Ave Maria Living.com
Ave Maria, Florida – the town with a Catholic heart.©™ Stories & information for residents & visitors.Archive for Observations
Shakespeare’s eros: What You Ought
It was hard not to smile as the cast of What You Will skillfully serenaded the audience with the pop song “Happy” prior to the start of the play. That same joy continued as the play’s director, Professor Travis Curtright, was presented with the Laub-Novak Award for Excellence in Teaching.
AMU’s Shakespeare In Performance troupe celebrates after opening night.
Playing to a packed small classroom, the opening night cast gave an extremely confident and uproariously funny performance of Shakespeare’s comic tale of a lord, a lady, courtiers, shipwrecked twins, concealed identity, confused and unrequited love – and a very witty and bawdy jester. Well-sung, well-chosen pop music punctuated the play as if the songs were selected by the Bard himself.*
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Angelic inspiration from Father Fessio’s anti-blog
Not a few of us miss that great Jesuit and AMU co-founder, Father Joseph Fessio, the founder of publisher Ignatius Press. Back when he lived here in Ave Maria, he came to the house for dinner and gave us a book, The Grain of Wheat, a collection of aphorisms by the great theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar. The book’s short thoughtful sentences – each one a complete thought – made my prayer time extremely fruitful. They offer a sublime concision.
Now Father Fessio has a new project that he calls his anti-blog. These are the two reasons he calls it an anti-blog:
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Great News: Scanlon new athletic & formation director at Donahue Catholic
Two sources have confirmed that beloved Shamrock football coach Rich Scanlon has been hired by Donahue Catholic as its Director of Athletics, Director of Formation, and Physical Education Instructor. Last week Coach Read the rest of this entry »
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Sunset carriage ride in Ave Maria
A friend whose home overlooks Annunciation Circle posted this amazing photo and its caption on social media. She gave me permission to share it here. Thanks, MR!
Update: You might be able to arrange a similar ride by contacting Ave Maria’s own equestrian center, The Stable Life.
A beautiful evening here in Ave. A family is taking a carriage ride through the town of Ave and enjoying the sunset.
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Typical Saturday in Ave Maria: cappuccino, Mass, little league, rugby, confession, brewing beer, etc.
Many people arrive at this blog by googling terms such as “what is Ave Maria really like”. This post tries to give some insight by sharing what a typical Saturday looks like for an Ave Maria family. These are some of the things members of my family did yesterday: walked to adoration and morning Mass, made cappuccino for a neighbor, biked to the little league game, walked to church to make First Confession, biked to 
local ice cream shop to celebrate, walked across the street to play/watch rugby matches, biked to neighbor’s porch to brew (and consume) India pale ale, visited grandmother down the street who just got home from hip replacement (and arranged to have pastor bring Holy Communion to her on Sunday), 
watched toddler of a young couple who had a date night, brought guitar to neighbor for restringing, walked over to a praise festival at the university, and walked to the Catholic school to play organized games at the gym. I’m sure I only left out a dozen other things.
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Afternoon pilgrimage with Mother Teresa: “If there are poor on the moon we will go there”
I had wanted to see the new Mother Teresa exhibit in Ave Maria since it opened on April 2. After some good news at work, I walked downstairs and headed down the block toward the exhibit to make an act of thanksgiving to God. And I am so glad I did. The exhibit was very moving. For anyone who felt Mother’s absence when she left this world it will be hard not to well up with emotion at every information panel in the exhibit.
What a gift it is to have here in Ave Maria Mother’s Read the rest of this entry »
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Palm Sunday with Fr. McTeigue: History might not repeat itself but it rhymes
The readings for today’s Mass for Palm Sunday, which focus on the Lord’s Passion, were the inspiration for this homily given by Father Robert McTeigue, SJ, a homilist par excellence who teaches Philosophy at Ave Maria University and preaches almost every day to the students and parishioners of Ave Maria:
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Throwback Saturday: Oratory dedication 2008
It was a great day! Click image below for full story (it’s short but worth a read). Can you find the two references to AMU’ s two mottos?
This was written when Bishop Dewane dedicated the Ave Maria Oratory in 2008
Click thumbnails to go to Naples Daily News coverage.
Click here for the video.
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What’s the population of Ave Maria?
At tonight’s annual AMU Founder’s Club Dinner in Naples, the chief operating officer of Barron Collier Companies, Brian Goguen, gave an Ave Maria town update to the nearly 300 attendees. No doubt, the Ave Herald has more details, but these are some highlights:
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Marriage means something in Ave Maria
Ryan T. Anderson, quite possibly the nation’s most articulate defender of the age-old understanding of marriage across cultures, eras and continents, will be in town today. Don’t miss it.
