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UPDATE:   On January 27, 2010– in an unexpected turn of events, I was suddenly notified that Ave Maria University’s ”senior leadership” had lifted the drastic ban that had been imposed on me as a resident of Ave Maria and as a journalist.   

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The Roman Catholic World

RHETORIC vs. ACTIONS:  Is Abortion Allowed in Monaghan’s Ave Maria?  appeared as the front page feature story in The Wanderer’s January 14, 2010 issue.  It was available online as of 1:00pm Eastern Time on Friday, January 8, 2010.

Rhetoric vs. Actions…Is Abortion Allowed In Monaghan’s Ave Maria?

By MARIELENA MONTESINO de STUART

Now a lie is directly opposed to truth. Therefore dissimulation or hypocrisy is also

– St. Thomas Aquinas

"Rhetoric vs. Actions: is Abortion Allowed in Monaghan's Ave Maria?" FRONT PAGE FEATURE STORY in The Wanderer's January 14, 2010 Issue, by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Appearances Are Deceiving

Ave Maria, Florida

Ave Maria, Florida

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

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

Why would such a recommendation be necessary if Golisano’s political background was not in clash with the university’s stated mission?

This controversial recommendation from Falls Communications has been circulating in the public domain for several weeks. For the benefit of the readers, it is quoted below: 

Tom Golisano

“Golisano: Recommendation from R. Falls

I recommend we come up with a single positioning statement that Ave Maria leadership can refer to with regard to any and all questions regarding other entities that Mr. Golisano has contributed funds to in the past that may be contrary to the mission of Ave Maria (or any positions he has held politically). Please keep in mind, that if we don’t like the premise of a question — we can always change the premise.

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

“It all comes down to how pressing the media might be regarding his other contributions (or positions) that may be contrary to AMU’s mission. This statement is strong because it focuses on two primary messages:

“1. Our gratitude for the gift

“2. Dedication to our mission

“We can precede our answer above with a dismissal of a premise by saying:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nick Healy, President of Ave Maria University

Golisano’s public honoring on November 5, 2009, was in violation of the instructions from the U.S. bishops, based on the information revealed in the Falls Communications recommendation and Golisano’s political background.  The decision to honor Golisano was also in stark contrast with the following statement given by Ave Maria University President, Nick Healy, to the Naples Daily News television program “One on One With Jeff Lytle” — on the subject of Notre Dame University’s honoring President Obama:

Excerpt from Nick Healy’s interview aired October 18, 2009:

The United States Catholic bishops have made a very clear rule that no Catholic college university is to honor a pro-abortion politician. Period.

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

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

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

Damage Control

Tom Monaghan, Chancellor of Ave Maria University

Nearly one month after his honoring, Ave Maria University made public a letter that Golisano addressed to Tom Monaghan at AMU. In that letter, which is dated December 3, 2009, Golisano states that he has always been pro-life, and that The New York Times 1994 article quoting him as being “pro-choice” was a” misinterpretation” of his position.

Here is the quote from The New York Times:

“Where do you stand on abortion?” one woman asked him.

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

The following is Golisano’s clarification in his December 3 letter, regarding the above quote:

What I proclaimed as a candidate was that, if elected, I would be bound to enforce the laws of the State of New York, whether I agreed with them or not. Those laws obviously allow a woman to choose to have an abortion.”

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

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

Chilling Speech and Limiting Freedom of Movement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Back to the beginning– The connection between Monaghan, Ave Maria University, and the Town of Ave Maria

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

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

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

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

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

The January 2005 issue of The Angelus featured “Ave Maria Town grows a Christian community in the Tomato Fields of Collier County.” The opening paragraph reads: “Since the announcement that Thomas Monaghan had taken his vision of a truly Catholic community to Southwest Florida, people in the area and beyond have been clamoring for information.”

In June 2005 The Boston Phoenix reported that at a Boston Catholic Men’s Conference, Monaghan told a crowd of over 2,000 — including over 80 priests, about the construction of Ave Maria University and the Town of Ave Maria. The following is Monaghan’s quoted statement in The Boston Phoenix:

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

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

A “Letter of Intent” signed at Ann Arbor, Michigan, on November 18, 2002, by Ave Maria University and the Barron Collier Companies, included the following provision:

6. The New Town in its character, ambiance, restricted covenants, zoning, etc., shall allow no public activities which are offensive to traditional Christian values or which might represent a scandal to Catholic and Christian sensibilities. Thus, no topless bars, abortion clinics, ‘adult’ bookstores or the like shall be permitted. The town or village shall be called ‘Ave Maria’ or ‘The Town of Ave Maria’.”

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

In addition, fund-raising solicitations included statements, such as:

When we announced that we would be building a town for Catholics like you, along with the university, we received…3,000 requests for information.”

At the intersection of the town and university will be the focal point of both — a beautiful Catholic church.” This statement was immediately followed by, “With your help, Ave Maria will truly be a city of God!”

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

The following is an excerpt from his letter:

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

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

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

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

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

 Ave Maria University Is Not A Catholic University

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

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

 Ave Maria Is “Absolutely Not” A Catholic Town

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

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

 The Final Betrayal

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

The document includes the following statements:

 6.5 Restrictions and Prohibited Uses

 The following operations and uses shall not be permitted on any Lot under any circumstances:

 (T) Any facility performing embryonic stem cell research or other activity involving the destruction of human embryos or any facility performing in vitro fertilization or human cloning, or any use by which such prohibited activities are promoted or are the subject of counseling or referrals when such promotion and/or counseling and/or referrals are a substantial part of the use of the facility, i.e., comprising 25% or more of the activity of the facility;

 (V) Operation of any facilities in which abortions, as defined in Chapter 390, Florida Statutes (2006), are performed, or any use by which abortion is promoted or is the subject of counseling or referrals when such promotion and/or counseling and/or referrals are a substantial part of the use of the facility, i.e., comprising 25% or more of the activities of the facility;

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

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

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

The pre-2007 Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions does not ban abortion.  The 2007  revision actually allows abortion, up to 25% of the activities of the facility. These documents are available in the Collier County Public Court Records.

There has never been any public statement from Monaghan, or Barron Collier, recanting the “no abortions in Ave Maria” language.

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

 Parting Thoughts

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

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

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

Instead, the ban is on me — for exposing the bitter truth.

