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Page 1: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

SPRING 2016

OUR LADY OF

GUADALUPE PRAYER

GARDENNEW STATUE

DEDICATED

Page 2: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

The Ave Maria University community gathers at the

annual Feast of the Annunciation celebration in April.

PHOTO BY DAVID ALBERS

Page 3: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

Contents 03 Letter from the President04 News07 Faculty11 Speaker Series26 Campus Community28 University Digest31 Giving32 Athletics Update34 In Memoriam36 President’s Blog

12COVER STORY: AM I NOT HERE, I, WHO AM YOUR MOTHER?Ave Maria University dedicates the Our Lady of Guadalupe Statue and Prayer Garden.

16WHERE ARE THEY GOING?Meet nine graduates from the Class of 2016 that have hopes of changing the world.

20THE FIFTH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP DINNERHis Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan provided lots of laughter in his keynote address, and also shared his heartfelt belief that AMU students are making a difference through the recipe of reason, love, and joy.

22LEAVING LEGACIESAve Maria University is known for its nobility. Meet just a few of the University’s many legacy families that have put their faith in Our Lady’s hands and supported AMU since its infancy.

24IT’S IN THE DETAILSCanizaro Library Director Jennifer Nodes works to keep the library crisp with content to inspire and intrigue.

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Page 4: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

SPRING 2016VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1

PRESIDENTJIM TOWEY

EDITORCOLIN VOREIS

CONTRIBUTORSSTEPHEN AKERSJOSHUA AMBEAUSARAH BLANCHARDJOSIE HARTNEYSTACY LAFFEREVERONICA MACIASEMMA MARTIN

PHOTOGRAPHYDAVID ALBERSGRACE CABREYCHRIS DECLEENENICHOLE KENDALLTHOMAS GREENFIELDJEREMIAH RAPPLEYOSCAR VALLE

DESIGNREVEL 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 Office of

Institutional Advancement, Ave Maria University, 5050 Ave

Maria Blvd., Ave Maria, FL 34142.

Ave Maria University is a Catholic, liberal arts institution

of higher learning devoted to Mary the Mother of God,

inspired by St. John Paul II and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta,

and dedicated to the formation of joyful, intentional

followers of Jesus Christ through Word and Sacrament,

scholarship and service.

ON THE COVERAVE MARIA UNIVERSITY’S OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE STATUE, DONATED BY JERRY AND LINDA STAFFORDPHOTO BY DAVID ALBERS

GET SOCIAL WITH AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY

Be sure to connect with AMU on social media! Whether it’s staying up-to-date with events on our Facebook feed, seeing life from a student perspective on Snapchat, or watching an academic

conference on our YouTube page, be sure to follow us to keep up with what’s happening on campus!

FACEBOOK/avemariauniv

INSTAGRAMavemariauniv

SNAPCHATavemariau

YOUTUBE/avemariauniversityfl

TWITTER@avemariauniv

Hangin’ OutVICTORIA ANTRAM (‘17) TAKES

ADVANTAGE OF THE SPRING WEATHERIN BETWEEN CLASSES.

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Page 5: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

Letter from President Towey

This academic year had many

significant milestones: our

reaccreditation through 2025;

growth to over 75 faculty

members, with new professors bearing

diplomas from Stanford, MIT, and other

prestigious universities; a new high in the

number of service hours by our students

in the Mother Teresa Project; and new

heights of intellectual rigor with a wide

range of conferences, guest speakers, and

topics (such as Thomism and the mystery

of predestination, Humanae Vitae, poverty,

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s

life, and religious liberty, among others).

This issue of the magazine details the

impressive scholarship of our faculty and

underscores their vital importance to the

University.

This year had other highlights. My wife

Mary and I had the privilege of personally

conveying AMU’s love and prayers directly

to His Holiness Pope Francis at the con-

clusion of his trip to the United States. The

group of AMU students and Vice President

Julie Cosden who accompanied us on the

trip will never forget the Pope’s farewell

liturgy in Philadelphia that put the “Mass”

in massive.

And this year, having two American Car-

dinals – Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese

of New York and trustee Seán O’Malley

of Boston – address AMU audiences,

underscored the merciful plan of God in

conveying the keys of the Kingdom to St.

Peter, his successors and those bishops in

communion with them. One would expect

no less during the Jubilee year of Mercy!

This year a group of AMU students

joined me in a regular study of the Gospel

of Luke. We concluded with a look at the

Easter story of the two disciples heading

toward Emmaus at sunset. We read how

Jesus led them gently to greater under-

standing, revealed Himself in the breaking

of the bread, and turned their disillu-

sionment into joy. Subsequently Jesus

appeared to the Eleven and said, “Remain

here in the city until you are clothed in

power from on high.” It was a new day for

all of them.

A faithful Christian journey is about

sunrises, not sunsets. It is about hope and

wonder and community. AMU students

“remain here in the city” for four short

years and by God’s grace are “clothed with

power” to engage a fallen culture and

change it, not flee it. They do this joyfully,

and this year our largest graduating class

ever (our first over 200) will be sent out

with hearts burning like those who met

the resurrected Jesus in Emmaus. Like the

disciples, AMU students leave our campus

ready to set the world on fire.

That’s the Ave difference. I hope you get

a glimpse of it in this edition!

Kind regards,

Jim Towey

President

President Towey shares a laugh with men’s basketball student-athletes Martez Harris (‘16, left) and Eric Richardson (‘18, right).

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Page 6: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

AMU REACCREDITED THROUGH 2025

On December 8, 2015, Ave Maria’s regional accred-itation association, Southern Association of

Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), reaccred-ited the University through 2025. Regional accreditation allows the University to receive Federal Financial Aid (Title IV) for students in the form of grants and loans. 

Reaccreditation was a three-year process, which began in 2012 with the implementation of institutional effectiveness and assessment processes. A SACSCOC leadership team was formed, chaired by then

VPAA Dr. Michael Dauphinais, to guide the process. In 2013, the Uni-versity began work on its Compli-ance Certification report, consist-ing of over 500 pages of narrative and 1000 exhibits demonstrating that AMU meets the 90+ standards outlined by SACSCOC. The report was commended by an off-site review committee for being clearly written, thorough, and well-docu-mented.

The University is grateful to the members of the University commu-nity who put in so much hard work during the 30-month affirmation process, especially Drs. Michael

Dauphinais, Seana Sugrue, Gabriel Martinez, Jorge Calvo, Keith Houde, and Christopher Alexan-der, as well as administrators Bob Farnham, Eddie Dejthai, Helen Altomari, and Christy Dorer.

Dr. Michael Dauphinais, who oversaw the reaccreditation pro-cess, commented: “I am grateful to have been a part of the Universi-ty’s first ten-year reaffirmation of accreditation. It was a delight to have worked closely with so many dedicated professionals among the faculty and staff, who together made this process successful.”

—Sarah Blanchard

I N F E B R U A R Y, A M U ’ S B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S A P P R O V E D T H R E E N E W M A J O R S :M A R K E T I N G , C H E M I S T R Y, A N D M A N A G E M E N T I N F O R M AT I O N S Y S T E M S

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Page 7: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

D I D Y O U K N O W ? C A R D I N A L O ’ M A L L E Y R E C E I V E D A N H O N O R A R Y D E G R E E F R O M A M U I N 2 0 1 0

CARDINAL O’MALLEY TO ADDRESS CLASS OF 2016

Ave Maria University welcomes His Eminence, Seán Cardinal O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap., as the commencement speaker for the University’s 13th commencement exercises on May 7.

“We are thrilled that Cardinal O’Malley is able to be with us on this special day and I know our graduates will be eager to hear his remarks,” said President Jim Towey. “His life experiences, his close friendship with Pope Francis, and his consistent advocacy for the sanctity of life, the dignity of the poor, and the need for joy and mercy in the lives of Christians, make him the ideal speaker in this Jubilee of Mercy the Holy Father has institut-ed this year.”

Cardinal O’Malley is in his 13th year as Bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, and 46th as an ordained priest. He was elevated to the rank of Cardinal-Priest in 2006 and is a key advisor to Pope Francis, serving as a mem-ber of the group of eight Cardinals assisting

the Holy Father on reforming the Church’s governance and central administration. His Eminence holds both Master’s and Doctor-al degrees from The Catholic University of America. He was a professor there for four years, and also serves as the Chairman of Catholic University’s Board of Trustees. He also is no stranger to Florida, having served as Bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach prior to his appointment in Boston.

A record 211 undergraduate students are expected to receive diplomas this year. Re-cent commencement speakers at Ave Maria University include former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Governor Rick Scott, Librarian of Congress James Billington, and Dr. Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute.

Cardinal O’Malley is in his 13th year as Bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, and 46th as an ordained priest.

GEORGE MARTELL/PILOT NEW MEDIA

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Page 8: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

AMUNEWS

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE: ST. GIANNA’S DAUGHTER VISITS AMU

St. Gianna Molla’s daughter, Dr. Esmeralda Molla, visited Ave Maria University during several months of travel throughout the United States. Esmeralda played a significant role in Pope Francis’ World Meeting of Families in the U.S. because her mother was selected as the patron saint for the event. St. Gianna Molla, Italian pediatrician, wife, and mother, is a great representative of motherhood and the pro-life movement. While pregnant with her fourth child, St. Gianna had to choose between saving her own life or her child’s. Despite the inevitable risk of death in giving birth during time of illness, she refused an abortion and hysterectomy. Esmeralda is devoting her life to spreading the message of selfless, genuine love which her mother exemplified.