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West Point and Ave Maria
Jack Donahue, West Point Class of 1946, is one of Ave Maria’s biggest benefactors, as this bronze plaque behind the Oratory explains
What do Ave Maria and West Point have in common? Not much, really. But we can stretch to find a connection in order to share a really neat story that hit the internet this week. So here goes: Jack Donahue, who along with his wife Rhodora (that Rhodora) is one of Ave Maria University’s biggest benefactors, graduated from West Point in 1946. That really is enough of a connection, I think.*
The story being shared is simple, except that its two-dozen photographs give a glimpse into an American treasure that still holds fast to at least some anachronistic traditions. When you click through, be sure to scroll down to see a portion of the 4400 cadets who stream into the mess hall and simultaneously sit down to eat in a 20-second time-lapse video.
Just one ofmore six wings in the Gothic mess hall that seats 4400 cadets, who all sit down simultaneously to eat three times a day
*Full disclosure: As an alum and president of the West Point Society of Naples, yours truly is quite biased (and ate probably 3500 meals in this mess hall).
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Youth 2000: Thank you!
This team led about 100 students in the Youth 2000 retreat in Ave Maria, Florida, this past weekend, with the assistance of dozens more volunteers. Pictured are Joey Haas, Martin Doman, Sister John Paul O.P., and six members of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.
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A year in Ave Maria, Florida
Bob and Erin Campbell have lived in town since almost the beginning. Hailing from Iowa, Erin is an alum of Ave Maria College. Bob is from Bayonne, NJ, and his alma mater is Franciscan University of Steubenville. Both Bob and Erin are Marine Corps veterans. They and their three daughters just welcomed a new boy to the family. Bob helps coach the football team at Donahue Catholic and is active with the Knights of Columbus and the Naples St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee. They are both real estate agents at the John R. Wood Properties office located in Ave Maria.
They created this video to celebrate the past twelve months doing business in the town they call home, Ave Maria.
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Update: Myra talks Ave Maria on Sunday TV
This teaser video clip (click the photo) has me curious. Myra Daniels really does love Ave Maria, and this Sunday we’ll be able to hear why.
UPDATE: Wow – Myra is passionate about Mother Teresa, Ave Maria University, and the town of Ave Maria. Full video is now available here.
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Lent & Easter liturgies in Ave Maria
As Lent continues, several special liturgies are approaching: Palm Sunday, Holy Week, the Easter Triduum itself, and then Divine Mercy Sunday. The Ave Herald has the schedule, and these AMU flyers provide details for Lenten observances and worship at the Ave Maria Oratory.
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Bishop Dewane in Ave Maria to support youth
On Saturday evening Bishop Frank Dewane celebrated the vigil Mass at the Ave Maria Oratory with parishioners. His visit was in support of the Youth2000 retreat being held in town this weekend.
Five Franciscan Friars giving the retreat and pastor Father Cory Mayer concelebrated the Mass. With nearly 100 local high school and college students participating, the retreat was organized by Sister John Paul, O.P., a teacher at Donahue Catholic academy, and supported by dozens of volunteers.
Bishop Dewane expressed joy in his own vocation while encouraging the retreatants to seriously consider whether God might be calling the young men to be priests or Religious, and the young women to enter Religious life. While in town he also spent time with middle school students.
Venice Bishop Frank Dewane distributes Holy Communion at the Ave Maria Oratory assisted by altar boy Joseph Klucik
A shaft of bright sunlight focuses attention on Venice Bishop Frank Dewane and Father Cory Mayer during Mass in Ave Maria
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Duc in Altum: Vocations Fest 2014
Ave Maria University is hosting Vocations Fest 2014 on Friday April 9. The Herald has more details. Contact campusministry@avemaria.edu for more information or to rsvp for the BBQ.