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READ IMPORTANT RELATED ARTICLE HERE

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Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Marielena Montesino de Stuart is an observer of the Roman Catholic world.  She expresses her views as a journalist for The Wanderer and for www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com .  You may write to her at ContactTRCW@aol.com 

© All Rights Reserved                   www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

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TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Is Abortion Allowed in Monaghan’s Ave Maria?, Tom Golisano gives Millions of Dollars to the William J. Clinton Foundation, Ave Maria University Honors Tom Golisano, Catholic Media Coalition,  Les Femmes, Blood Money, Ave Maria Florida, Ave Maria University is Not a Catholic University,  Ave Maria University Bullying,  Is Ave Maria University ready to face ”Blood Money”?, Ave Maria Stewardship Community District (AMSCD) Town Government, Ave Maria University Honors “Tom” Golisano Politician / Billionaire who Has Given Millions of Dollars to Pro-Choice Politicians and Now Claims that he is not Pro-Choice, Does AMU have a Right to Criticize Notre Dame?  What is the ”Ave Maria University Council” and what is its purpose?  What is the Status of Ave Maria University’s Accreditation Process?  Ave Maria University Board of Trustees, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Father Joseph Fessio SJ, Firing of Priest, Lack of Fiduciary Responsibility, Institutional Instability, Tom Monaghan, Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of Ave Maria University, Barron Collier the Ave Maria Town Developer, Ave Maria Development, Ave Maria University 2nd Mortgages, Ave Maria Real Estate, Naples Daily News, The Wanderer Catholic Newspaper, Open Letter to the Ave Maria University Board of Trustees, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Summorum Pontificum, Latin Mass, Communion Rail, etc.

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NOTICE TO READERS: 

Marielena Montesino de Stuart and  www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com do not disparage anyone’s motives at Ave Maria, Ave Maria University, including the administrators, Ave Maria entities, Ave Maria Town, and Barron Collier Co.  Nothing contained in The Chronicles of Ave Maria© or Divine Comedy©, or anywhere on this blog/website questions the commitment of all involved to what they genuinely see as the best interests of Ave Maria, Ave Maria University, Ave Maria entities, Ave Maria Town and Barron Collier Co.  Marielena Montesino de Stuart and www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com concede this.

READ TOP STORYRHETORIC vs. ACTIONS:  Is Abortion Allowed in Monaghan’s Ave Maria? HERE

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The Roman Catholic World

January 2, 2010

by MARIELENA MONTESINO de STUART

THE WANDERER - January 28, 2010 Edition (Page Eight) "AMU Patron Golisano... Super Generous to Anti-Life Dems" by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

This article appeared in The Wanderer’s January 28, 2010 print edition (Page Eight) under the title AMU Patron Golisano… Super Generous to Anti-Life Dems.  It was available online at www.thewandererpress.com on Friday, January 22, 2010 at 1:00pm Eastern Time. 

Tom Golisano

Ave Maria University recently made public a letter written by Tom Golisano, which he addressed to Thomas S. Monaghan, Chancellor of Ave Maria University, after Golisano was honored by AMU.  

In this letter Golisano writes that the New York Times quoting him as being “pro-choice” is a misinterpretation of his position, which he says is pro-life now and has always been pro-life; however, Golisano fails to explain his long-standing history of supporting pro-choice politicians (including 1 million dollars for Barack Obama’s 2008 coronation in Denver). 

Golisano’s letter, dated December 3rd, is his 2009 public response to a New York Times article from 1994 (meaning– the article has circulated for 15 years).  The New York Times quote is excerpted as follows:

Where do you stand on abortion?” one woman asked him. 

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

Here is Golisano’s explanation of the “misinterpretation”:

“What I proclaimed as a candidate was that, if elected, I would be bound to enforce the laws of the State of New York, whether I agreed with them or not.  These laws obviously allow a woman to choose to have an abortion.”

Bill Clinton

For Mr. Golisano’s enlightenment, below is the section titled “Choice” on page 45 of the Democratic Party 2008 Platform “Renewing America’s Promise”  – something he should have considered before writing the $1 million check for Barack Obama’s coronation:   

Choice

The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe vs. Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.”

The William J. Clinton Foundation, which supports abortion, has just released its list of contributors– listing Golisano in the second highest tier– having given between 10 and 25 million dollars to said foundation since its inception, less than ten years ago.  Click HERE to view the list.   The breathtaking amount of Golisano’s monetary contribution to the Clinton Foundation is listed in the same category of contributions given by the Government of Norway and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

Tom Golisano is also the founding sponsor of the Clinton Global Initiative.  Here is a taste– in Bill Clinton’s own words from 2007, excerpted below from the CGI website:

The Clinton Global Initiative may not exist today if not for Tom Golisano.” ”Tom made the initial commitment of several million dollars to make CGI a reality and has been there ever since. I was proud to present Tom with a commitment certificate at the Global Citizen Awards at Carnegie Hall. ”

The Clinton Global Initiative endorses EngenderHealth.org, an international organization which has aggressively fought against the pro-life Mexico City Policy, introduced by Ronald Reagan in 1984.  In addition, the Clinton Global Initiative lists as one of their “strategic partners” the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation– which has a long history of supporting “safe abortions” on an international level. 

The Fifth Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative was held in New York City on September 22-25, 2009.  Golisano appeared as a “featured attendee.”  The CGI again thanked Tom Golisano through their website, as follows:

CGI would like to thank Tom Golisano, major underwriter of the Annual Meeting.”

In return for the 10 to 25 million dollars  given to the Clinton Foundation– Golisano simply got a public “thank you.”  Monaghan’s Ave Maria University received 4 million from Golisano– which is “chump change”– compared to what Golisano gave the Clinton Foundation.  

Nick Healy, President of Ave Maria University

On November 5, 2009, approximately 6 weeks after the Clinton Global Initiative Fifth Annual Meeting in New York City–  Ave Maria University’s administration rolled out the red carpet, gave Golisano a standing ovation during the press conference announcing his

Tom Monaghan, Chancellor of Ave Maria University

donation– and then went as far as to honor him by naming a building after him!  Imagine if he gives a little more to Monaghan’s Ave Maria University– will it then be named “Golisano University”?

