Ave Maria Living.com
Ave Maria, Florida – the town with a Catholic heart.©™ Stories & information for residents & visitors.Archive for Ave Maria Florida
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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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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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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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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Location of the new Ave Maria Center for Truth, Beauty and Goodness* and Mother Teresa Museum
For those who are curious, we have pieced together exactly where the Ave Maria Center f
or Truth, Beauty and Goodness* will be located. Today AMU issued a press release with this site plan:
According to the clues provided in the Ave Herald, we can overlay the site plan onto the official county map of Ave Maria to see exactly where AMU plans to build the performing arts center and Mother Teresa museum:
[*not its real name]
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Beautiful: The 7 minutes after “This Mass has ended. Go in peace.”
Artist Rylan Steele, whose work we have linked to for many months, gives us a creative and beautiful look at the 7 minutes following the dismissal of two Masses at the Ave Maria Oratory.
I spy FOCUS missionary Trey Johnson…
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Big news: Ave Maria Center for Truth, Beauty & Goodness* launches this week
After a year of whispers, the news finally leaks out as Ave Maria University gets ready for its annual gala: a new $10 million performing arts center is planned. The Ave Herald has the best details (they usually do).
May this facility ever be to God’s greater glory and may God bless Myra Daniels.
[*not its real name]
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Appreciating how good we have it
One joy and privilege of being in Ave Maria is the abundance of people we encounter each day who raise us up, show us mercy, remind us of our raison d’etre, and who witness and inspire hope, gratitude and joy. And who make us think. Life is hard – but we can’t be reminded often enough that the good things in life require sacrifice.
Father Robert McTeigue, SJ, has been with Ave Maria University since the beginning, providing such encouragement, inspiration and reminders to AMU for a decade. And to the people in town for almost 7 years.
A few years ago a visitor noticed how good his homily was and wrote about it. I wonder if she knows his homilies are always that good. I wonder if we appreciate how good we have it.
Just to entice you to click the link, here is a sample from the homily:
Socrates was intolerant of the Sophists. Moses was intolerant of Pharaoh. Jesus was intolerant of the Pharisees. Frederick Douglass was intolerant of slavery. Blessed Rupert Mayer was intolerant of the Nazis. Blessed Mother Teresa was intolerant of abortion. Blessed Pope John Paul was intolerant of the culture of death. Intolerance can be a beautiful thing — you just need to know how to do it properly.
Jesuits can be awesome.
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What you missed if you weren’t studying at AMU
These posters Professor Michael Pakaluk has designed speak volumes about Ave Maria University (don’t worry, someone already let him know about one world-renown Thomist who should be added). Is there anyone else he missed? He also has a question for you at the link. For those who don’t already know: most of these lectures were open to the public, too. Another reason to love living here in Ave Maria.
Full image at the link.
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Ave Marians Who Blog
Please let me know of any other blogs related to Ave Maria.
http://philosophy.avemaria.edu
http://Stein-Center.org
http://AlexofAveMaria.com
http://blog.avemaria.edu
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/barefootandpregnant/
http://ethicsculture.blogspot.com
http://janebubnis.wordpress.com
http://faithandale.com
http://johnsonmissionaryfamily.wordpress.com
http://michaelnovak.net/blog
http://michaelpakaluk.com
http://MidnightKitchen.wordpress.com
http://modernletters.wordpress.com
http://economicsandvirtue.wordpress.com
http://mirielmargaret.blogspot.com
http://www.singtheswingset.com
http://www.sullivanart.com
http://theflyingseminarian.blogspot.com
http://thepraetorium.com
http://WorldSlices.wordpress.com
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Incense: Blogging about Ave Maria circa 2007
Seven years ago some of us were blogging about Ave Maria. An archive of hopes and expectations. 
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Did you hear the one about Harvard, St. Dominic, and Ave Maria?
But, it’s no joke. Some of you may recall reading about this impressive Latin scholar from Harvard a few years back. Well, a novitiate and some temporary vows later, and now she is a Dominican Sister studying theology here at Ave Maria University. Even though this story is no joke there is one thing that might make you smile: the irony of her very beautiful name, Sister Maria Veritas.
Veritas.
Truth?
At Harvard?
Medallion
of the
DSMME
Veritatis Splendor
Splendor of Truth
AMU’s motto
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3 degrees of unity: Ave Maria pastor requests Synod input from the faithful
While sometimes we think Rome is so far away, in fact each Catholic parishioner is only three steps from the Pontiff: parishioner to pastor, pastor to bishop, bishop to pope. As requested by Pope Francis, our local shepherd, Bishop Frank Dewane, has asked our pastor Father Cory Mayer to gather from parishioners feedback for the upcoming extraordinary synod having the theme “Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization”. As is the custom with a synod, the pope has asked for input from all parts of the globe so as to assist the bishops as they prepare for and participate in the synod meeting. 
This exercise is a shining example of the real love and concern that is shared across these relationships we have with our pastors at every level – their pastoral love and concern for us and our love and concern for them as brothers in Christ and as the shepherds God has provided to lead us on life’s pilgrimage. This is a unique opportunity to share our views and concerns with our spiritual leaders at every level.
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Several Ave Maria Homeowner Associations Modify HOA Documents
By Attorney Robb Klucik
Before reviewing the recent rule modifications, here is a brief sketch of rules governing homeownership in the town of Ave Maria. Like many other communities in Florida, homes in Ave Maria are subject to the provisions of private homeowners association (“HOA”) documents. These detailed and lengthy legal documents are recorded in the public records by the Collier County Clerk, and are disclosed to homebuyers before buying the home. Homeowners must abide by these documents, and so must renters and guests. In Ave Maria, there are several layers:
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Ave Maria Odyssey to the Dry Tortugas
What: 100-mile sailing voyage from Naples
Harbor to Dry Tortugas (and 100-mile return trip)
Vessel: 36 foot sailboat Jubilee, federally registered with home port of Ave Maria, Florida
When: May 10 – May 14, 2013
Skipper: Captain Bob Campbell, owner of the Jubilee
Crew: Drew Emmans, Jim Fox, John Fox (with 2 college friends Steve & Mark), Darryl Klein, Robb Klucik, John-Paul Klucik, Tim Moore, and Sam Moore
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