Meet & Greet at Student Union: 11:00am-2:00pm
Outdoor BBQ and live Music: 5:00pm-7:00pm
The following groups will be present:
Diocese of Venice, FL
Dominican Friars
Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
Franciscan Capuchins
Missionaries of Charity
Order of Friar Minor
Oblates of St. Joseph
The Piarist Fathers
Salesians of St. John Bosco
Society of Jesus
Order of the Most Holy Trinity
Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist*
Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal
Franciscan Sisters, TOR
Little Sisters of the Poor
Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco
Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker
* editor’s favorite
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Wired Magazine does the Ave Maria a bit differently
You may recall the work in Ave Maria of photographer Rylan Steele from a prior piece (and his website is here). Today Wired magazine featured his photographs of Ave Maria along with his reflections about the town. Unlike most of the pieces about Ave Maria that simply restate all the tired caricatures of the town, this one actually highlights the photographer’s insistence that we are genuine – a real community of people with admirable intentions.*
“I’ve started to identify with the people living there and why they might want to live in a place where they know their neighbor, can leave their bike in the front yard overnight, and probably the doors unlocked.”
He, a non-believer, defends us! It seems that Steele – having spent time with us – actually cares about us and doesn’t want people to accept the caricatures. Thanks Rylan. Please keep coming back. 
* Yes, the headline stinks, and yes there is a bit of the typical Ave-bashing, but we can lay that at the feet of the Wired editor. And the photos are stale – from 2011.
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Hail Myra (hail, yes)
The formidable Myra Daniels has been a “maker” for decades – a doer, a rut buster. This week the local PBS station featured this short profile, which highlights her involvement with the Mother Teresa Museum at Ave Maria. Myra (a Jewish octegenarian) mentioned praying about her post-retirement projects. She chose to help the Salvation Army and Ave Maria University, saying she was very inspired by Mother Teresa’s gift of self to others. It is something she wants to imitate in her own way. Hail Myra.
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Shakespeare’s What You Will at Ave Maria: a jester who seriously enjoys acting
Name: Nicholas Ciavarra
School: Ave Maria University
Major: Humanities
Graduation: 2015
Troupe: Shakespeare in Performance at AMU
Play: What You Will (aka Twelfth Night) (click here for tickets April 16-27)
Years with the troupe and various jobs and roles: This is my second year with the troupe. Last year, I played the role of Claudio and this year I am playing the role of the clown, Feste. I performed at the Ave Maria Scholarship Dinner too.
How did you discover and become part of Shakespeare in Performance? I transferred to Ave Maria in the fall of 2012 from a prestigious Liberal Arts college in Massachusetts, where I was pursuing a theatre minor. Whenever I told someone at Ave Maria about my interest in theatre,
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Carved in stone: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ
The Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is normally celebrated on March 25 (tomorrow), which is nine months before the Feast of Christmas. It is also known as the Feast of the Incarnation and the Annunciation of the Lord. 
The feast marks a gospel episode that has been portrayed in art countless times through the centuries, often with the angel Gabriel kneeling before a standing Mary.
Of course, the town of Ave Maria is named after this Incarnation episode. 
Fronting Ave Maria Boulevard (but with the altar facing east) and situated in the middle of Annunciation Circle, the Oratory at the very center of town features the massive Annunciation sculpture, carved here in town in glistening white Carrara marble by Márton Váró from 2009 to 2011. The sculpture is composed of huge carved blocks that are stacked on top of one another and set into the arched tympanum on the front of the Oratory. The carved block portraying Mary’s head and torso was lowered into place from a crane at 6:00 p.m. on January 7, 2011, at which point onlookers joyfully prayed the Angelus (led by Dan Guernsey).
This is how the Annunciation story is told in Luke 1:26-38:
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” And the angel said to her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
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All hail, Mary! Let the feasting begin!
On Tuesday March 25 Ave Maria University hosts students and townsfolk alike at its second annual grand Annunciation Feast. This is the seventh year the town and parish have celebrated the Annunciation; this day marks the sixth anniversary of the Oratory’s consecration on this feast day in 2008 by Bishop Frank Dewane.
For all who carry the Ave Maria banner – town, parish and university – this is the feast day of
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Giorgio: Life is Beautiful
We love you Giorgio, and we love your father and mother Scott and Chelsea and all your brothers and sisters.
Giorgio Allan, child of God, beloved son of Ave Maria.
This video tribute was created by Giorgio’s brother, Dominic.
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We love you, Giorgio.
Giorgio Allan
b. June 5, 2013
† March 17, 2014
Beautiful child of God.
Son of Ave Maria.
Pray for us.
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THIS is how to promote the Culture of Life (Ave Maria University)
This week Ave Maria University celebrates the Culture of Life with a “Life Week” of programmed
events. Choose life!
LIFE WEEK – March 17-23:
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Ave Herald continues to deliver the news about Ave Maria
Since its founding in 2007, the town of Ave Maria has been able to consistently rely on one solid source for news: the Ave Maria Herald, a project of Pat Sette and David Shnaider, who moved their family to town in the beginning. 