 

 

Do you believe the rhetoric– or do you believe the actions?

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READ IMPORTANT RELATED ARTICLE HERE

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Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Marielena Montesino de Stuart is an observer of the Roman Catholic world.  She expresses her views as a journalist for The Wanderer and for www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com .  You may write to her at ContactTRCW@aol.com 

© All Rights Reserved                   www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

 

 

 

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TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Tom Golisano gives Millions of Dollars to the William J. Clinton Foundation, Ave Maria University Honors Tom Golisano, Catholic Media Coalition,  Les Femmes, Blood Money, Ave Maria Florida, Ave Maria University is Not a Catholic University,  Ave Maria University Bullying,  Is Ave Maria University ready to face ”Blood Money”?, Ave Maria Stewardship Community District (AMSCD) Town Government, Ave Maria University Honors “Tom” Golisano Politician / Billionaire who Has Given Millions of Dollars to Pro-Choice Politicians and Now Claims that he is not Pro-Choice, Does AMU have a Right to Criticize Notre Dame?  What is the ”Ave Maria University Council” and what is its purpose?  What is the Status of Ave Maria University’s Accreditation Process?  Ave Maria University Board of Trustees, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Father Joseph Fessio SJ, Firing of Priest, Lack of Fiduciary Responsibility, Institutional Instability, Tom Monaghan, Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of Ave Maria University, Barron Collier the Ave Maria Town Developer, Ave Maria Development, Ave Maria University 2nd Mortgages, Ave Maria Real Estate, Naples Daily News, The Wanderer Catholic Newspaper, Open Letter to the Ave Maria University Board of Trustees, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Summorum Pontificum, Latin Mass, Communion Rail, etc.

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NOTICE TO READERS: 

Marielena Montesino de Stuart and  www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com do not disparage anyone’s motives at Ave Maria, Ave Maria University, including the administrators, Ave Maria entities, Ave Maria Town, and Barron Collier Co.  Nothing contained in The Chronicles of Ave Maria© or Divine Comedy©, or anywhere on this blog/website questions the commitment of all involved to what they genuinely see as the best interests of Ave Maria, Ave Maria University, Ave Maria entities, Ave Maria Town and Barron Collier Co.  Marielena Montesino de Stuart and www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com concede this.

The Roman Catholic World

January 1, 2010

by MARIELENA MONTESINO de STUART

The Roman Catholic World

by MARIELENA MONTESINO de STUART

May the miracle of the birth of Christ bring many blessings of health, love, peace and joy to you and your loved ones.

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Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Marielena Montesino de Stuart is an observer of the Roman Catholic world.  She expresses her views as a journalist for The Wanderer and for www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com .  You may write to her at ContactTRCW@aol.com 

© All Rights Reserved                   www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

The Roman Catholic World

December 13, 2009

The following article appeared in The Wanderers’s December 17, 2009 edition.  It became available online on Friday, December 11, 2009 at 1:00PM Eastern Time.

Ave Maria Stoops To New Low . . . 

By Banning Journalist From Property
 
By MARY ANN KREITZER

THE WANDERER - December 17, 2009 Edition (Page 4) "Ave Maria Stoops to New Low... By Banning Journalist from Property" by Mary Ann Kreitzer

Ave Maria Town is the home of Catholic journalist Marielena Montesino de Stuart. It’s also home to Ave Maria University, the school founded by Tom Monaghan, the Domino’s Pizza giant. Since its founding, the university has been beset by problems related to its iron- fisted handling of a number of situations. First it was moving from Ann Arbor, Mich., and breaking promises to numerous faculty and staff there. Then it was demanding the move of the law school which not only broke more promises, but destroyed its excellent standing and threatened its accreditation. Ave Maria fired Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ — twice, the second time during summer vacation apparently to avoid student protests and adverse publicity.

With Mrs. de Stuart, the iron fist is up close and personal. The university has banned her from its property. But much of Ave Maria Town belongs to the university so the de Stuart family who live there are forbidden from their own neighborhood. [*-See footnote by TRCW].  FOX news covered the story which described how her children are now afraid to leave the house.   Makes one thrilled at the thought of living in that town, doesn’t it?

That this type of action could take place at a campus founded specifically to advance orthodox Catholicism is shocking, but it’s become typical of how Ave Maria operates. Fr. Fessio was fired ( the second time) because he privately took concerns about the financial stability of the university to the head of the board of directors. Obviously the stability of Ave Maria Town is directly related to the health of the university, so Mrs. de Stuart’s concern is well founded.

Ave Maria’s un- Christian behavior has brought criticism from notable Catholics like eminent lawyer Charles E. Rice and others. The destruction of the Ave Maria Law School and the treatment of several of the faculty members are, as Dr. Rice puts it, “beyond contempt.”

My husband and I welcomed Ave Maria with outstretched arms. We signed up for the Founders’ Club and began giving a monthly donation. When things started to come apart early on, we reluctantly withdraw. We felt the blow to the law school in Ann Arbor personally because we knew several friends with children there.

Those who criticize Ave Maria and have any connections at all that make them vulnerable to the wrath of Tom Monaghan can expect reprisal. Marielena Montesino de Stuart settled in Ave Maria Town with high hopes that it would be a truly Catholic experience. What’s happening to her now sounds like hell. That it is being done in the name of a university named after the Blessed Mother is not only appalling, but a crucifixion.

Tom Monaghan seems like a sincere man who wants to spend his fortune do­ing good. Mrs. de Stuart doesn’t question Mr. Monaghan’s motives or anyone in­volved in the Ave Maria venture, but one can’t help but wonder that a man, who claims he divested himself of his luxuries to pursue a Catholic vision, has gone about it like a tyrant. One thing that makes me scratch my head about his comments on pride is the fact that he de­signed the church for the town. What ex­actly qualifies the pizza king to design such a church, the creation of which has been widely criticized?

Pray for all who have been hurt during the building of this so-called Catholic university and town, and pray especially for Tom Monaghan. A man with money who can call the shots that impact people’s lives had better be sure he’s doing God’s will.

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(Mary Ann Kreitzer is a longtime pro-life activ­ist, president of Les Femmes, and editor of its pub­lication The Truth. She is one of the founders of the Catholic Media Coalition, an organization of independent Catholic writers, webmasters, editors, and others engaged in producing media for and about the Catholic Church).