On January 29, students were able to meet Es-meralda, a once in a life opportunity. She shared the stories of her parents’ holy marriage and life of sacrifice which led to the heroic decision of her mother giving up her own life for Esmeralda. St. Gianna’s daughter provided students with a firsthand witness of her parents’ conversations shared through letters before and during their marriage. “Esmeralda talked not only about her mother’s bravery, strength and love in giving her life for her daughter, but she also talked about her joy in caring for her father when he was unable to care for himself,” said sophomore Nora Anderson. “When I met Esmeralda, she encour-aged me to continue to be actively pro-life and that is something I will never forget.”

AMU Students for Life, the largest student organization on campus, attended the event, as well as a household devoted to St. Gianna Molla. One of the household members, freshman Katy Sherman, said of her experience, “it had such an impact because I was able to meet and speak with someone who is a living example of St. Gianna, whom I look up to tremendously and have a great devotion to.” Esmeralda plans to dedicate the rest of her life to her mother’s memory. She is raising funds to transform her family’s former home in Italy into a place of prayer and devotion. Many people ask Esmeral-da for prayers because of her spiritual connec-tion to St. Gianna Molla The unique experience of meeting the daughter of a saint is one the students will remember forever.

—Veronica Macias

St. Gianna household members meet Dr. Esmeralda Molla after her testimony to AMU students.

AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY THANKS BERNADETTE RIENZO FOR MORE THAN A DECADE OF SERVICE

Bernadette Rienzo has dedicated more than a decade of service to the Ave Maria community. After volunteering with the University for 12 years, her service was celebrated on her last day on campus in January. Bernadette joined AMU at the old campus in Naples, and continued to dedicate herself to the De-partment of Campus Ministry during the University’s forma-tional years. Her work with students and get-ting to know them on a personal level has had a lasting impact.

“Bernadette offered herself tirelessly for the students,” said Grace Cheffers, Director of the Mother Teresa Project and Service Learning at AMU. “Their problems mattered to her, and she prayed for each individual that she was helping.” Bernadette has always demon-strated an endless supply of care and concern for AMU students and the world around her, making her an integral member of the community. Ave Maria University would like to thank Bernadette for her tireless, self-giving service to the University community.

Ms. Cheffers also echoes this sentiment, “I would like to express gratitude to Bernadette for her many hours of service. She is a woman who exhib-its great faith and lives a thoughtful, deliberative life for God and others.” Bernadette’s service made an impact on everyone that she encountered, and Ave Maria University wishes her well as she moves to Washington D.C. to live with the Little Sisters of the Poor.av

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Page 9: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

ABELLA, DAYAMI (SPANISH)PRESEN T ED PA PERS : “Desencanto y aniquilación en la obra de Gina Picart Baluja” and “Novela negra y ciencia ficción en manos femeninas. Análisis de la novela cubana en los últimos años,” at Taller Nacional de Literatura Fantástica “Espacio Abierto,” La Habana, Cuba. (August 21, 28)

BARBOSA, ANTONIO (BIOLOGY)SUBMI T T ED T WO PAT EN T S : US 62/175,066 and one filed. (January 6)

BAXA, PAUL (HISTORY)IN V I T ED ONLINE A R T ICLE : “Death at the Autodrome: Fascism, the Vatican, and the 1928 Italian Grand Prix,” for the AllRounder.com. (June 11)

BLANCHARD, MARY (HISTORY)ORGA NIZED SESSION: “Life, Death, and Family Connections in Anglo-Saxon Communities,” at International Medieval Conference, Leeds, UK. (July 6)

PRESEN T ED PA PER: “Servi Regis: Episcopal Preferment in the Community of the King’s Councillors,” at International Medieval Conference, Leeds, UK. (July 6)

BREIDENBACH, MICHAEL (HISTORY)AWA RDS : Shortlisted for the Prince Consort and Thirlwall Prize from the Faculty of History, University of Cambridge, for original historical research.

PRESEN T ED PA PERS : “Dignitatis Humanae and American Religious Liberty,” at Religious Liberty: 50 Years After Vatican II, Ave Maria University. (December 9)

IN V I T ED: “Conciliar Constitutional Theory in the American Founding,” at Rothermere American Institute Seminar in Constitutional Thought and History, University of Oxford. (November)

IN V I T ED: “Medieval Liberty and Libertas Ecclesiae,” at Intercollegiate Studies Institute Honors Program Conference. (July)

IN V I T ED: “American and Catholic at

the Founding: Dual Citizenship?” Intercollegiate Studies Institute Society Lecture, Ave Maria University. (April 22)

COLMAN, JOHN (POLITICS)PRESEN T ED PA PERS : “Diamonds From Dunghills: Thomas Jefferson, Religious Liberty and Free Inquiry,” at Southern Political Science Association, New Orleans. (January 17)

“Belonging to Oneself: Montaigne on the Art of Autonomy,” at Asso-ciation of Core Texts and Courses Annual Conference, Plymouth, Massachusetts. (April 10)

CURTIS, NICHOLAS (BIOLOGY)A R T ICLES : with N.E., M. Middlebrooks, J.A. Schwartz, and S.K. Pierce. 2015. Kleptoplastic sacoglossan species have very different capacities for plastid maintenance despite utilizing the same algal donors, Symbiosis 65: 23-31.

With Pierce, S. K., and M. Middlebrooks 2015. Sacoglossan sea slugs make routine use of photosynthesis by a variety of species-specific adaptations. Invert. Biol. 134: 103–115.

CURTRIGHT, TRAVIS (HUMANITIES)LECTURE: “Marina and Forensic Speech in Shakespeare’s Pericles,” American Shakespeare Center, Blackfriars Conference. (October 28-November 1)

SEMIN A R PA PER: “Ingenium, Rightly Understood: Augustine’s City of God and Sallust’s War with Catiline,” for The Center for Thomas More Studies and The Terrrence J. Murphy for Catholic Thought, Law, and Public Policy, University of St. Thomas, at “Utopia and the Roman Republic: Sallust, Augustine, and More in Dialogue.” (November 6-7)

A R T ICLES : “From Thomas More’s Workshop: De Tristitia Christi and the Catena Aurea,” LOGOS: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture 18:4 (Fall, 2015): 100-126.

“Wolf Hall: Tudor History through an Anti-Historical, Anti Catholic Lens,” Public Discourse. (April 9)

“Why Thomas More is the Patron Saint of Statesmen?” Crisis Magazine. (July 30)

BOOK : Thomas More: Why Patron of Statesmen? editor and contributor, (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books: 2015).

CH A P T ERS IN A BOOK : “Introduction” to Thomas More: Why Patron of Statesmen?

Ave Maria University Faculty: Scholarly Publications, Presentations, Performances, and Honors

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS

BREIDENBACH, JANICE (PHILOSOPHY)SPECI A L SEMIN A R: “Thomistic Animalism,” University of Oxford, Blackfriars Hall. (November 27)

IN V I T ED LEC T URE : “Aristotle’s Political Animal and the Metaphysics of Freedom,” at Intercollegiate Studies Institute Honors Program Conference, “Traditions of Liberty,” Seattle. (June)

PRESEN T ED PA PER: “Against a Causalist Approach to Divine Action,” University of Edinburgh, School of Divinity, at “The Uniformity in Nature: natural laws, natural powers, or divine action? Conference,” with Sarah Broadie as commentator. (May 30)

CONFERENCE SPE A K ER: “Is Beauty Fashionable?” Fashion Institute of Technology, at Fashion Intelligence Conference. (April 11)

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Page 10: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS

“Sir Thomas More and his Opposition to Henry VIII in 1533” in Why Patron of Statesmen?

DAUPHINAIS, MICHAEL (THEOLOGY)A R T ICLE : “Laudato Si ’ and the Selling of Body

Parts,” Crisis Magazine online. (September 22)

DINAN, ANDREW (CLASSICS)IN V I T ED RESPONSE : to Luca Codignola-Bo, “Roman Catholic Libertinism in a New North Atlantic World,” Ave Maria

University. (January 27)

PRESEN T ED PA PER: “Neo-Latin and the Jesuits in America,” at The Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Conference, University of Kentucky, Lexington. (April 25)

FROULA, JEFFREY (THEOLOGY)CH A P T ER IN A BOOK : “The Passions: Some Key Thomistic Distinctions,” in Thomas Aquinas: Teacher of Humanity, ed. John P. Hittinger and Daniel C. Wagner (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015).

GUERNSEY, DAN (EDUCATION)RESE A RCH: with Donohue, D., Faith and Morals Language in Catholic School Teacher Employment Documents: Best Practices Brief, The Cardinal Newman Society’s Catholic Education Report, Manassas, VA. (June)

A R T ICLES : “Challenges and Ambiguities at the World Congress on Education,” Crisis Magazine. (November 25)

“A look at San Francisco’s new teacher contract,” Crisis Magazine. (August 21)

“Gay activists target Marin Catholic high school in San Francisco,” Crisis Magazine. (April 24)

“Reflections on an interview with David Coleman, College Board president and common core architect,” Catholic Education Daily,

Cardinal Newman Society. (December 14)

with Donohue, D., “Disconnect between common core’s literary approach and Catholic education’s pursuit of truth,” Issue Bulletin, Cardinal Newman Society. (May 28)

IN T ERV IE WS : related to education given in this past year to the Associated Press, US News and World Report, Breitbart News, EWTN radio, EWTN NewsNightly, Rome Reports, the Cardinal Newman Society and Our Sunday Visitor.