We are fortunate to have them as part of our community. In the past week alone the Herald reported the following important news stories:
Seminole Tribe Reported Planning Hard Rock Hotel for Immokalee
Contributions of AMU Community Acknowledged at Former AMU Nicaragua Campus
Ave Maria Law School Names New President
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Mother Teresa exhibit opens April 2, anniversary of John Paul II’s death
Ave Maria University’s new Mother Teresa Project Exhibition Hall will open to the public on April
2, 2014. According to new information on its website, this date was selected “in honor of Mother Teresa’s friend, Pope John Paul II, on the ninth anniversary of his entrance into heaven.” The opening had been tentatively slated for the feast of St. Joseph, March 19.
According to its website, the Mother Teresa Project “educates students on the life and unique spirituality of Mother Teresa through a program of study that immerses them in her life and writings.”
Update: Link to the AMU press release.
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Saint Patrick’s Day good news: extended bank hours starting April 21
Leave it to Saint Patrick to give us cause for at least a small celebration on his feast day, even as one of his shamrocks starts to fade from view.
As was previously announced, Shamrock Bank is merging into First National Bank of the Gulf Coast. A FNBGC employee confirmed that the Ave Maria branch will be open Monday through Friday starting April 21, 2014.
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Ave Maria to celebrate St. Joseph’s Day
Every year the Church throughout the world celebrates the feast of Saint Joseph on March 19. Italians are known for celebrating this feast in particular. Our pastor, Father Cory Mayer just happens to be Italian. So this year the parish has several things planned to mark this special feast day.
Wednesday March 19, 2014: At noon Father Mayer will celebrate Mass in the Oratory, after which he will give the traditional blessing of the Saint Joseph bread. By tradition the bread is made from a slightly sweetened dough flavored with anise. This will be followed by a concert of sacred music in the Oratory given by the Southwest Florida Italian Opera Society, featuring Eva Evola, Ellie Roberts, Dino Valle.
Update: at 5:00 p.m. there will be a St. Joseph’s Day table and meal at Donahue Catholic in Ave Maria.
This is how one family in Ave Maria celebrates the day:
Family and friends celebrate a traditional Saint Joseph’s Day table with sfinge (also known as zeppoli), St. Joseph bread, oranges, fennel, eggplant, fish, artichokes and pasta
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Newsflash: Ave Maria is Normal
Ave Maria University: Normal?
Every year or so somebody writes a summary about how the Ave Maria project – town and university – is progressing. While the most recent such article appearing in Gulfshore Life seems to start with that broad aim by recapping some history, it ends up focusing only on Ave Maria University. If you don’t have time to read it yourself, here are some highlights along with article quotations from each of the people shown in the photos:
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One year ago: Habemus Papam
One year ago, a daughter of Ave Maria was among these holy women as they joyfully received the news “habemus papam”. Can you spot her big smile?
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Art: AMU alum John Broadhead’s “Reflection Films”
This is the animated logo for Reflection Films, a project of AMU alumnus John Broadhead.
Pretty sweet, huh? If you click around and watch, you will soon realize John is a real film maker. An artist even. You can check out Reflection Films’ latest project below, and maybe you will want to help fund the project (click).
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What’s up at Ave Maria University?
The 3rd Annual AMU Scholarship Dinner was held on Feb. 20, 2014 at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples.
Someone in the know had this to say:
The whole video is great: Cog Audino juggling during Jim Towey’s speech, Myra’s passion about the Performing Arts Center, and everything. But if you really want the goods, check out Travis’ troupe at 1:50 when Andrew Olson, Michael Stewart, Nicholas Robert George Ciavarra, John C Miller, Peter Atkinson, and Andrew Heim rock out to One Direction.
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RUGBY: Ave Maria University Wins its First State Championship
Click: very important message from Papist Rugby Club.
submitted by John Audino
[Editor’s note: In support of this great effort of Catholic sportsmen, the Alex Klucik Memorial Fund is pleased to pledge $100 to the fundraising efforts of the Papist Rugby Club.]
True to form and to their authentically Catholic fervor, the lads took a knee … witnesses to the glory of the day to offer that glory up to the God Who made them and to His most Holy Mother, the patroness of their alma mater.
On Saturday, March 8th, the Ave Maria University Papists Rugby team took to the road in hopes of finishing off a first ever undefeated season. With a storybook rematch against the University of North Florida standing between AMU and glory, the stage was set for a dramatic season finale.
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Ave Maria: home is where the orange blossoms grow
[Update: scroll to the end.]