[*-NOTE:  The Stuarts are property owners and taxpayers in the Town of Ave Maria.  Their investment included access to all of the town, as well as the university with all of its promised amenities.   The town and the university constitute the neighborhood / district where the Stuarts reside-- not just the immediate residential area surrounding their home].  TRCW.

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TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Catholic Media Coalition,  Les Femmes, Blood Money, Ave Maria, Ave Maria University is Not a Catholic University,  Ave Maria University Bullying,  Is Ave Maria University ready to face ”Blood Money”?, Ave Maria Stewardship Community District (AMSCD) Town Government, Ave Maria University Honors “Tom” Golisano Politician / Billionaire who Has Given Millions of Dollars to Pro-Choice Politicians and Now Claims that he is not Pro-Choice, Does AMU have a Right to Criticize Notre Dame? Ave Maria University Council, What is the Status of Ave Maria University Accreditation Process?, Ave Maria University Board of Trustees, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Father Joseph Fessio SJ, Firing of Priest, Lack of Fiduciary Responsibility, Institutional Instability, Tom Monaghan, Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of Ave Maria University, Barron Collier the Ave Maria Town Developer, Ave Maria Development, Ave Maria University 2nd Mortgages, Ave Maria Real Estate, Naples Daily News, The Wanderer Catholic Newspaper, Open Letter to the Ave Maria University Board of Trustees, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Summorum Pontificum, Latin Mass, Communion Rail, Catholic town identity, Charismatic Movement, Charismatic Healing Masses, etc.

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NOTICE TO READERS: 

Marielena Montesino de Stuart and  www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com do not disparage anyone’s motives at Ave Maria, Ave Maria University, including the administrators, Ave Maria entities, Ave Maria Town, and Barron Collier Co.  Nothing contained in The Chronicles of Ave Maria© or Divine Comedy©, or anywhere on this blog/website questions the commitment of all involved to what they genuinely see as the best interests of Ave Maria, Ave Maria University, Ave Maria entities, Ave Maria Town and Barron Collier Co.  Marielena Montesino de Stuart and www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com concede this.

© All Rights Reserved                         www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

The Roman Catholic World

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by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

 

THE WANDERER - December 17, 2009 Edition "Cardinal Said to Be Too Concerned with Muslims" (pg. 6) by Marielena Montesino de Stuart (originally published under the title "The Roman Catholic Church in a Socialist World")

This article appeared on page 6 of The Wanderer’s December 17, 2009 edition, under the title of Cardinal Said to Be Too Concerned with Muslims.  It was available online at 1:00PM Eastern Time on Friday, December 11, 2009.   

 

Dionigi Cardinal Tettamanzi, Archbishop of Milan

On March 14, 2009 the Archbishop of Milan, Dionigi Cardinal Tettamanzi turned 75.  In accordance with canonical norms, Cardinal Tettamanzi presented his resignation to the Holy Father.  

 Benedict XVI responded by accepting  Cardinal Tettamanzi’s resignation donec aliter provideatur (until otherwise provided) – with the condition that he continue as Archbishop of Milan for another two years.   This has prolonged the social and political challenges that Tettamanzi faces.

In an increasing socialist secular world, the lines between the Church’s social justice teachings seem at times to converge and at times to collide with the socialist environment. 

Case in point:  Dionigi Cardinal Tettamanzi is being accused by the Northern League party in Italy of openly supporting Islam, Roma gypsies and other immigrant groups, while not showing enough support for Italian Christians. 

Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State for the Vatican

The Vatican Secretary of State, Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone was joined by Italy’s President, Giorgio Napolitano (a former leader in the Italian Communist Party, which later became the Democrats of the Left) in defense of Tettamanzi.  Cardinal Bertone said that “the Church is essential in social issues” and asked for respect for Cardinal Tettamanzi.

But the Northern League disagrees.  It  does not feel that Rome is doing enough for Christians in Italy—and has even referred to Cardinal Tettamanzi’s behavior as one of a  “secret communist” for supporting Islamic prayer spaces in Milan.  The Northern League has further denounced a recent ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, ordering that crucifixes be removed from Italian classrooms. 

Giorgio Napolitano, President of Italy (a former leader in the Italian Communist Party)

With Italian Christians disappearing as a culture because of extremely low birth rates and increasing immigration, it is evident that they feel threatened by an expanding Islamic and non-Christian population.

How will Rome answer the needs of the Italian Christian community—while enforcing its teachings on social justice?

It is easy for Roman Catholics in America to concentrate on what is happening within our borders, given the grim situation that we are facing as a nation; however, the Vatican is the center of our Church, and it is important that we observe how it reacts to the social and political challenges of its own region.

____________________________________________________________________

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Marielena Montesino de Stuart is an observer of the Roman Catholic world.  She expresses her views as a journalist for The Wanderer and for www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com .  You may write to her at ContactTRCW@aol.com

 

 

 

 

© All Rights Reserved                         www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

The Roman Catholic World

December 8, 2009

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

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by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

St. Joachim and St. Ann gave us Mary, the Star of the Sea—God’s chosen vessel of purity immaculately conceived.  Her strength, sweetness and wisdom serve as our model of virtue. 

As we consecrate to the Blessed Virgin each moment of our life, we learn to prepare for our death, which is– after all, the deciding moment of our eternal journey.

Here is Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti’s  Ineffabilis Deus

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TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION: Genesis 3:15, The Blessed Virgin Mary, The Immaculate Conception, Mary as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, Advocate, Mary as Spouse of the Spirit, Ave Maria, Mary as Mother of the Church, Mediatrix of the First Miracle and Public Ministry of Christ, Mariology, Council of Ephesus of 431 A.D., Lateran Council of 649 A.D., Ineffabilis Deus, Pope Pius IX, Munificentissimus Deus, Lumen Gentium / Vatican II,  Redemptoris Mater, Redemptor Hominis, etc.

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Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Marielena Montesino de Stuart is an observer of the Roman Catholic world.  She expresses her views as a journalist for The Wanderer and for www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com .  You may write to her at ContactTRCW@aol.com

 

 

©All Rights Reserved                     www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com 

The Roman Catholic World

December 2, 2009

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart 

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The Dark Side of Ave Maria, Florida

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

On February 17, 2009 the Naples Daily News published my Open Letter to the Ave Maria University Board of Trustees in their editorial pages.   In this letter I presented questions regarding AMU’s administration– key questions that I strongly felt the town residents, donors, parents and students deserved to have answered, concerning issues that affect the future of the university and the Town of Ave Maria, a town which was built in a symbiotic relationship with the university.  