LAMB, FR. MATTHEW (THEOLOGY)BOOKS : Theology Needs Philosophy: Not Acting in Accord with Reason is Against the Nature of God. (Catholic University Press, 2016).

EDI T ED: with Matthew Levering, The Reception of Vatican II after Fifty Years: Retrospect and Prospect (Oxford University Press, 2016) 512 pages.

A R T ICLES : “Giovanni Sala on Lonergan’s Recovery of the Theoretical Way of Living,” Nova et Vetera, Fall 2015 Vol. 14, No. 3.

“Theological Indebtedness to Jacques Maritain” in the Proceedings of the American Maritain Association 2016.

CH A P T ERS IN BOOKS : “Fr. Bernard J. F. Lonergan, S.J.: The Gregorian Years” in Fr. Gerard Whelan, S.J. Lonergan’s Anthropology Revisted: The Next Fifty Years of Vatican II (Pontifical Gregorian University, 2015).

“St. John Paul II’s Thomism: Why

Aquinas is a Teacher for Humanity” in John Hittinger (ed.) St. Thomas Aquinas as a Teacher for Humanity (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholar Publishers, 2015).

“Christianity as Trans-political in the Work of Fr. Ernest Fortin, A.A.” in David Franks (ed.) God and Political Philosophy: Essays in Honor of Fr. Ernest Fortin (Boston: St. John’s Seminary Press, 2015).

LEE, SEUNGHEE (MUSIC)PRESEN T ED ORIGIN A L COMPOSI T ION: ‘Parakeet Dancing’ at the recital of pianist EunMi Ko, The Timucua Arts White House, Orlando, Florida. (December 6)

MCNULTY, DENISE (NURSING)PRINCIPA L IN V ES T IGAT OR: for “The Effectiveness of Using the Journey to Empowerment Professional Development Seminar to Enhance Nurses’ Sense of Empowerment,” presented at the Sigma Theta Tau International 43rd Biennial Convention, Las Vegas. (November 9)

NEW, MICHAEL (ECONOMICS)A R T ICLE : “Analyzing the Impact of State Level Contraception Mandates on Public Health Outcomes,” Ave Maria Law Review, Vol. 13:2 (Summer 2015).

NOVAK, MICHAEL (VISITING PROFESSOR)BOOK : with Paul Adams and Elizabeth Shaw, Social Justice Isn’t

LONG, STEPHEN (THEOLOGY)BOOKS : The Teleological Grammar of the Moral Act, second edition (Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2015).

CH A P T ER IN A BOOK : “Is Thomism a Humanism,” in John Hittinger (ed.) St. Thomas Aquinas as a Teacher for Humanity (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholar Publishers, 2015).

A R T ICLE : “Brief Comment on Marín-Sola and Torre regarding Grace and Freedom,” trans. Fr. Philippe-Marie Margelidon, O.P., Revue thomiste, n° CXV (115), Année 2015.

S Y MPOSIUM PA R T ICIPA N T: “Creation ad imaginem Dei: The Obediential Potency of the Human Person to Grace and Glory,” Thomistic Institute of the Dominican House of Studies, “What is a Human Person?” Symposium. (March 20)

IN V I T ED LEC T URE : “Pruning the Vine of La Nouvelle Theologie in the Garden of Thomism,” Academy of Catholic Theology, Washington DC. (May 20)

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Page 11: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

What You Think It Is (New York: Encounter Books, 2015).

NUTT, ROGER (THEOLOGY)BOOKS : Thomas Aquinas’ ‘De Unione Verbi Incarnati,’ Dallas Medieval Texts and Translations 21 (Peeters Publishers: Louvain, 2015).

PAKALUK, CATHERINE (ECONOMICS)A NNUA L C A LIH A N LEC T URER: “Liberty & Dependence,” Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, held at Ave Maria University. (November 18)

AWA RD: Acton Institute’s 2015 Novak Award Winner.

CH A P T ERS IN BOOKS : with JA Burke and A Widmer, “Solidarity and Job Creation: Substitutes or Complements” in The Challenge of Charity: Freedom and Charity Working Together, edited by Martin Schlag, Juan Andres Mercado, Jennifer E. Miller (Rome, IT: MCEBooks, 2015).

“With Motherly Care: Addressing the Crisis of Human Flourishing in Our Time” in Promise and Challenge: Catholic Women Reflect on Feminism, Complementarity, and the Church, ed. Mary Rice Hasson (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 2015).

With D Allen and J Price, “Normal Progress through School: Further Results” in No Differences? How Children in Same-Sex Households Fare, ed. Ana Samuel (Princeton, NJ: Witherspoon Institute, 2015).

PAKALUK, MICHAEL (PHILOSOPHY)PRESEN T ED PA PERS : “Aristotle a Living Authority for the American Founders,” Research Seminar in Political Philosophy, Pembroke College, Oxford University. (February 18)

“The Notion of the Kalon in Aristotle’s Ethics,” and “Aristotle on the Missing Sense,” Research Seminars in Ancient Philosophy, University of São Paulo. (March 30-April 3)

“The Consistency of Rawlsian Liberalism with the Public Philosophy of the Founders,” American Political Science Association Meeting, San Francisco. (September 4)

IN V I T ED LEC T URES : “Aristotle on the Missing Sense,” University of St. Thomas, Houston. (April 9)

“The Notion of the Kalon in Aristotle’s Ethics,” Rice University, Houston. (April 10)

“Aristotle on Mildness,” Aristotle Workshop, Union College. (October 15-18)

“Aristotle a Living Authority for the American Founders,” Torrey Honors Institute Lecture Series, and seminar on “Mildness as a Virtue,” Biola University. (November 7-10)

RESPONSE : to Thomas Pink, “Dignitatis Humanae and the problem of Church and state,” Dignitatis Humanae Conference, Ave Maria University. (December 9)

A R T ICLES : “The Folly of Lifestyle Ecumenism,”

First Things. (September 15)

“Mercy and Lawfulness in Human Sexuality,” Catholic Answers. (November 18)

PARKER, BLANFORD (LITERATURE)SCREENPL AY: “Forgiveness,” sold to an LA production company. (July)

RAIGER, MICHAEL (LITERATURE)CH A P T ER IN A BOOK : “Cocteau, Opium, and Art: A Coleridgean Account of the Imagination as a Cognitive Power” in A Piercing Light: Beauty, Faith, and Human Transcendence, ed. James Jacobs (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2015).

RITTER, BRADLEY (CLASSICS)BOOK : Judeans in the Greek Cities of the Roman Empire: Rights, Citizenship and Civil Discord (Leiden: Brill, 2015).

ROMMEL, LYLAS (LITERATURE)PRESEN T ED PA PERS : “The War and the Ballet Parade,” Florida Conference of Historians, Florida Southern University. (February 13-15)

“Parade and the Avant-Garde ‘Total Work of Art,” NeMLA Conference, Toronto, Canada. (May 1-4)

SALLAI, LADISLAV (BIOLOGY)PRESEN T ED: Florida Academy of Science 79th Annual Meeting on March 20-

21, 2015 at Saint Leo, Florida.

“Taxonomic Revision and List of Cyanoprokayrota from Florida, USA.” T.E. Smith and L. Sallai. Florida Academy of Science. 2015.

“Determination of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Oxygen Concentration and Algal Assemblages in Locations of Lake Okeechobee” L. Sallai and T. Smith. Florida Academy of Science. 2015.

“Determination of Nitrogen and

Phosphorous and Oxygen Concentration and Algal Assemblages in Caloosahatchee Canal.” M. Jones, L. Sallai, T. Smith. Florida Academy of Science. 2015.

“Determination of Nitrogen and Phosphorous Concentration and Algal Assemblages in Nubin Slough, Kissimmee River and Nicodemus Slough.” H. Dennehy, L. Sallai, T. Smith. Florida Academy of Science. 2015.

“Determination of Concentration of

TRABBIC, JOSEPH (PHILOSOPHY)A R T ICLES : “The Gods of Atheism,” Crisis Magazine. (December 11)

“Vatican II Followed Ottaviani on Church and State,” Crisis Magazine. (July 14)

RE V IE W: of In the Self’s Place: The Approach of Saint Augustine by Jean-Luc Marion (Stanford University Press, 2012) in International Philosophical Quarterly 55 (2015): 259-262.

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Page 12: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS

Phosphorus and Nitrogen and Algal Species in Agricultural Fields.” J. Guernsey, L. Sallai and T. Smith. (Florida Academy of Science, 2015).

SCHECK, THOMAS (THEOLOGY AND CLASSICS)BOOK : St. Jerome: Commentary on Isaiah; Origen: Homilies 1-9 on Isaiah, Ancient Christian Writers No. 68 (New York: The Newman Press, 2015).

SMITH, THOMAS (BIOLOGY)BOOKS : with CJ Smith & T. Annang, Taxonomic Catalogue of Algae from Ghana (Africa) and New Additions (Algae Press, 2015).

