an opportunity and learning new skills. Whether it is painting the house or hammering nails into the walls, everyone participates in this great endeavor!
More Information.

Immokalee Outreach Club:
The Immokalee Outreach Club attempts to reach out to the community of Immokalee in hopes of establishing a long and lasting relationship by helping with daily needs (ex. Gardening, painting, cleaning.)
More Information.

Drama Club:
More Information.

Student Activities Board:
More Information.

Operation Prayer Packages:
Operation Prayer Packages is a prayer team for our troops overseas. A support organization that will send care packages to our troops stationed overseas during the holidays. This group will also hold fundraising events to raise money to construct and mail the packages.
More Information.

Hiking and Mountaineering Club:
The Ave Maria University Men's Outdoors Club is a means to an end. Its end is the increased holiness of its members and of the participants in the activities it organizes.
More Information.

Communion and Liberation:
Communion and Liberation is an ecclesial movement whose purpose is the education to Christian maturity of its adherents and collaboration in the mission of the Church in all the spheres of contemporary life.This group will meet and discuss Luigi Giussani's writings and how they pertain to our life and the Christian experience.
More Information.

St. Thomas More Debate Society:
The St. Thomas More Debate Society will seek to cultivate the meritorious skills of debate and persuasive speech which, through effective communication of concepts and analyses, demonstrate the pursuit of veritatis splendor.
More Information.

Sigma:
The purpose of Sigma is to foster and facilitate the interest and talent of students in the field of media, specifically film. The group will be working on videos, either for the University, in conjunction with and for the use of Catholic apostolic clubs on campus, and student-inspired group projects to further experience and familiarity of the students with video-making.
More Information.

Big Brothers Big Sisters:
More Information.

Spring Break Mission Trip:
More Information.

Rugby
More Information

Fishing Club
More Information

9 posted on 01/09/2010 12:21:15 PM PST by Notwithstanding (Wer glaubt ist nie allein. Who believes is never alone.)
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To: Salvation
Students for Life

Students for Life

 March for Life 2008 March for Life 2008   
   

 

 

 

Mission Statement:


The mission of Ave Maria University Students for Life is to promote the dignity of the individual human being from the moment of conception to natural death. We believe in the sanctity of all human life and work for a greater respect and love for life in all its stages. Through various fundraisers our ministry is able to grow and play a more integral part in the defense of life. We will not rest until abortion is made completely illegal and will never yield to those who wish to destroy the lives of innocent humans without a voice.

 

Spring 2009 Executive council:


Lauren Wilson  - President
Jon Scharfenberger - Vice-President
Samantha Donohue - Secretary
To Be Determined - Treasurer/Fundraising
To Be Determined - Campus Outreach
Travis Gonzales, Kathryn Madden, Tara Beresford

10 posted on 01/09/2010 12:27:32 PM PST by Notwithstanding (Wer glaubt ist nie allein. Who believes is never alone.)
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To: NYer; ArrogantBustard; narses; Miss Marple

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2424682/posts?page=6#6

Ping

11 posted on 01/09/2010 2:04:05 PM PST by Notwithstanding (Wer glaubt ist nie allein. Who believes is never alone.)
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To: mlizzy
Tom Golisano is a NY billionaire who ran for governor 3 times and fled New York over taxes.

Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano changes address to Florida to avoid New York taxes

Can't imagine how he could have earned the respect of Ave Maria College unless it was the result of a significant monetary donation.

12 posted on 01/09/2010 2:29:54 PM PST by NYer ("Where Peter is, there is the Church." - St. Ambrose of Milan)
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To: mlizzy
Sent to be my another FReeper:

Ave Maria University is Catholic to the core. The town itself cannot be and is not Catholic. The town must follow the Constitution, which currently is interpreted to consider abortion as a right. While there won’t be any abortions in town, the town cannot ban them.

As for Golisano, he fully supports what Ave Maria University is doing, and knows of their strong pro-life views. I find it touching that the man has spoken so strongly about the goals of AMU. He has had a conversion, I am sure. He has never been an advocate of abortion. Never. He may have associated with pr-aborts, abortion has never been his issue. While he was blind to such an important issue, he has now embraced the pro-life view. The author is treating Golisano like the elder brother treated the prodigal son. Golisano has humbled himself in this whole episode by his actions. The prodigal son had nothing and came begging. Whereas Golisano had everything and has acknowedged it was not enough.