The Most Vicious Attacks

Within minutes of my Open Letter appearing online– even before the newspaper arrived at the newsstand, the attacks began to appear on the comments section of the Naples Daily News website.  These personal attacks have continued to this day on various websites and blogs, and they have included profanities, detailing our lives, using cruel and distorted descriptions.   

Certain individuals in this town have made it a priority to participate in vicious attacks against me, by vilifying  me and portraying me in a distorted image– to the point of promoting an environment potentially dangerous to me and my family.   Given this very active campaign against me, one wonders when these persons find time to take care of their families.

CINO’s  (Catholics in Name Only)

I had never experienced in the United States the vulgarity and repression I have experienced inside Ave Maria.  How can this be happening in the town named after Our Heavenly Mother?  

Indeed, there are decent families living here, but most of these families remain silent out of fear– because vulgar bullies rule and control the social environment of  Ave Maria, and their attacks against me are a warning to the rest of the townspeople.  The question is:  WHO IS NEXT?

Think it Can’t Happen in America?   Think Again!

Ave Maria, Florida

On November 5th, Ave Maria University’s administration had Sheriff deputies waiting for me and threatened me with arrest for stepping on campus property, when I attempted to inquire why I had just been “disinvited” as a journalist, to a press conference where Ave Maria University was about to honor  pro-choice politician / billionaire, Tom Golisano.  This, after I had received an invitation directly from Branden Blackmur, who is in charge of press invitations at Falls Communications. 

Not only did the university ban me from the press conference– but they have banned me indefinitely from over 900+ acres of campus property!  

What is of deep concern to the public, is the fact that the university administration has repeatedly affirmed that my ban is based on my participation as a “town resident” at a town government Stewardship District public meeting– two days before the press conference.  I attended this town government public meeting as a private citizen and taxpayer. 

The university administration deemed my questions to the town’s governing committee as “disruptive”– and this, ladies and gentlemen, is not only the basis of my ban– but the university is not afraid to repeatedly affirm it!

Smoke and Mirrors

These draconian and repressive actions make Ave Maria appear more and more like America’s socialist training ground. 

So… don’t let appearances fool you.  The only thing that is keeping this town from falling apart at the seams, is the  liturgy inside the town’s church and the Catholic pastoral care– extended to us through the solid support of  the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Venice in Florida.  Everything else is smoke and mirrors.   

Ave Maria University and Bullies

The latest example of this bullying was covered by Fox 4 Television News on December 1st.   This latest report will give the reader a taste of  the environment inside Ave Maria.  The comments made against AMU’s student, Rusty Hemminger, pale in comparison with the comments written about me, by not a few residents of this town.

Here is Fox 4 News reporter, Pooja Lodhia’s written report and newscast aired last night:

VIEW FOX 4 NEWSCAST VIDEO HERE

 

This is just a taste of what Rusty Hemminger sees when he signs on to Facebook – his fellow students’ descriptions of him.

“amature drama queen,” “extraordinarily annoying annoying,” and – “a loser who will die alone.”

They’re comments from a facebook group created for just one reason: to talk about Rusty Hemminger.

“It’s hurtful in the sense that I don’t know them, you know?” he told me.

Rusty’s fellow students created the facebook page after he agreed to do interviews with us three weeks ago. He told us then that he likes attending Ave Maria University, but doesn’t always agree with its policies.

“It seems like there are other cases where it seems like the school is trying to shut down and silence people who might be critical,” he said.

Rusty’s publicly stated opinion led 16 fellow students to sign on to the Rusty bashing site.  I ran into the group’s founder, student Patrick Simmons.

“I wouldn’t do something like this if Rusty didn’t go on the news,” he told me.

He said the stream of written insults is supposed to be funny.

Calling him a drama queen or fat….any of those things aren’t bullying or hurtful?” I asked.

“I don’t think calling him a drama queen is bullying,” he responded.  “Like I said, it’s just satire.”

Another member agrees.

“I don’t think I would describe it as hateful,” he said.  “I think people might be mildly irritated.”

They’re irritated with Fox 4, calling us stupid on the page.  That skepticism was on full display as one student recorded his own version our latest visit to Ave Maria.  But their strongest words are for Rusty, all because he challenged the school’s policies publicly.

“Saying that on the news could be potentially very damaging to the university which does a lot of good,” one student told me.

“I just don’t like people saying false things about the university,” another said.

A university that prides itself on Catholic compassion, something Rusty doesn’t see or feel when he sees the page.

Pooja Lodhia

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©All Rights Reserved                     www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

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TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  www.Fox4Now.com , Blood Money, Ave Maria, Ave Maria University is Not a Catholic University,  Ave Maria University Bullying,  Is Ave Maria University ready to face ”Blood Money”?, Ave Maria Stewardship Community District (AMSCD) Town Government, Ave Maria University Honors “Tom” Golisano Pro-Choice Politician / Billionaire, Does AMU have a Right to Criticize Notre Dame? Ave Maria University Council, What is the Status of Ave Maria University Accreditation Process?, Ave Maria University Board of Trustees, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Father Joseph Fessio SJ, Firing of Priest, Lack of Fiduciary Responsibility, Institutional Instability, Tom Monaghan, Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of Ave Maria University, Barron Collier the Ave Maria Town Developer, Ave Maria Development, Ave Maria University 2nd Mortgages, Ave Maria Real Estate, Naples Daily News, The Wanderer Catholic Newspaper, Open Letter to the Ave Maria University Board of Trustees, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Summorum Pontificum, Latin Mass, Communion Rail, Catholic town identity, Charismatic Movement, Charismatic Healing Masses, etc.

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NOTICE TO READERS:  Marielena Montesino de Stuart and  www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com  do not disparage anyone’s motives at Ave Maria, Ave Maria University, including the administrators, Ave Maria entities, Ave Maria Town, and Barron Collier Co.  Nothing contained in The Chronicles of Ave Maria© or Divine Comedy©, or anywhere on this blog/website questions the commitment of all involved to what they genuinely see as the best interests of Ave Maria, Ave Maria University, Ave Maria entities, Ave Maria Town and Barron Collier Co.  Marielena Montesino de Stuart and www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com concede this.