Fundamentals of a Botany Lab Manual (Dubuque, IA: Kendal Hunt Publishing, 2015).

A R T ICLE : “Revised List of Algae From Sudan and New Additions,” (2015) International Journal on Algae 17(2):159-192.

SURMANSKI, SR. ALBERT MARIE (THEOLOGY)RE V IE WS : of Revolutionary Ideas by Jonathon Israel, in Heythrop Journal, Volume 56, Issue 3 (May 2015): 478-479.

of Aquinas and the Nicomachean Ethics, ed. Tobias Hoffmann, Jörn Müller, and Matthias Perkams, in Heythrop Journal, Volume 56, Issue 4 (July 2015): 692-693.

TAMISIEA, DAVID (THEOLOGY)MODER AT OR: and speaker, Society of Catholic Social Scientists, 2015 Annual Conference,

Franciscan University of Steubenville. (October 23-24)

TINTES, HELEN (MUSIC)TAUGH T VOICE A ND GAV E OPER A WORKSHOP

SEMIN A RS : Tyrolean Opera Program, Tirol, Austria. (July-August)

Opera Concert: with Naples Opera Society. (September)

IN V I T ED LEC T URE : on Operetta, Tamba Bay Chapter of the National Association of Teachers Singing, Florida Gulf Coast University. (October 2015)

TREACY, SUSAN (MUSIC)CH A P T ER IN A BOOK : “Gregorian Chant” in T&T Clark Companion to Liturgical Studies, ed. Dom Alcuin Reid, OSB (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 2015).

VALLE, ANTHONY (THEOLOGY)RESE A RCH GR A N T: Fondazione Vaticana Joseph Ratzinger-Benedetto XVI. (2014-2015 and 2015-2016)

YARBROUGH, JOSEPH (CLASSICS)A R T ICLE : “Philip the Chancellor on the beginning of time,” Vivarium, 53 (Spring 2015).

CELEBRATING RESURRECTION POWER! by Sarah Blanchard

What exactly is “Resurrection Power?” The phrase is taken from The Letter of Paul to the Philippians, in which St. Paul writes that he desires to know Christ and “the power of His Resurrection” (Philippians 3:10). “Resurrection power can help us to rise above difficulties or to live well with unresolvable challenges,” Fr. Bob explains. “Resurrection power helps us to use both our reason to understand God’s victory over death and our faith to grow in our relationship with the God Who raised Jesus bodily from the dead.”

Fr. Bob’s new book features examples from Scripture and from the lives of the saints that illustrate victorious daily living and the conquering of ordinary anxieties. Life in our “anxious age” is often flooded with distractions and we can become weighed down by a multitude of concerns. Reviving the spirit of Easter, and letting the power of the Resurrection operate in our lives, is a sure path towards spiritual renewal, joy and peace.

Resurrection Power: Spiritual Solutions for an Anxious Age (Hobe Sound, FL: Lectio Publishing, 2016). 

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Page 13: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

ve Maria University’s Office

of Institutional Advance-

ment hosted a Speaker Series

highlighting the University’s

extraordinary faculty. Beginning in

early November, a featured speaker was

showcased every two weeks during the

high season months. Faculty members

presented on a varying range of subjects,

from the Presidential Primaries to the

message of faith and sport by Saint John

Paul II. Each presentation was held in the

Bob Thomas Student Union on AMU’s

campus.

A

To learn about future Institutional Advancement events like the speaker

series, visit avemaria.edu/events

January 29, 2016—Keith Houde“Athletes of the Spirit: Saint John

Paul II on Faith and Sport”

February 12, 2016—Seana Sugrue“Politics and Populism”

Dr. Sugrue discussed the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders

as current manifestations of the populist impulse in America

and will put this current wave of populism in historical

perspective.

February 26, 2016—Paul Baxa“History and Hollywood: On the Uneasy Relationship between Historians and Filmmakers”

April 1, 2016—Catherine Pakaluk“The Future of Alternative Educa-tion: What Economists Have Con-

tributed to the Study of Education “

March 11, 2016—Michael Dauphinais“C. S. Lewis: Narnia and

the Crisis of Our Age” This talk considered C. S. Lewis’s legacy in his fictional stories and his philosophical writings.  Using

some of the stories from Narnia as a starting point, Dr. Dauphinais

introduced listeners to central themes of his major works.  Lewis

had an uncanny ability to state clearly objections to the Christian faith and then respond to them by rational argument as well as by a kind of disenchantment from the

myths of modernity.

November 20, 2015—Thomas Smith“The South Florida Ecosystem

– Habitats, Wetlands, and Wildlife”

November 6, 2015—Michael Pakaluk“Religious Liberty and Ethics in Light of HHS Mandate and

Supreme Court decision on Gay Marriage”

December 4, 2015—Roger Nutt“Expecting the Messiah:

Principles of Advent Mysticism” In conjunction with the beginning

of Advent, Roger Nutt answered five theological questions

that pinpointed the spiritual significance of the Advent season

and its relation to Christmas.

January 15, 2016—Michael New“Iowa, New Hampshire, and the

2016 Presidential Primaries”

SPEAKER SERIES

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Page 15: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

UNIVERSITY DEDICATES OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE PRAYER GARDEN AND STATUEby SARAH BLANCHARD

Am I not here, I,

who am your

Mother?

Page 16: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

J“Why did God look upon him?” Pope

St. John Paul II asked in his homily for

the canonization of Juan Diego. Why

was Juan Diego, a poor Christian Indian,

chosen to see and bear the message of

Our Lady? Quoting scripture, the Pope

continued in his homily: “God chose what

is low and despised in the world ... so

that no human being might boast in the

presence of God” (1 Cor 1:28, 29). The

proud and the mighty fight for attention

on the world stage, but it is the meek and

lowly—like Juan Diego—who reflect the

greatness of the Lord. God shines unob-

structed through the lives of those who are

humble.

With this in mind, it isn’t hard to

imagine why the Blessed Virgin Mary

appeared to Juan Diego. Who better than

Mary understands how the soul of the

humble magnifies the Lord? She too was

an insignificant member of her communi-

ty when God plucked her out of obscu-

rity and made her Mother—first of Jesus

Christ, and then, at Calvary, of the whole

world. Her motherhood sprung from

her humility; with an unadorned Fiat!

she accepted her calling to overflow with

God’s compassion and love, signatures of

maternal care.

These two things—the humble and the

maternal—are intimately united in the

Virgin of Guadalupe. Understanding from

her own experience how God loves “what

is low and despised in the world,” the

Virgin has a special care for the insignifi-

cant and rejected children of society. Juan

Diego’s childlike trust in God was met

with Mary’s maternal care. She responded

to the humble child with her own humble

motherhood.

It is with this same childlike confidence

that Ave Maria University has placed itself

in Our Mother’s care, first in invoking her

name as patron at its founding, and then

again in publicly consecrating itself to her

Immaculate Heart last year. The University

has united itself in her care for the “low

and despised in the world,” both in its

work defending religious

liberty, and as it fosters

compassionate care for

the poor through the

Mother Teresa Project.

On December 8, the feast of the Im-

maculate Conception of Mary and the

beginning of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, the

University once again embraced the Virgin

as Mother with the opening of the Our

Lady of Guadalupe Prayer Garden. At the

opening ceremony, students processed out

from Mass in the Oratory, crossed the canal

by way of a newly constructed footbridge,

followed a gravel path, and arrived at the

base of a 10-foot bronze statue of Our

Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Ameri-

cas. There, they renewed their consecration

to Mary’s Immaculate Heart.

On February 19, Bishop Frank J. Dewane

of the Diocese of Venice presided over the

official dedication of the prayer garden, of-

fering a blessing of the statue. “Under the

title of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” he said,

“this image will remind us of the close ties

of Mary to Jesus, to her Church, and to

Ave Maria.” Jerry and Linda Stafford, who

generously donated the statue in memory

of their son, Jerry T. Stafford (1966-1982),

stood by.

Deacon John Jarvis read from the Gospel

of St. Luke the account of the Visitation of

Mary, in which Elizabeth cried out: “Most

blessed are you among women, and bless-

ed is the fruit of your womb. And how

does this happen to me, that the mother of

my Lord should come to me?” In reflec-

tion afterwards, President Towey invited all

gathered at the dedication—trustees, mem-

bers of the President’s council, the Univer-

sity’s Founder, Tom Monaghan, Chairman

Michael Timmis, faculty, administration,

staff and students—to look to the example

of Juan Diego’s humility and ask, with

Elizabeth, “Who are we, that the Moth-

er of Our Lord should come to us?” The

JUAN DIEGO WAS AN insignificant member of his community when the Blessed Vir-gin Mary appeared to him. One day, as the Christian Indian made a path through the rocky terrain on his way to Mass, he noticed a light coming from the top of Tepeyac hill. There, the Virgin Mother appeared to him and called him “Juanito, my son!”

Left: Jerry and Linda Stafford stand by the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue.

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Page 17: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

answer, he said, lies in the mercy of God,

which shines brightly in the person of Our

Lady. In God’s mercy, she was chosen to

be Mother; in her humility, she carries His

mercy to the world.

It is appropriate that the University be-

gan this Jubilee Year of Mercy by throwing

itself on the mercy of God through Mary.