This time of year, Ave Maria smells heavenly.
Thick waves of perfume waft along sidewalks and onto front porches.
This beautiful breeze flows from the acres of orange groves in blossom – row upon row of snowy flowering trees that surround Ave Maria.
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New in Town: Ave Maria Car Wash
Last month a custom car wash opened at the Mobil station in Ave Maria.
They have a facebook page, which offers this information about their services:
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Invitation from Sister John Paul: Youth 2000 in Ave Maria
The wise and wonderful Sister John Paul, O.P. (DSMME), wants everyone (especially students who mi
ght not have heard yet) to know about the upcoming Youth 2000 event. It is sponsored by Rhodora J. Donahue Academy of Ave Maria and will take place in the Ave Maria University ballroom. There is a requested fee, but scholarships are available to all who ask (just write “partial/full scholarship requested” on the application).
Forms are below. Here is the note that Sister sent me:
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Sunset – last night in Ave Maria
Who remembers the sky-blue pink crayon in the big green and yellow Crayola box (with the sharpener on the back)?
Photo by Linda, an Ave Maria resident.
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Sharing Ave Maria 16,000 times in One Year
The graphic below shows our website traffic statistics for the last 365 days. If you like what we are doing here to provide people with information about Ave Maria, then please let your friends know about us. We can always use a boost.
For the las
t seven days the statistics are even better – we had almost 1300 page views in just one week:
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Ave Maria: this is who we are
Road trip to the Mother House in Ann Arbor. Our daughter met the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist back there when she was one of their students from 2000 to 2003. She was reacquainted with the Sisters in 2007 at their mission convent in Ave Maria where five Sisters live in our neighborhood (3 of them teach at the amazing Catholic K-12 school in town). In 2012 she became a postulant and she is now a Novice.
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New Advent: Go Catholic!
It was great to see AMU’s impressive Go Catholic! “Truth is Our Story” campaign (featuring Father Robert McTeigue, SJ) get featured at New Advent, the amazing Catholic news aggregator.
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Mother Teresa at the Ritz
AMU had its big gala tonight (at the Ritz). The legendary Myra Daniels (may God bless her and this project more and more) and President Towey seem well-positioned to raise the millions needed for the new performing arts theater and Mother Teresa museum. I am a big supporter of this very worthy project, which will be about 300 yards from my front porch. But I couldn’t stop laughing at the first sentence of this story (close your eyes and imagine a wrinkled Sister in a white sari tapping her toes to the music):
Click to read the original article’s first sentence
which brought this book to mind:
Monsignor Albacete’s book “God at the Ritz” is excellent (if you live in town I’ll loan it to you)
UPDATE: As ever, the Ave Herald has the best coverage of the gala:
“You have blessed me by giving me the chance to do this,” Mrs. Daniels said. “This is the most exciting thing I have done. It’s needed, it’s wanted, and it will change the life of the students.”
and of the dedication of the temporary home of the Mother Teresa Museum:
Sr. Lima Marie told the group, “I really feel the presence of Mother here. Anyone who visits won’t be the same person when they come out of this room.”
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We are AVE MARIA
My neighbors and I are wonderfully created fallen people hoping in the promises of Christ our Redeemer, Who came to dwell in our midst after the angel said “Hail Mary, full of grace!”
Sometimes we look a lot like the cast of not-so-pleasant characters in this leaf from an ancient book of hours. Yet we carry on, trusting in God’s grace – the same grace that filled Mary and that she wants us to know.
That’s who lives here in Ave Maria – and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
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Boomtown Ave Maria
Arthrex begins its expansion in Ave Maria: More construction, more jobs, more neighbors.
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Things to do in Ave Maria
There’s always something going on in Ave Maria. Here are some suggestions. And the Herald is always worth a look:
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In case you missed it: Ave Maria’s Waldstein reacts to Pope Francis
Did you miss this, too? Last summer Ave Maria University theology professor Susie Waldstein and resident Bill Dunstan superbly answered media inquiries about Pope Francis. Dr. Waldstein and her husband, professor Michael Waldstein, previously served on the Pontifical Council for the Family.
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Save this: Ave Maria HOA Contact and Amenity Information
Do you ever wonder which HOA person you can call? Do you have a number but not the best number? Do you really need to send an email instead, but you can’t find the address of that particular HOA person? Here is a list of all the HOA and Amenity contact information in two formats:
As a PDF file you can print and also save on your phone or computer so you can just click the phone number, email addresses and web addresses:
And as an image you can print:
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