The provost at Ave Maria University, once a student of the current pope, has been asked to resign his position immediately.
Provost Joseph Fessio sent an e-mail shortly after 2 p.m. today to members of the Ave Maria community, saying he’s been asked to resign and leave the campus immediately.
His brief e-mail reads:
"To the Ave Maria University community: I have been asked to resign my position as provost and leave the campus immediately.
I will miss Ave Maria and the many of you whom I hold dear.
Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J."
In a statement, university officials said Fessio was asked to step down as a result of "irreconcilable difference over administrative policies and practices."
"There has never been any difference in our commitment to our mission or to the Magisterium of the Church. Nor is there any diminishment in our commitment to maintaining the highest quality of scholarship," according to the statement.
University officials would like Fessio to serve the university in an advisory capacity in the future, according to the statement.
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 Jester Hat Tip: |
Amy Welborn | ||
One of these days Ave Maria University or pretty much any effort by Tom Monaghan will be turned into a soap opera. Like dominos things keep falling.
On a side note Fr. Fessio was on the Hugh Hewitt show last night for a couple of segments. Hugh was asking him questions about Cardinal Mahony and allegations regarding a video tape, Sacramentum Caritatis, and other subjects. Fr. Fessio was pretty much a class act in regards to accusations made about Cardinal Mahony, especially when you can be sure he has a whole lot of differences regarding the Cardinal.
5 comments
Please tell me that the “Like dominos” comment is a pun. (Monaghan made his fortune from Dominos Pizza) That would be too ironic.
Please tell me this school will remain orthodox. I have not sent in my contribution for the year yet, and need to be sure I still should. I was also hoping the University would still be faithful to the Church when my children are of college age, should they choose to go to college. It was high on my “approved-school” list.
My sister goes to school at Ave Maria and I am currently down here visiting her for Spring Break. The news about Fr. Fessio’s leaving had the whole campus in an uproar. It seems, though, that they have made some changes about the whole situation. Fr. Fessio will not leave the school altogether. Granted, he will no longer be the provost, but his presence at Ave Maria will not be missed any longer either.
i wouldnt give any money to the school anymore. i am a student currently, but i’m leaving after this semester finishes. the administration treated the student body with the utmost disrespect in this matter, refusing to dialogue with us and treating us like clientele who keep monaghan’s empire running. many, many students were so insulted that they wont be returning next fall. father fessio has been ‘reinstated’ of sorts, but he is now delegated to a second-class position since the school obviously realized what a mistake removing their poster boy was. angelqueen.org has some excellent posts and topics on it, particularly this one http://angelqueen.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13204 which offers a sarcastic but rather truthful translation of the terms of his reinstatement. also see the ‘liturgical trainwreck’ topic on the angelqueen boards, and then decide if you want to continue giving money to this farcical institution.
As a current student of Ave Maria University, graduating in May, I express my sadness and disappointment caused by the abrupt announcement of Fr. Fessio’s resignation. Disappointment because of the radical polemics that were flung around campus, to the effect that Fr. Fessio *is* Ave Maria University. The mission of Catholic higher education is much larger than one man, and it is a defamation against that mission to assume that the University will lose its orthodox quality. On a side note, it has since been announced that Fr. Fessio will continue his affiliation with the University in the non-administrative capacity of “Theologian In Residence.” So, for those of you who fear for Ave’s orthodoxy, know this: Fr. Fessio will continue to advise us (though no longer as Provost), and his presence on campus will continue to inspire us. But know this, too: we are here for more than just one man, no matter how wonderful that man is, and how much good he has done. We are here not for a man, but for the God-made-Man, Who is our constant help and Final End. Through these trying times, may He continue to bless the mission of the University, and I encourage everyone to take a better look at Ave Maria University, because God’s work *is* being done here, regardless of these upsets.
As regards the question of liturgy, Fr. Fessio was the Provost. Canonically, he had no authority over any liturgical practices on campus; this authority falls to the Chaplain of the University. Do your homework before you start assuming things. See cc. 564 and following.
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