With confidence in her maternal love,

the community takes shelter beneath her

blue mantel, there carrying out its work

united to her in compassion for the poor

and lowly, the meek and despised. “What

unites people at Ave Maria University,”

Towey said, “is a desire to be joyful,

intentional followers of Jesus, a love of

our Church, and a special devotion to la

Guadalupana, la Morena, la Virgencita. A

real desire to find ourselves through our

work beneath her mantel.”

The dedication ceremony closed with

a Rosary led by students. AMU junior

Victoria Antram said it was a blessing to be

a part of the event. “This statue serves as a

reminder that Ave Maria lies in the shadow

of Mary’s mantel of grace,” she went on.

“I gaze out from my dorm room window

every morning, and she reminds me to live

out her Fiat to joyfully accept God’s will. I

love the statue and all the goodness it fore-

shadows in this University’s future.”

The garden currently stands across the

canal on the westernmost edge of campus,

but, as the University expands over time, it

will eventually stand at its center. Although

not yet the geographic heart, the prayer

garden has already become a spiritual

one. Students are at the foot of Our Lady

morning, noon, and night. The garden

gives students something they have been

in “desperate need for,” John Gargano,

President of the Student Government Asso-

ciation, remarked. “It is a place of prayer,

peace, and consolation outside where they

can be with Our Lord and his Mother,

contemplating life under the watchful

eyes of the beautiful 10-foot statue of Our

Lady.” He expects the garden to become a

place of pilgrimage, one “where miracles

and conversions will unfold.” Who knows?

Maybe even a few AMU engagements.

“The Our Lady of Guadalupe Prayer

Garden belongs at AMU,” Scott King,

Director of Mission and Outreach, said.

“Here, where the Blessed Mother is woven

into everything.” She desired a church to

be built on Tepeyac hill, he explained, “in

order that she might be present to us.” The

message of her miraculous image is that

she wants to be with us, and she wants us

to know that she is there by our side. The

statue of la Guadalupana in AMU’s prayer

garden is likewise a daily reminder to the

University community of Our Mother’s

presence. Her blue mantel is spread wide,

ready to cover those who, like Juan Diego,

place their trust in her. “I am reassured,”

King continued, “in knowing that Our

Lady of Guadalupe will be gazing upon

the students, faculty and staff of Ave Maria

University from Her prayer garden.”

The Virgin of Guadalupe continues to

speak to our times. There is a reason John

Paul II declared her Patroness of the Amer-

icas; her motherhood and her humility

continue to be relevant. We must work on

practicing the humility of Juan Diego and

look to our Mother for care. She will never

fail to respond to our childlike trust with

her maternal compassion.

“And should we be frightened…or

should worldly pusillanimity threaten us,”

Pope Francis said in a homily for the Feast

of Our Lady of Guadalupe, “may She re-

turn to speak to our heart and enable us to

hear her voice ... ‘Why are you afraid? Am I

not here, I, who am your Mother?’”

AMU students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community

members process from the Oratory to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Prayer Garden.

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Page 18: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

MEET A FEW OF OUR 2016 GRADUATESgoing?

Page 19: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

The Class of 2016 is getting ready to take their last set of AMU finals, solidifying plans for next year, and visiting the soft-serve ice cream machine as many times as they possibly can before graduation. As they move forward to life in the real world, we asked some of our seniors to take a look back at their time spent at Ave.

Page 20: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

Paula ShutePsychology; Shakespeare in Performance minorPlans: Going on to work in the psychology field or doing mission work with NET.What I’ve learned at Ave: My friends have been beautiful examples of true friendship to me over the years here, and I can’t ever repay all that they have taught me about love and self-sacrifice. And I have, hopefully, learned a few things about Psychology and Shakespeare. I have also learned to abandon myself and my plans into God’s hands. Ave helped me grow in many different ways, and for that I will always be grateful.

Joe GuernseyBiologyPlans: Attending University of Florida Medical SchoolWhat I’ve learned at Ave: AMU has helped me discover how to truly balance my academic, athletic, and spiritual life and has introduced me to the joy of a life in Christ in service to others.

Michael John DauphinaisPolitics and HumanitiesPlans: Attending law school (already accepted at University of Notre Dame, Duke University, and University of Michigan)Favorite AMU memory: Moot Court with Dr. Seana Sugrue in her Constitutional Law class. Nothing like a trial by fire to show that you have what it takes. Success feels so sweet when it’s earned.

Lexie HammerquistBiochemistryPlans: Attending medical school at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, NebraskaHow Ave has changed me:The Mother Teresa Project at Ave Maria University was very influential in my decision to go to medical school. The opportunities to work with the Missionaries of Charity have been truly life-changing. My immersion in their service and spirituality changed the way I see others and gave me a love for service which I will carry into my career in healthcare. I am very grateful for having received such wonderful formation.

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Page 21: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

Sarah DownesBiochemistryPlans: Attending University of Louisville Dental SchoolHow Ave has changed me: Ave has formed me into a well-rounded person and a stronger follower of Christ. Ave has challenged me in countless ways and thus has served to strengthen me. This school has given me the opportunity to cultivate endurance, perspective, and hope. Life will bring much larger challenges, but with the experiences here, I am confident I can handle them well.

Jack YvarsBusinessPlans: Financial Advisor for Boston Partners Financial Group. Some future goals I have set for myself are to be selected for ACE (“achieving client excellence”) as an Advisor and to pass the CFP exam by 25.What I’ve learned at Ave: As a student athlete at AMU I have learned time management, discipline and self-sacrifice. Baseball demanded a large portion of my time and with a significant academic workload I quickly found that I would have to be disciplined and make sacrifices if I was going to be successful throughout my four years.

Emma MartinBusiness, Psychology minorPlans: Career at Walt Disney World, Inc.Favorite AMU memory: Some of my favorite Ave memories have been our Feast Day celebrations that we hold for All Saint’s Day, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Annunciation. The whole AMU community comes together to eat, dance, and celebrate. You really feel the familial bond that is very unique to our university, and is definitely one of my favorite things about Ave.

Charlotte KunklerBiochemistry, Math minorPlans: Pursuing a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at University of Notre DameFavorite AMU memory: Performing with my friends in Ave Idol sophomore year. Ave Idol is one of our biggest, most popular annual events, and always promises a good time. Our lip sync rendition of “Dark Horse” featured our famous costume change mid-song, which won us runner-up for People’s Choice.

Daniel O’RourkeFinance and EconomicsPlans: Working for Raytheon in their Finance Leadership Development Program. My first rotation will be Indiana for a year, with my location and function changing yearly after that.What I’ve learned at Ave: Your college experience and postgraduate opportunities are entirely up to you. Your outlook and attitude totally define how much you enjoy and grow from your college experience. The school offers plenty of opportunities: you have to take advantage of them and work to make the opportunities your own.

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Page 22: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

Nearly 400 friends of Ave Maria Uni-

versity gathered at The Ritz-Carlton-Na-

ples for a memorable evening to raise

money for scholarships and celebrate how

AMU students are “Changing the World”

through service opportunities with the

Mother Teresa Project. No other college in

the United States has a closer connection

to Mother Teresa than AMU, with hun-

dreds of students giving their hearts to

love and their hands to help the poorest

of the poor.

“When we created the theme for the

evening, we didn’t know that His Holi-

ness Pope Francis would soon approve

a second miracle for Mother Teresa of

Calcutta and plan her canonization for

later this year,” said President Jim Towey

during his address to the attendees. “It

seems tonight’s program to highlight the

experiences of our Mother Teresa Project

Scholars in her homes in India, Haiti, and

Mexico was divinely arranged!”

President Towey then was joined on

stage by Founder and Chancellor Tom

Monaghan and Chairman of the Board

of Trustees Michael Timmis to bestow

an honorary degree upon His Eminence,

Timothy Cardinal Dolan. In his keynote

address, the Cardinal provided lots of

laughter and his heart-felt belief that Ave

Maria University and its students are

changing the world through the recipe of

reason, love and joy. “You see the reason

in the very rigorous program of schol-

arship at Ave Maria University. You see

the love in things like the Mother Teresa

Project, and you see the joy in the smiles

on the faces of each student,” Cardinal

Dolan stated.

The second half of the evening opened

with AMU junior, Marianna Vargas

Ingoglia, a native of Barquisimeto,

Venezuela, who added to the evening’s

international theme with a beautiful

flamenco performance.

Four AMU students then took guests on

a trip around the world, speaking about

CHANGING THE WORLD

The Fifth Annual Scholarship Dinner

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Page 23: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

their personal experiences during service

immersion trips through the Mother

Teresa Project.

Senior psychology major Paula Shute

traveled to Calcutta and worked in Daya

Dan, the home for handicapped children.

Sharing a personal experience, Paula

was singing a praise and worship song

when one of the very deformed and blind

boys reached out and touched her. And

in that moment, Paula realized that boy

had Christ in him and was sharing Christ

with her.

Michaela Cheffers, a sophomore and

Mother Teresa Scholar, participated in a

mission trip to Mexico City at the end

of her freshman year at AMU. Michaela

worked in two very different facilities

while abroad. Her difficult experience at a

government run facility for handicapped

and dying women gave her a greater

appreciation for a home with similar pa-

tients run by the Missionaries of Charity.

