Ave Maria University, Naples and the West Coast

Ave Maria University is a young, vibrant university located in the beautiful Southwest Florida. It is an academic institution that pledges faithfulness to the teachings of the Church and is committed to offering one of the finest classical liberal arts curricula available, as well as opportunities for specialized study in all of the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Ave Maria University began as Thomas S. Monaghan’s dream to build an institution of Catholic higher education that would be faithful to the Magisterium and could produce future faithful educators, leaders, and mentors that could meet the challenges of society's needs. Through his initial financial donation of $250 million (coming from his selling of Domino´s Pizza in 1998), in partnership with a generous donation of land from the Barron Collier Family in Southwest Florida, the dream began to take shape.

It has a beautiful campus near Naples, on the West Coast of Florida. An excursion there gives the opportunity to peer out into the Gulf of Mexico. Naples is a quiet, well to do community that has been attracting retired people from the North like all of Florida but sees Miami as a bit "too Cuban".

According to their statement (breath deeply -there are few periods): "Founded in fidelity to Christ and His Church in response to the call of Vatican II for greater lay witness in contemporary society, Ave Maria University exists to further teaching, research, and learning at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the abiding tradition of Catholic thought in both national and international settings. The University takes as its mission the sponsorship of a liberal arts education curriculum dedicated, as articulated in the apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae, to the advancement of human culture, the promotion of dialogue between faith and reason, the formation of men and women in the intellectual and moral virtues of the Catholic faith, and to the development of professional and pre-professional programs in response to local and societal needs. As an institution committed to Catholic principles, the University recognizes the importance of creating and maintaining an environment in which faith informs the life of the community and takes expression in all its programs. The University recognizes the central and indispensable role of the Ordinary of the Diocese of Venice in promoting and assisting in the preservation and strengthening of the University’s Catholic identity."

Practical Tips

Distance from Roseaire, 120mi, 2 hours driving. See Map.

Most of the ride is through I75 known as Alligator Alley, but don´t get overexcited. The probability of sighting alligators is low since I75 is a highway and beasts are kept far away through fences and canals. If you want to see gators, better to go on another excursion. 

Also most of the ride goes through the Miccosukee Indian Reservation. Fill the tank before going into it -there is no gas station for many miles. There is only one, Miccosukee Service Plaza, Exit FL-49.

Ave Maria website

Combos. There is a noon mass at Ave Maria. Check the schedule just in case.

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