Ave Maria will offer three summer programs, two at our campus in Naples, Florida and one in Rome Italy.
From Friday, June 1 through Friday, June 15, 2007 Ave Maria will sponsor a summer program in Rome open to rising high school juniors and seniors, students accepted to Ave Maria for the Fall 2007 semester, and current Ave Maria students.
Participants will be staying in Rome at the St. Omobono Residence and their focus of study will be "Rome in the Early and Medieval Church." Several experts in early Church and Roman history will be conducting seminars on varying topics which pertain to aspects of Rome and the Church. The afternoon "seminars" will consist of guided excursions to sites around Rome which correspond to the topics of discussion. In addition, participants will make day trips to both Ostia and Assisi. A special highlighted feature of the program is an audience with Pope Benedict XVI.
The University's joyful fidelity to the magisterium is mirrored in its excitement to offer this program (and its specific topic) in Rome. This is a sort of incarnational act of Ave Maria's mission which stems from the apostolic exhortation Ex Corde Ecclesiae (From the Heart of the Church). While the every day activity at Ave Maria, from its intellectual inquiries in the classroom, to its worship in and through the liturgy, to the variegated extra-curricular activities are shaped by this mission, what better place to live out this mission in a special way than in Rome, which is, in some sense, a particular locus of the Heart of the Church!
In addition to the Rome Program, the University is offering two separate high school programs for rising juniors and seniors, which will take place at the Ave Maria Campus. During the weeks of Sunday, July 8 through Friday, July 13 and Sunday, July 15 through Friday, July 20, 2007, students will gather for the second annual summer program entitled "C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth, Magic, and Miracles." This program focuses on the common themes in the writings of Lewis and Tolkien. The week long courses will be taught by Ave Maria Provost, Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J. and Ave Maria Assistant Professor of Literature, Mr. Joseph Pearce.
Fr. Fessio has had vast experience in teaching philosophy and theology at several universities, is the founder of Ignatius Press, and has been known on the Ave Maria campus to frequently look to Tolkien and Lewis for the images and characters which vividly represent the philosophical and theological topics which he teaches.
Mr. Joseph Pearce has authored several books on Lewis, Tolkien, and G.K. Chesterton and is an internationally sought after speaker on these topics. His dedication to researching and writing upon these topics spills over into his captivating teaching style (upon which students never fail to gratefully comment).
The week long programs will also consist of various afternoon and evening trips in and around Naples which give students a chance to get to know the area, and one another (as well as current Ave Maria students) in leisurely activity.
Students from across the nation who participated in the 2006 summer program found that it broadened and illumined their intellectual horizons and set upon that horizon friendships which have continued to develop throughout the year.
Ave Maria eagerly extends the invitation to these programs. They each provide invaluable insights into the nature and mission of a liberal arts education set within the context of the abiding tradition of Catholic thought — a unique characteristic of Ave Maria.
The application and additional information may be accessed on the University website at www.AveMaria.edu or it may be mailed by requesting a brochure from the Office of Admissions, which may be reached at 877-AVE-UNIV.
We also extend an invitation for prospective students to experience the life of an Ave Maria student, by arranging a campus visit. The Office of Admissions will be happy to arrange a campus tour, a meeting with an Admissions Counselor, the opportunity to sit on classes, and to stay in the residence halls with current students. Please contact the Office of Admissions to arrange the details.