Catherine Popik, a senior biology

major, traveled to Haiti in 2015 and

shared a lighthearted story about helping

a Missionaries of Charity home with the

daily task of laundry. Her lesson: blessings

can be found everywhere…even in the

laundry!

Senior politics major Michael Reilly

spoke of his love of soccer and how he

was able to share his love of the sport

with underprivileged children at the

nearby Immokalee Soccer School. Mi-

chael shared how his time with the pro-

gram made him a better person, coach,

and Catholic.

The evening came to a close with a

candlelight recessional and a soul render-

ing vocal benediction by the AMU choir

that was received by thunderous applause

and rave reviews.

Plans already are underway for the 6th

Annual Scholarship Dinner to be held on

Thursday, February 16th, 2017. In light of

the choir’s magnificence, Cardinal Dolan’s

unforgettable address, and the students’

spellbinding stories, this year’s dinner

will be a tough act to follow. ave

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Page 24: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

Leaving LegaciesBY JOSIE HARTNEY

AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY IS KNOWN FOR ITS NOBILITY—many families have sent several

children to the University because of its faithfulness to the Magisterium of the Catholic

Church, its excellence in academics, exceptional faculty, and the tight-knit community

that has formed over the years. More than ten families have sent at least five children to

Ave Maria, and a dozen members of the Class of 2019 follow in the steps of two or more siblings.

Here are just a few of Ave Maria University’s many legacy families that have put their faith in Our

Lady’s hands and supported AMU since its infancy.

THE DEMASI CLAN

The DeMasi family from Munsonville, New Hamp-shire, will send their seventh child, Antonia, to

Ave Maria in the Fall of 2016, where she will join two siblings currently enrolled (Lily, ’17 and Kolbe, ’19). Surprisingly, each individual seems to have taken a unique road to get here. Lily began her undergradu-ate career at a private college in New Hampshire, but transferred to Ave after one semester. She loved what she found at Ave Maria, and encouraged her younger siblings to follow. “I told them that going to Ave was the best decision I ever made, and that Ave would chal-lenge them to be the best version of themselves.” Going to school with a sibling can make the jump into college life easier, something Lily really enjoys: “I love having [Kolbe] here. He is someone who understands me more than anyone else.”

THE HARTNEY SISTERS

All five of Dr. Tom and Judy Hartney’s daughters have attended Ave Maria University. While

there was no obligation to carry on the tradition, each felt a certain tug when it came time to choose the college they would attend. “While growing up, I heard my sisters talk about the same professors and their bonding experiences while attending Ave, so naturally I wanted to be able to share those experiences and memories,” recalls Bernadette Hartney, currently a freshman and a member of the women’s soccer team. The lessons learned and experiences gained at the University extend beyond the classroom and even past graduation. Annie (’14) reflects on the impact Ave has had on her sisters over the years. “I’ve witnessed genuine growth. Each of my sisters has been able to make her faith her own and to personalize her walk with Christ at Ave Maria.”

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Page 25: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

A BUNCH OF BLANCHARDS

The Blanchard family from Littleton, Colorado, has sent five of their nine children to Ave Maria Uni-

versity—and even more impressive, four of the five that attended AMU married an Ave alum. Jacob Blanchard, a 2006 grad, is currently an Instructor of Biology at Ave Maria and is also pursuing a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Western Michigan University. His wife, Mary, also a 2006 graduate of Ave Maria, is a D.Phil candidate at the University of Oxford. Corey Blanchard (’17), is the only Blanchard currently enrolled at AMU, and is thankful that his brothers and sister paved the way for him. “I was able to really get a good feel of what to expect in college because of my siblings’ experienc-es at Ave,” said Corey.

MEET THE MULLALLYS

The Mullally family has sent five family members to AMU, with two currently in attendance. Thomas (’17) and Marie

(’19) are continuing the family legacy in the classroom and are also members of the Gyrene cross-country teams. Thomas feels that his older siblings have paved the way for him. “They have left an amazing reputation which I am proud of and honored to have the opportunity to live up to,” Thomas said. “I am extremely glad to have had siblings to volunteer with, pray with, play with and do every other activity on Ave’s incredible campus. However, by engaging in activities unique to my personality, such as run-ning, I have been able to form my own identity at AMU.”

A LOT OF LITTLETONS

In the 13 years since Ave’s founding, nine Littleton family members have pursued

higher education at Our Lady’s Univer-sity. Parents James and Kathleen Littleton wanted to send their chil-dren to an “authentically Catholic” university and have been pleased with their decision to invest in Ave Maria. “We have not had any regret. Each of our children has had an enriching and happy experience attending Ave Maria University,” the Littletons ex-plained. Four of their daughters have earned degrees from AMU, as well as the mother, Kathleen, who received her Masters in Theology in 2014. The Littleton legacy is alive and well with sophomore Fiona and freshman twins Maura and Clare currently attending.

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Page 26: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

A L I B R A R Y C A N S I M P L Y B E a building filled with books, but it has the potential to be

so much more. At AMU, it’s a place where professors do a lot of their thinking, and

students do a lot of their studying. Research happens, classes meet, study groups

gather, and ideas are formed. All day long, there is a steady stream of people coming

in and out of its doors. For

many, there isn’t a day of

the semester that passes

without their setting foot

into the library.

“The Library is the heart

of the University; it may

not draw much attention

to itself, but it is vital.”

That’s how Jennifer Nodes

expresses the role of the

library in the life of the University. Miss

Nodes, who is Director of the Library,

works behind the scenes to help make this

heartbeat possible.

In 2005, Miss Nodes came to AMU to

found the Rare Books Department and to

start the University archives. As Curator

of the Rare Books and Special Collections

Department, she oversees the University’s

holdings of rare books, manuscripts, and

artwork. “When I heard about a collec-

tion being developed at a new campus,” she reflects, “I was interested in the challenge

of building something from the ground up.” She left her position as a member of the

Research staff of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and came down to Southwest Florida.

Miss Nodes received her Bachelor’s degree in English and Art from Northwest

IT’S INTHE DETAILS

by

S A R A H B L A N C H A R D

Jennifer Nodes works to keep the library crisp with content

to inspire and intrigue.

Missouri State University, and

her Master’s in Library and

Information Science with an

emphasis in Museum Studies

from Dominican University,

Chicago. Her educational back-

ground made it a natural fit for

her to oversee the installation

of the University’s art collec-

tion as Ave Maria settled into

its permanent campus. During

that process, Miss Nodes saw

the potential for using the second floor of

the Canizaro Library as a gallery space. In

2008, she had a picture hanging system

installed.

Left: Marie Constantin’s “Photographs of Mother Teresa” exhibit

Right: Director of Library Services Jennifer Nodes

Below: Students prepare for final exams in the library

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Page 27: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

Since then, Miss Nodes has established

an exhibition program featuring several

curated exhibits per year of works by

local, national, and international artists.

Two exhibits of note for the University

are: “One Aim/One Vision: The Bolshoi

Ballet in Still Photography” and “Faith in

His Hands: The Annunciation Sculpture by

Márton Váró.” The former featured a series

of photographs, which are now in the

University archives, taken by internation-

ally acclaimed dance writer and photog-

rapher Marc Haegeman. The latter exhibit

documented the installation of sculptor

Márton Váró’s Annunciation Relief above

the entrance to Ave Maria’s Oratory.

Miss Nodes was also appointed Cu-

rator of the University’s Mother Teresa

Museum, which tells the story of Mother

Teresa’s life and works through story-

boards, photographs, personal docu-

ments, correspondence, memorabilia,

and relics. Overseeing the University’s

permanent and rotating exhibits involves

great attention to detail. For each exhibit,

Miss Nodes must decide what to display

and how to display it—from the logistics

of transporting the pieces to campus, to

the creative process of displays and sto-

ryboards, to working out the lighting of

the area around the exhibit. For example,

at the time of this interview, Miss Nodes

had just received an envelope containing a

checkered bed sheet from the Missionar-

ies of Charity—one of the numerous tiny

details involved in her current project for

the Mother Teresa Museum: a replica of

Mother Teresa’s room.

In spite of these various concerns, Miss

Nodes never looses sight of the whole. She

has a habit of applying the same standard

across the board; whether curating rare

books or setting up exhibits, she always

asks the question: “How does this fit in

with the University’s mission?” She looks

to interest the students and the faculty,

hoping that the books she curates or the

exhibits she creates will be opportunities

for deepening knowledge through discus-

sion and reflection.

She arranges receptions for the opening

of new exhibits, where students and

faculty have the occasion to meet with

the artist in person and discuss his or

her works. For example, local artist Joan

Brechin Sonnenberg was present for the

opening reception of the current exhibit,

“Boundless.” In 2010, principal ballet

dancers came to cut the ribbon at the

opening ceremony for the exhibit featur-

ing Marc Haegeman’s photographs of the

Ballet.

Miss Nodes has also initiated a program

of displays of material from the Rare

Books and Special Collections as a way to

introduce students to items in the Univer-

sity holdings that they would not other-

wise encounter. “The feedback I get is not

usually immediate,” she says. “Sometimes

it’s years later that a student will approach

me and mention a past exhibit and the

impression it made.”