 

The Roman Catholic World

November 30, 2009

by MARIELENA MONTESINO de STUART

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THE WANDERER, December 3rd, 2009 Issue, America's Oldest Catholic Newspaper Denounces Ave Maria University Honoring of Pro-Choice Politician-- and Denounces AMU's Banning of THE WANDERER's Reporter, Marielena Montesino de Stuart

The following statement from the Editor of The Wanderer, America’s oldest Catholic newspaper, appeared in the December 3, 2009 issue.   It became available online at www.TheWandererPress.com on Friday, November 27, 2009 at 1:00PM Eastern Time:

EDITOR’S NOTE:  We are somewhat heartened concerning the Newman Society’s somewhat weak “shot across the bow” of AMU,  following the publicity surrounding the Golisano scandal. 

 Our reporter, Marielena de Stuart, continues to be banned from the AMU campus, because of her attempt to find out why she suddenly had been prevented from attending the Golisano press conference, after earlier obtaining official clearance from AMU representatives.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Marielena Montesino de Stuart, Journalist and Resident of Ave Maria, Refuses to be Silenced

Thanks to an express order to AMU authorities from Venice Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Mrs. Stuart must be allowed access  at any time to the AMU church (which is on AMU property).  THE WANDERER  intends to issue shortly a formal request to AMU’s president, and to its chancellor, to lift its un-Christian and unprofessional ban against Mrs. Stuart.
Meanwhile, the Monaghan money vacuum continues to be turned on at full power.  Hundreds of parents of children in Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of St.Paul-Minneapolis received a “begging” letter from Monaghan.  Written on November 2nd (All Souls Day) only days before AMU’s public honoring of 4 million dollar donor, Tom Golisano,  Mr. Monaghan closes his appeal letter as follows:

 

Yes, we have made great progress in building Ave Maria University, but we need to make more progress now.  Your gift today will help in several ways– it  will allow us to keep up the pace, it will show the broad base of support for Ave Maria which is so important to any national institution, and it will encourage others to support us too because they will see that they can be a part of a great awakening in our culture– the new evangelization in our country that will so dramatically shape the future of the Church.

Please, I ask you to pray, fast, and contribute today. You won’t regret it.  In fact, I have great hope that you and I will have an eternity to rejoice in the action we take today.”

As the ancient warning declares:  “Let the buyer beware!”

A.J. Matt  Jr.

Editor Publisher

THE WANDERER

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Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Marielena Montesino de Stuart is an observer of the Roman Catholic world.  She expresses her views as a journalist for The Wanderer and for www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com .  You may write to her at ContactTRCW@aol.com

  ©All Rights Reserved                     www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

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TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION: Abortion, Blood Money, Ave Maria, Ave Maria University is Not a Catholic University, Is Ave Maria University ready to face ”Blood Money”?, Ave Maria Stewardship Community District (AMSCD) Town Government, Ave Maria University Honors “Tom” Golisano Pro-Choice Politician / Billionaire, Does AMU have a Right to Criticize Notre Dame? Ave Maria University Council, What is the Status of Ave Maria University Accreditation Process?, Ave Maria University Board of Trustees, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Father Joseph Fessio SJ, Firing of Priest, Lack of Fiduciary Responsibility, Institutional Instability, Tom Monaghan, Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of Ave Maria University, Barron Collier the Ave Maria Town Developer, Ave Maria Development, Ave Maria University 2nd Mortgages, Ave Maria Real Estate, Naples Daily News, The Wanderer Catholic Newspaper, Open Letter to the Ave Maria University Board of Trustees, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Summorum Pontificum, Latin Mass, Communion Rail, Catholic town identity, Charismatic Movement, Charismatic Healing Masses, etc.

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NOTICE TO READERS:  Marielena Montesino de Stuart and  www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com do not disparage anyone’s motives at Ave Maria, Ave Maria University, including the administrators, Ave Maria entities, Ave Maria Town, and Barron Collier Co.  Nothing contained in The Chronicles of Ave Maria© or Divine Comedy©, or anywhere on this blog/website questions the commitment of all involved to what they genuinely see as the best interests of Ave Maria, Ave Maria University, Ave Maria entities, Ave Maria Town and Barron Collier Co.  Marielena Montesino de Stuart and www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com concede this.

The Roman Catholic World

November 25, 2009

UPDATE:  The Cardinal Newman Society denounces Ave Maria University’s administration for honoring pro-choice politician / activist / billionaire Tom Golisano (which vindicates journalist Marielena Montesino de Stuart).

 

On August 20, 2009 Marielena Montesino de Stuart  wrote Part 3 of The Wanderer’s series “Ave Maria: The Promise, The Reality”– where she questioned the Cardinal Newman Society’s endorsement of Ave Maria University Read it HERE

The Golisano scandal completely proves  de Stuart’s accurate and insightful reporting on Ave Maria University’s administration.

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IS  AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY’S ADMINISTRATION TELLING THE TRUTH?

By Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Marielena Montesino de Stuart, Journalist and Resident of Ave Maria, Refuses to be Silenced

If Ave Maria University’s administration is telling the truth that they wanted me banned from a press conference honoring  pro-choice politician / billionaire Tom Golisano– why have they banned me also from the entire 900+ acre campus, and threatened to arrest me for entering campus property?

 This extreme measure is evidence that Ave Maria University’s administration is participating in a coordinated effort to control not just free speech, but also the movement of citizens inside Ave Maria.

 Several key issues need to be addressed:

 1.      Does Ave Maria University administration have a legal right to issue this ban?  What exactly is this legal right?

 2.      What claims did the university administration present to the Collier County Sheriff  between 9:15am and 11:00am  on November 5, 2009, to justify pulling Sheriff deputies away from their duties, and using taxpayer’s funds, in order to attempt to have me arrested?

 3.      Who reported my behavior as “disruptive” to Ave Maria University?– after I had received an invitation, specifically as a reporter for both The Wanderer and www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com, from Branden Blackmur at Falls Communications– an invitation which allowed me to attend the Golisano Press Conference.