The author is truly unstable and has a persecution complex. She prefers the old latin Mass exclusively and bitches about everything else. She hates Ave Maria because the people here are actually Catholic and not exclusivist as she is.

I understand from the most well-placed sources that the Wanderer’s editor approached the university leadership indicating that the author would keep quiet for a payoff.

In any event, the sum total of her writings are diatribes railing against demons of her imagination.

Pray for her. She has made her children, husband and neighbors miserable - and she herself cannot be happy.


13 posted on 01/09/2010 2:53:40 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

What-This I do not believe.

“I understand from the most well-placed sources that the Wanderer’s editor approached the university leadership indicating that the author would keep quiet for a payoff.”

14 posted on 01/09/2010 3:10:42 PM PST by fatima (Free Hugs Today :))
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To: Salvation

I don’t know a lot about The Wanderer. I know it’s been around forever (founded 1867), but I don’t know how Catholic it is. Fill me in! But the headlines on the front page are strong, and the one article I did read so far about Obamacare was really written well. It’s a strongly worded piece by Dexter Duggan, that is only available through paid subscription evidently. I couldn’t find it for free online. But I’ve heard both positive and negative things about Ave Maria University. Hard to know what’s true. I would like to know if Fox News was actually forbidden to cover news there, as the author of this post claimed, because, that would be very negative indeed.

15 posted on 01/09/2010 5:09:53 PM PST by mlizzy ("Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person" --Mother Teresa.)
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4 posted on 01/10/2010 12:16:40 PM PST by Notwithstanding (Wer glaubt ist nie allein. Who believes is never alone.)
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To: GonzoII

No prob.


5 posted on 01/10/2010 12:20:22 PM PST by Notwithstanding (Wer glaubt ist nie allein. Who believes is never alone.)
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To: GonzoII

There’s plenty of problems at Ave Maria U.

But I also know from personal experience that the Wanderer takes what it gets over the transom and DOES NOT do normal journalistic fact checking. I know because they printed falsehoods received over the transom that a simple phone call to check with the principals (including me) would have prevented. I know writers for the Wanderer who publish there precisely because the Wanderer does not edit their stuff—these are people who have written for standard newspapers where one has an editor going over what you submit.

I also know other faithful Catholics who have been victims of falsehoods published in the Wanderer where a phone call or two would have prevented the falsehoods from being published.

Ave Maria U. has many failings.

But I never believe what I read in the Wanderer prima facie. I always have my salt-shaker handy.

It’s a shame. The Wanderer could do even more good than it does if it just practiced regular, normal journalism, if it just practiced the Catholic faith’s proscription of Detraction and Slander. To avoid Detraction and Slander one has to fact-check.


6 posted on 01/10/2010 12:34:55 PM PST by Houghton M.
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To: GonzoII; NYer; Salvation; vladimir998

The Wanderer has issued a retraction and apology regarding false content of this article. See the link below


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2500280/posts

The Wanderer Retracts “False Statements” About Ave Maria

The editor of The Wanderer has publicly retracted “false statements” that were published in the weekly newspaper about the town of Ave Maria and Ave Maria University.

In a statement titled “Retraction and Correction,” published in the April 29 edition of The Wanderer, Editor Alphonse J. Matt Jr. apologized for six different errors in fact that appeared in stories published in August, 2009, and January, 2010. Both stories were written by Ave Maria town resident Marielena Montesino de Stuart.

Mr. Matt said his retraction was “in accord with The Wanderer’s policy to offer a prompt apology and retraction for any factual inaccuracies pub­lished in The Wanderer.” He said that the errors were detailed in a letter from lawyers representing Ave Maria University.

Three of the statements were in a January, 2010, article that claimed abortions could be permissible in the town of Ave Maria despite statements to the contrary by the town’s developers. Mr. Matt acknowledge that covenants in the town of Ave Maria do prohibit abortion and that “we retract and apologize for” statements that suggested otherwise.

The other false statements, Mr. Matt said, were in an August, 2009, article by Mrs. Montesino de Stuart in which she said the “university aggressively recruits non-Catholics and/or seculat students” which the university’s lawyers called “100% false.”

Ave Maria University officials had no immediate comment on The Wanderer’s retraction.

The full text of The Wanderer retraction is available on the web only to subscribers of the publication.


7 posted on 04/25/2010 2:49:00 PM PDT by Notwithstanding
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To: Notwithstanding

Thanks for the ping!


8 posted on 04/25/2010 3:06:13 PM PDT by Salvation ( "With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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