Although she always tries to develop

new ways to generate direct response,

Miss Nodes is encouraged by the frequent

indirect feedback she receives, as profes-

sors pause to look at a painting on their

way to teach class, or students lean over

to ponder a displayed book while waiting

for the rest of their study group to arrive.

If the library is the heart of a university,

then Ave Maria’s is working hard to stay

in shape.

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1. Front Row, L to R: Prudence Robertson (‘19), Paula Shute (‘16), and Mary Catherine Beller (‘16) perform a scene from Newsies at the AMU drama club’s cabaret showcase.2. Students dance the night away at the Sadie Hawkin’s.3. Anna Richart (‘19) and Liz Kennedy (‘19) flash a smile during the annual Snowball in December.4. Students anticipate the synchronized swimming competition of Dorm Wars.5. Mother Teresa Hall, the 2015-16 Dorm Wars Champions!

DRAMA, DANCING, AND DORM WARSStudents enjoy campus life beyond the classroom

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1. Students attend one of 14 Bible studies led by President Towey throughout the academic year.2. Renowned Catholic author Christopher West speaks to students about Theology of the Body.3. The Ave Maria community gathers for a special Rosary procession to honor the Feast of the Annunciation.4. Dr. Scott Hahn attracted a standing-room only crowd for his talk titled “The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth” this spring.5. Kristina Stark (‘16) enjoys a talk hosted by Campus Ministry at the Bean of Ave Maria.

JOYFUL, INTENTIONAL FOLLOWERSCampus Ministry immerses students in

a vibrantly Catholic atmosphere

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CAMPUS COMMUNITY

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U N I V E R S I T Y D I G E S TRELIGIOUS LIBERTY: 50 YEARS AFTER VATICAN IIIn commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Dignitatis Humanae, the History, Theology and Philosophy Departments at Ave Maria University sponsored a one-day conference reflecting on the impact of the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on religious freedom. Dr. Michael Breidenbach, Assistant Professor of History and conference organizer, explained: “The recent threats to religious liberty—globally, nationally, and locally—have given the fiftieth anniversary of Dignitatis Humanae a renewed importance and urgency.”

The conference, which was funded by Ambassador Michael Novak and the Henkels Lecture Fund, featured internationally acclaimed scholars representing a range of academic disciplines. Speakers included Thomas Pink (King’s College London), David L. Schindler (Pontifical John Paul II Institute), Michael Breidenbach (AMU), William McCormick, S.J. (Fordham), Joe Trabbic (AMU), and Steven Long (AMU). Ave Maria professors Michael Novak, Michael Pakaluk, Fr. Matthew Lamb, and Seana Sugrue provided commentary.

The interdisciplinary nature of the conference enabled the scholars gathered to engage in a free exchange of ideas across academic fields. Breidenbach hopes to capitalize on the new paths of inquiry generated by compiling an edited volume.

THOMISM AND PREDESTINATIONThe Aquinas Center for Theological Renewal at AMU teamed up with the Thomistic Institute to offer a three-day symposium on “Thomism and Predestination.” The event brought in eminent Catholic scholars from around the world to discuss the question of predestination, drawing upon theological sources ranging from the early Church Fathers to contemporary scholarship. Fr. Serge-Thomas Bonino, OP, President of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas, and Secretary General of the International Theological Commission, delivered the keynote address: “Contemporary Thomism Through the Prism of the Theology of Predestination.” Other speakers included: Fr. Romanus Cessario, OP (St. John’s Seminary), Fr. Christopher Cullen, SJ (University of Fordham), Dr. Thomas Osborne (University of St. Thomas, Houston), Fr. Michael Sherwin, OP (University of Fribourg), and many more.

“Of course the distinction of our speakers was remarkable—minds of international prominence known for their theological and philosophic engagement with the tradition,” Dr. Steven Long (Theology, AMU) reflected. “The conference was tremendously successful, and its proceedings will be published and doubtless will be cited in scholarly conversations for decades to come.”

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REIMAGINING CARE FOR THE POORA group of thinkers from academic, business, and non-profit sectors, all with a passion for the poor, met to engage in creative discussion about the possibility of developing new, Church-based solutions to poverty in the United States, emphasizing the necessity for strong church communities in effecting social change. The conference was organized by the Stein Center for Social Research at Ave Maria University, with the support of the Mother Teresa Project.

Keynote speaker David Lapp (Institute for American Values) spoke on “A Poor Church for the Poor: How We Can Accompany Our Neighbors in Need – and Save Our Souls in the Process.” Lapp urged those gathered to heed Pope Francis’ words and think how we can be true to our roots as “a Church that is poor, for the poor.”

Other speakers included: Andreas Widmer (Catholic University of America), Erika Bachiochi (Ethics and Public Policy Center), Jonathan Reyes (Executive Director of the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops), Robert Keith (co-founder & CEO of two high profile startups), and Robert Reynolds (Founder and Partner, Avesta).

RE-ENGAGING HUMANAE VITAEIn anticipation of the 50th anniversary of Paul VI’s Encyclical Letter Humanae Vitae, which was first issued on July 25, 1968, the Stein Center for Social Research, in conjunction with the Mother Teresa Project, held a conference to take a new look at the encyclical, its reception, and its continuing relevance. The interdisciplinary event, which featured scholars from the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, served as a commentary on the encyclical in light of relevant theological and scientific developments—such as Natural Family Planning, NaPro Technology, and John Paul II’s Theology of the Body—since the letter’s original publication.

Joseph Arias (Notre Dame Graduate School of Theology, Christendom College), Mark Regnerus (University of Texas, Austin), Andrew Beauchamp (Wright State University), Timothy Muldoon (Boston College), and Jana Bennett (University of Dayton) were just a few of the speakers present. Stephen Bullivant (St. Mary’s University, Twickenham), and Brett Salkeld (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina, Saskatchewan) were influential in organizing the conference with an eye towards producing a 50th anniversary collection of essays.

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U N I V E R S I T Y D I G E S T

GENUINE FEMININE 6TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE: “THE NEW FEMINISM” The student organization Genuine Feminine hosted its sixth annual conference at AMU this year, “The New Feminism.” Past conferences have looked at topics ranging from work/family balance, to the role women play in shaping social and cultural norms, to considering woman in her capacity as artist and muse, to the function of women in the political sphere. Each year, Genuine Feminine brings in speakers of note—such as Kathryn Jean Lopez (National Review), Kay S. Hymowitz (Manhattan Institute), Meghan Cox Gurdon (Wall Street Journal), Sr. Jane Dominic Laurel, OP (Aquinas College), and Dr. Pia de Solenni (Augustine Institute-Orange County)—who join in the students’ ongoing discussion of the nature of femininity and the practical implications of being a woman in modernity.

Christina Hoff Sommers, American Enterprise Institute scholar and author of Who Stole Feminism?, gave this year’s keynote address, “Freedom Feminism: What’s Right (and Badly Wrong) with Feminism.” Speaker Erika Bachiochi (Ethics and Public Policy Center) offered her personal testimony over lunch. The daylong event also featured papers and presentations by a number of AMU professors.

BUSINESS LECTURE SERIESThe Ave Maria University Business Department initiated and sponsored a lecture series aimed at introducing AMU students to the wealth of knowledge and experience found in business leaders and executives in the Naples area.  “It is a unique way to introduce them to our students and to offer our students a wide range of real world knowledge in a broad array of business related fields,” said Mary Hunt, Assistant Professor of Business and Psychology and Chair of Business.

This academic year’s series featured: Myra Janco Daniels (former President of Roche, Rickard, Henri, Hurst, Inc.; Founder and former CEO of The Philharmonic Center for the Arts, Naples), Tom Hoban (Founder and CEO, Coast Group of Companies), Kevin Lawhon (Managing Partner, The South Florida Group of Northwestern Mutual), Antonio Lopez (Managing Director, The Access Global Group), Tom Monaghan (Founder and former CEO of Domino’s Pizza; Founder and Chancellor of Ave Maria University), Michael Timmis, Sr. (attorney, businessman and former Chairman of Prison Fellowship International), and Joseph Vumbacco (Consultant in healthcare sector for Equity and Hedge Funds).

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Page 33: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

Detroit, Michigan native,

Louis Argenta joined the

faculty at Wake Forest

Baptist in 1988 and is best

known for co-inventing

Vacuum-Assisted Closure

®, a negative pressure

wound therapy that has

helped more than 10 mil-

lion patients worldwide.

Dr. Argenta is internation-

ally recognized as an expert in the science

of mechanobiology and its applications to

clinical medicine.

Argenta grew up an avid reader. He

discovered books by humanitarian phy-

sicians Albert Schweitzer and Thomas

Anthony Dooley III. By high school, he’d

chosen medicine as his field of study and

was class president and valedictorian.

He completed his undergraduate de-

gree, medical school, and internship at

the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

The Vietnam War brought a three-year

stint in the Navy, after which he returned

to Michigan for residencies in general and

plastic surgery. After tens of thousands

of surgeries, Argenta retired from clinical

practice in 2014.

Argenta and his wife, Ginger, a nurse

he married during medical school, have

eight children, including Sara (‘15) and

Claire (‘17). Over the years, the Argenta

family has made medical missions to 25

nations, repairing cleft lips, palates, and

burns.

Credit: Portions of this article originally appeared

on the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Intranet.