 4.      Forrest Wallace, spokesman for the university, talked to Fox News about my ban  in terms of  “behaving in a civilized way in a public forum.”  Mr. Wallace emphasized to Fox News that my ban was based on questions I asked (as a taxpayer) at the town’s government Stewardship Committee Public Meeting– questions which Ave Maria University’s administration deemed “disruptive.”  This is also confirmed in AMU’s written statement given to the media.  An amazing decision– given that the Stewardship town government meetings have nothing to do with Ave Maria University matters.   The town’s government meeting took place on November 2nd, two days before my ban was issued by AMU’s administration.   

 Mr. Wallace has never had a conversation with me—in fact we have never been in each other’s company.  Mr. Wallace has never attended a Stewardship District town government meeting.  So, where exactly, Mr. Wallace, have you witnessed me “not behaving in a civilized way in a public forum”?   This is a serious and offensive statement that Mr. Wallace must back up with clear and factual evidence—since I have never attended a press conference nor a meeting at the university, nor have I ever behaved in an uncivilized way in a public forum—or anywhere, for that matter.

What is clearly uncivilized behavior is the university’s administration threatening a Catholic journalist , mother and resident of the town with arrest by Sheriff deputies, in the presence of her young children and her husband, without any legal basis.

Mr. Wallace also stated to Fox News that I am “uninformed”– about Golisano being honored by Ave Maria University, even though he is pro-choice.  Which part of Golisano’s long-standing “pro-choice” history am I “uninformed” about, Mr. Wallace?

5.      Who is reporting to the university’s administration what goes on at town government taxpayer  meetings?  The fact that I have been banished from over 900+ acres owned by the university, based on questions labeled as “disruptive” during a town government meeting which I attended as a taxpayer and property owner in Ave Maria, is evidence of a coordinated effort between the town’s governing board, the town’s developer and the university’s administration, to instill fear in town residents– by silencing free speech and by controlling their movement.

6.      Last week,  Nicholas J. Healy, Jr. (President of Ave Maria University) sent a letter to the students.  Mr. Healy’s letter is copied below in italics, in its entirety, with my comments in brackets:

My dear students,                                                                                               

As I am sure you know, the situation involving a town resident [that’s me] denied permission to be on our campus has generated publicity about supposed curbs on freedom of speech.

 Let me make it clear.  We do not make any effort to restrict speech by students. [Except, when students criticize the university’s administration to a Fox News reporter]. Vigorous and open debate is an essential aspect of university life [except of course, when Mrs. Montesino de Stuart, a Catholic reporter, writes her opposing views in The Wanderer and www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com – or when she attempts to ask questions the university’s administration does not  like, at a press conference].

 Having said that, let me note two caveats:

 News media are expected to follow established protocols if they wish to enter the campus. [I did, Mr. Healy.  I formally registered directly with Branden Blackmur, the head of your PR firm in charge of press invitations.  Stop hiding this fact!  Oh… but wait!  In the opening line of this letter you referred to me as a “town resident”.   So… make up your mind, Mr. Healy.  Did you ban me as a “town resident” for my participation as a taxpayer and property owner at an Ave Maria  town government meeting, unrelated to the university?  Or, did you ban me as a “journalist” because you don’t like my opposing views about the way that you go about your administrative activities at the university?]  We do need to avoid disruption of student activities and dorm life. [This was directed at a Fox News reporter who came to speak with two courageous students who spoke out against the university.  The Fox News reporter respectfully sat with the two students at the public reception area of the dorm, as their guest—until the Dean of Students and a dorm administrator ordered her to leave].

Interviews given to the media can wind up on YouTube or other outlets and surface again years later.  Things that might be hurtful or embarrassing to other students or to the faculty cannot be withdrawn once they are given to the media. [You mean “hurtful”-- as in trying to arrest a Catholic journalist, mother and resident of the town of Ave Maria, in front her children and husband, for trying to attend the Golisano Press Conference, for which she had received a formal invitation? You mean “embarrassing”—as in the embarrassment that your actions are causing to donors of Ave Maria University-- not to mention how The Cardinal Newman Society has denounced your decision to honor Tom Golisano-- a pro-choice politician / activist / billionaire?]

My hope is that you will let charity “rein”[Yes, folks—this is exactly how he spelled it—“rein”-- as in a strap or harness used to guide or check a horse.  Healy later sent out another version with the correct spelling—but by then, his Freudian slip had made the rounds of the internet, with every comical comment you can imagine].

Nicholas Healy

President

*********

After issuing the original ban, the university’s administration excepted the Oratory and the Adoration Chapel only.  The question remains—how do they propose I get to those rooms, since they are surrounded by the university property from which I am banned.   Helicopter?  Should the routes I can use be marked out with red tape, or a new Berlin Wall?  Or should I just take my chances that my children might witness their mother being arrested by Sheriff deputies aided by security guards employed by Ave Maria University—the entity that banned me and clearly doesn’t like me?  How many Sheriff deputies is the university administration going to pull away from their duties (using taxpayer’s money)  in a remote area such as this, which already lacks sufficient law enforcement presence?  These are Sheriff deputies whose presence is very much needed in the nearby town of Immokalee, which is well known for being a high crime area, not to mention other isolated communities in this area of the Everglades.

It is worthy of note that the Catholic Diocese of Venice in Florida contacted me through its Parish Administrator to assure my protection while in the Oratory and its grounds, as well as in  the Adoration Chapel—should the university administration arbitrarily interpret my presence as “disruptive”;  however, the university administration has not defined what constitutes the Adoration Chapel grounds, nor what constitutes “disruptive”.  The other chapels on the university campus have not been addressed yet.

Should my feelings be hurt that I am declared publicly to be such a menace to the peace and harmony of Ave Maria University that merely walking across the campus is some sort of danger?  That I could cause some “disruption” that their security guards could not handle?  Oprah?