MEET TRUSTEE DR. LOUIS C. ARGENTA

ATop: Dr. Argenta speaks to a large group of

AMU students interested in entering the field of medicine.

Bottom: Biochemistry students Charlotte Kunkler (left) and Lucy Schlink (center) visit

with Dr. Argenta.

GIVING

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Page 34: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

ATHLETICS UPDATE

A Sensational SpringAve Maria Athletics are in full swing as several sports teams have taken to the field and court this spring. The AMU baseball team picked up its

first conference win early in the season, defeating Webber International University 7-5 in

February. Senior catcher and two-time Gold Glove winner Conor Sullivan has re-estab-

lished himself as a defensive leader behind the plate after missing the entire 2015 season

due to injury. Sullivan recorded a perfect fielding percentage through the Gyrenes’ first

34 games.

In only their second full season of play, the AMU women’s lacrosse team has already

made a name for themselves. The squad upended fourth-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan Col-

lege by a score of 12-11 in March. Fresh-

man Mackenzie Tourville netted six goals

in the contest, including the game-win-

ning goal with 2:02 remaining.

Coming off of a strong 2015 season, the

Lady Gyrene Softball team was victorious

in 10 of their first 12 games to begin

2016. Senior All-American centerfield-

er Kingsley Avery and junior shortstop

Marinna Shadley have led the offensive

effort, each compiling an impressive

.373 batting average midway through the

season. The Lady Gyrenes hope to compete

for a Sun Conference championship again

in 2016, after finishing second in the

2015 conference tournament.

To learn more about athletics at Ave Maria University, visit www.avemariagyrenes.com

Go Gyrenes!

Left: Lacrosse midfielder Mackenzie Tourville (‘19) advances upfield in the Gyrenes’ 18-5 victory against the University of Pikeville.

Below: Infielder Marissa Conde (‘17) prepares for a ground ball during a 5-1 victory against Peru State College.

Bottom: Ryan Keegan (‘19) hits a single in AMU’s 18-2 victory over Florida Memorial in March.

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ATHLETICS UPDATE

As Ave Maria Football prepares for their 2016 campaign, they will be led by new head coach Joe Patterson. Patterson

joins the Gyrenes after spending the past twelve years as the head coach at St.

John’s College High School in Washington D.C. During his time at St. John’s,

Patterson posted a record of 76-54, including 10 playoff appearances.

Academics are important for Patterson, as his team at St. John’s achieved an

average GPA of 3.0 or higher in nine out of twelve seasons. Patterson grad-

uated Summa Cum Laude from Villanova University and received a Master’s

Degree from Catholic University of America. While at St. John’s, he taught

Honors Literature and won multiple Teacher of the Year Awards.

Patterson looks forward to leading the Gyrenes in his first season this fall.

He commented, “I’m excited about the future of AMU football. There is

a great energy on the team.” The Gyrenes look to rebound from a 4-9 sea-

son in 2015, and hope to compete for a Sun Conference Championship.

Ave Maria hired former MLS midfielder Eddie Gaven as the new Men’s Soccer head coach this spring. Gaven played

11 seasons in the MLS for the New York Metro Stars and the Columbus

Crew. During his professional soccer career, he received two Humanitar-

ian of the Year awards for the Columbus Crew in 2008 and 2010 and was

named the team’s Most Valuable Player in 2010.

Athletic Director Kimberly King is excited to have Coach Gaven on

board. “Eddie is a perfect fit for AMU. He cares about the mission of the

school and can help us get to the next level of play because he has been

there,” Mrs. King said. “We are lucky to have someone with so much

talent and heart to coach here at Ave.”

—Josh Ambeau

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Page 36: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

In Memoriam

AMU students met Sr. Gertrude during their time volunteering

with the Missionaries of Charity Sisters in Calcutta.

Remembering Sister GertrudeSister Gertrude, the second woman to join Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity,

passed away in December of 2015. Sister Gertrude lived a full and blessed life. Born in 1929, she

met Blessed Mother Teresa in 1946, and then joined the Missionaries of Charity three years later.

She was a doctor by trade and worked side by side with Mother Teresa caring for the sick. Sister

Gertrude wrote of her close relationship with Mother, “We became truly mother and daughter,

more than a sister or a doctor.” She shared Mother Teresa’s spirit and continued to radiate that

same spirit after Mother’s passing. Sister Gertrude’s fervent faith and passion for service and love

in action set an example for everyone she encountered.

Several Ave Maria students met, worked, and prayed with Sister Gertrude during their mission

work in Calcutta. John Gargano (‘17), reflected on his time with Sister Gertrude: “[She] was the

embodiment of love and joy. We had the opportunity to sit down and talk with her for an hour.

When she talked, you knew you were talking with a living saint. Her love for others could be

seen in her joy. What I saw in her were the charisms and joy that characterized Mother Teresa. It

was an unforgettable experience.”

Sister Gertrude will always be remembered for her tireless service and devotion to the poorest

of the poor.

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Page 37: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

Modern-day MartyrsFour Missionaries of Charity Sisters, and 12

volunteers who helped them were massacred

by Islamic terrorists in the country of Yemen

in March. Ave Maria University mourns the

tragic death of these lovely women from Mother

Teresa’s order, and honors their heroic faith

and witness. Because Ave Maria University is

uniquely dedicated to honoring Mother Teresa’s

memory and continuing her work, our hearts

are particularly heavy with grief. Even the

thought of their reunion with Mother Teresa in

heaven is of no consolation at this moment.

These Sisters cared for the elderly and disabled

in war-ravaged Yemen and went to bed each

night wondering whether they, too, would be

carried off in the waves of cruel hatred that roil

parts of Africa and the Middle East. On March

4th, they were.

Let us pray for those grieving these senseless

deaths and the repose of the dead, as well as

for the safety of Fr. Tom, who is still missing.

Fortunately, Sr. Sally, M.C. survived. May our

consciences be awakened and enlivened by the

example of the Church’s latest martyrs.

-Jim Towey

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Page 38: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

Thanks To The kindness of eusTace MiTa, The

man who spearheaded the fundraising for

the Philadelphia leg of the papal journey,

and Carl Anderson, the Supreme Knight

of the Knights of Columbus and his wife,

Dorian, Mary and I were at the airport

hangar for Pope Francis’ departure and

his final U.S. event, and along the rope

line as he exited the stage. We kissed the

Holy Father’s ring and hand and, in my

awful Spanish, assured him of the love

and prayers of Ave Maria University.  

I can’t say that he responded, “Wonder-

ful. How are the Gyrenes doing?” In fact,

he might have been puzzled by the mix-

ture of Spanish and Latin that he heard,

coupled with “University.” So he paused a

moment before he spoke.

And then he simply looked in our eyes

and asked for our prayers. Humbly, sin-

cerely, emphatically.

F R O M P R E S I D E N T T O W E Y ’ S B L O G

Pope Francis and Ave Maria UniversityH i s H o l i n e s s P o p e F r a n c i s k n o w s w i t h o u t a d o u b t t h a t Av e M a r i a U n i v e r s i t y l o v e s h i m . H o w ?B e c a u s e b y t h e g r a c e o f G o d , I w a s a b l e t o t e l l h i m .

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Page 39: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

Moments later, as his tiny Fiat 500

drove past the hangar, I yelled to him

through his open window, one more

time, all of the love of our entire com-

munity. The assurance of Ave Maria

University’s love was one of the last of

the multitudes of expressions of affection

that he encountered during the scores of

events and countless dignitary lines he

walked during his six days in America.

Our Lady made sure that Ave’s voice was

in the chorus of acclaim.

What I do know is that Ave Maria’s flag

was firmly planted there, starting with

the stirring musical performance by our

very own Martin Doman, accompanied

on stage by his wife Charlene. He sang

two original songs that were well-re-

ceived by the huge throngs of people that

had already assembled in advance of the

liturgy.

The Lord allowed our group these

opportunities, I believe, because we are a

University after Pope Francis’ own heart:

humble yet proud, hidden yet already

national, rich in people, not money, and a

community of joyful, intentional followers

of Jesus Christ. We were there representing

all of the students, faculty, administrators,

staff, alums, donors, and friends.

And so I hope you will join with me

and do as the Pope asked, and pray for

him. Pray for him daily. Pray for his lead-

ership as he preaches the joy of the Gos-

pel. Pray for wisdom to guide his steps.

After this historic visit, he now under-

stands America much better and appreci-

ates it a great deal more.

And he knows that Ave Maria Universi-

ty loves him!

To r e a d t h e P r e s i d e n t ’ s B l o g , v i s i tb l o g . a v e m a r i a . e d u

From top left, clockwise

President Towey (left) and Vice President for Student Affairs Julie Cosden (far right)

with AMU students in Philadelphia during the Pope’s visit to the United States.

Assistant Director of Student Life Martin Doman performs prior to the Papal Mass in

Philadelphia.

Pope Francis celebrates the closing Mass of the 2015 World Meeting of Families.

Page 40: AMU Magazine Spring 2016

Ave Maria University5050 Ave Maria Blvd.Ave Maria, FL 34142

TAKE A TOUR

Student Ambassador Josh Ambeau (far right) shows AMU’s beautiful campus off to visiting students from St. John Francis Regis Parish in Hollywood, Maryland.

If you are a high school student interested in touring Ave Maria University, visit us online: www.avemaria.edu/visitcampus