Is Ave Maria University’s administration  telling the truth– that my ban is based on my unwelcome questions to the Stewardship District town government board— the same group that controls and taxes all of the property owners in Ave Maria without representation  (Read the Naples Daily News, May 9, 2009 article “Ave Maria:  A Town Without a Vote—Now and Forever”).  So, the questions I asked of the town’s governing board were the basis of the university’s administration labeling me as “disruptive”?   If this is true– why not also ban Mr. Klucik from the 900+ acre campus?  (Mr. Klucik made it a point to identify his full name several times on the public record).  Anyone who carefully listens  to the audio tape of the Stewardship Committee town government public meeting (available through Fox News and the Naples Daily News websites) can clearly hear Mr. Klucik  refusing to heed the Chair, and trying to interject answers to questions that I had directed to the town’s government Stewardship Committee.  So, does AMU have a double standard– one for residents and journalists who question and write things they do not like– the other for their supporters—however “disruptive”?

Is my banishment a life sentence, or 5-10 years—or may I somehow get a parole hearing or probation?  To whom do I apply, Mr. Monaghan?  To the town government Stewardship District Committee?  To the Ave Maria University administration?  To the town’s developer, Barron Collier? Should I apply to all of the above, given their coordinated efforts?  If that fails, should I try President Obama?

Is it “disruptive” to question—even argue for a few minutes– not yelling—but simply argue with a town government committee that is stacked with Monaghan’s and Barron Collier’s appointees, not elected by the townspeople, when the committee refuses or seems to refuse to give straight answers to questions– and treats the townspeople as peasants (not voters) to be controlled and condescended to?  If so, why was Mr. Klucik not also banished from the campus?  Even  Paul Roney, CFO of Ave Maria University,  who also sits on the Stewardship District Committee, can be heard saying “Rob… Rob”–  as he tries to stop Mr. Klucik’s interruptions.

The fact is that the “disruptive” behavior cited is nothing but a minute or two of “back-and forth”—quite routine for meetings open to the public.  Evidently, the town government Stewardship District Board prefers a quiet, muted, obsequious audience.

Did this allegedly “disruptive” behavior put the Stewardship District Committee in fear of something?  A riot,  perhaps?  There were a total of eight property owners present, of which five were senior citizens.  Was the Stewardship District Committee afraid that I might lose my temper and assault them?  In other words, other than unwelcome questions and some minor argument over who had the floor, from a taxpayer and journalist that Ave Maria University and the town government do not indirectly control—exactly what did the Ave Maria University administration fear I would do at their press conference, that would have me banished from it– and from the entire 900+ acres surrounding it?  Was there some evidence I carried a Weapon of Mass Destruction?

Residents of Ave Maria were promised many things– including access to the Ave Maria University Library, student events, theatrical performances, campus dining facilities, etc., — access to the whole Ave Maria community, which is very tiny and limited anyway,  located in a remote area of the Everglades– and completely surrounded by swamps.

Does Mr. Monaghan and the Ave Maria University administration he controls care if their draconian banishment of a journalist, and permanent resident of Ave Maria – banishment not merely from a press conference or press conference room—but from the entire campus, imposes a terrible burden on her family and effectively imprisons them to a tiny area with extremely limited services and cultural opportunities—despite the access promised to the Catholic community?  This included the university promised to residents.  Is that fair, or reasonable, or just—or Catholic?

Does Mr. Monaghan and the university administration he controls care that on the evening of November 19th, the day that the relic of Mary Magdalene was brought to the Ave Maria Oratory, my children and I had to leave a Rosary procession—when Father Robert Garrity, in charge of the Ave Maria University campus ministry, led the procession completely into the university campus—from which I have been banished?  Did Father Garrity–  who was completely aware of my presence and my children’s presence at the front of this procession,  even care that we had to leave the procession because he was leading it into university property, where he knows I’m not allowed?  Processions are generally carried out on the street surrounding the Oratory.

Fox Television News was banned from the campus a few days ago, when their reporter tried to interview two students that courageously spoke out against the university’s administration.  How many more journalists will the Ave Maria University’s administration exile for asking questions they do not like?  Should all journalists fear “banishment” from the entire campus if they do not “behave themselves”– or act “civilized”—as the university’s spokesman, Forrest Wallace, said on Fox News?  What exactly is this measure of “behavior” that the university administration expects?

Like I’ve said before– what could be more uncivilized than a university administration threatening to arrest a Catholic journalist who believed in Ave Maria University’s Catholic promises so much, that she and her husband bought a home in Ave Maria and brought their young children to live here?

Should other town residents fear banishment from the entire campus if they don’t behave according to the unknown standard imposed by Ave Maria University on me?  Who’s next?

Finally, isn’t such banishment of a journalist and resident of Ave Maria—and effectively of her entire family, with nowhere else to go in these swamplands– counterproductive– and, very frankly, embarrassing for Ave Maria University and its donors?

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Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Marielena Montesino de Stuart is an observer of the Roman Catholic world.  She expresses her views as a journalist for The Wanderer and for

www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com (her blog).  You may write to her at ContactTRCW@aol.com

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TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION: Abortion, Blood Money, Ave Maria, Ave Maria University is Not a Catholic University, Is Ave Maria University ready to face ”Blood Money”?, Ave Maria Stewardship Community District (AMSCD) Town Government, Ave Maria University Honors “Tom” Golisano Pro-Choice Politician / Billionaire, Does AMU have a Right to Criticize Notre Dame? Ave Maria University Council, What is the Status of Ave Maria University Accreditation Process?, Ave Maria University Board of Trustees, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Father Joseph Fessio SJ, Firing of Priest, Lack of Fiduciary Responsibility, Institutional Instability, Tom Monaghan, Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of Ave Maria University, Barron Collier the Ave Maria Town Developer, Ave Maria Development, Ave Maria University 2nd Mortgages, Ave Maria Real Estate, Naples Daily News, The Wanderer Catholic Newspaper, Open Letter to the Ave Maria University Board of Trustees, Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Summorum Pontificum, Latin Mass, Communion Rail, Catholic town identity, Charismatic Movement, Charismatic Healing Masses, etc.

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NOTICE TO READERS: 

Marielena Montesino de Stuart and  www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com do not disparage anyone’s motives at Ave Maria, Ave Maria University, including the administrators, Ave Maria entities, Ave Maria Town, and Barron Collier Co.  Nothing contained in The Chronicles of Ave Maria© or Divine Comedy©, or anywhere on this blog/website questions the commitment of all involved to what they genuinely see as the best interests of Ave Maria, Ave Maria University, Ave Maria entities, Ave Maria Town and Barron Collier Co.  Marielena Montesino de Stuart and www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com concede this.

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