The story behind the story of Father Fessio's firing from Ave Maria University
 

A good priest in a bad environment

 

Outta' town by sundown

On Wednesday March 21, 2007, Father Joseph Fessio was summoned to the office of Chancellor Tom Monaghan and fired from his non-paying job as Provost of Ave Maria University. Monaghan offered no explanation whatsoever for the sudden dismissal. He simply told Father Fessio to pack his things and be off of campus by day’s end. It was the start of what was about to become a most interesting day.

 

Around 2 P.M., Father Fessio sent the following short note to his email list:

 

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.

 

Around mid afternoon, Ave Maria’s public relations firm issued a carefully worded yet un-illuminating statement which stated that Father Fessio “…was asked to step down as Provost of the University as a result of irreconcilable differences over administrative policies and practices.” AMU staff was told not to speak to the media about the controversy.

Once word got out on campus, perturbed and bewildered students immediately began to organize an impromptu protest in support of the much beloved Jesuit. The protest started out in front of President Nick Healy’s office, then moved to Father Fessio’s on-campus residence, where it had grown to approximately 100 well behaved but upset students who at various times began in-concert recitations of the Rosary. An tearful Father Fessio emerged from his quarters to give a brief statement thanking the student, and then left the area.

Nearly as fast as word hit the street at AMU, it hit the streets of the Catholic blogosphere and the local media. Fr. Fessio is generally well liked and respected among Catholics of all stripes and backgrounds, an accomplishment rarely realized in a Church known for its diverse and, at times, contentious factions. He’s seen by most, even those who often sharply disagree with him, as a good-natured, intelligent and well formed priest. News that he had been fired went over like a lead Hindenburg. Even with the sparse information available at the time, only the most obtuse internet surfer could have missed the collective cyber-frown that was immediately directed towards the powers-that-be at AMU. After all, Father Fessio was rather famous for his long list of accomplishments, while those running the show at AMU were rather infamous for their long list of mishaps. 

The timing of Father Fessio’s dismissal couldn’t have been worse. Admissions activities for the next school year were in high-gear. Ironically, news of the firing came on the very day that thousands of AMU donors would open their mail to find a three page, poorly written plea for donations penned by Monaghan himself. Even more ironic was the fact that in less than two days, Fr. Fessio was scheduled to appear in Washington D.C. to accept induction into the Catholic Educator's Hall of Fame. One would think that those behind Fr. Fessio’s firing had surely taken these and other factors into consideration beforehand, but that seems not to have been the case. A senior staff member told AQ that foresight and wisdom on such matters shouldn’t be assumed from “this crew.” Another highly placed source lamented that “they jumped off a cliff, but forgot to look before they jumped.” The latter source wondered outloud how those with such myopic tendencies came to run a Catholic higher learning institution.

 

At around the time the area in front of President Healy’s office was becoming populated with angry students, AMU management’s voicemail and email inboxes were becoming populated with angry messages. Donors were calling to express their outrage and parents where inquiring about what steps needed to be taken to remove their children from the school.

 

A 4:30 P.M. staff meeting was called by university officials in order to contain the brush fire they had started, which was now threatening to burn out of control. Initially, the meeting was to be for staff and faculty only, but it was thought best to open it up to the students as well given their state of mind. One student who was present at the earlier protest said that according to the buzz amongst his colleagues many were already contemplating “voting with their feet” by next semester over Father Fessio’s firing. Tuition at Ave Maria is around $22,500 per year, which works out to $11,250 per voting student foot.

 

Students swarmed to the meeting by the hundreds. Nearly every single man, woman and child on campus – staff and student alike - showed up for the event which, as the protest earlier in the day, had not been on anyone’s Wednesday agenda. It became a packed house. There were no rafters to hang from, but there were 300-400 students present, many having to stand and sit in the aisles. Before the meeting began, visibly nervous staff members milled about in a corner speaking in hushed tones. Among them was founder Tom Monaghan, President Nick Healy, Chaplain Robert Garrity, Dean of Students Dan Dentino and other “who’s who” of AMU faculty and staff. Campus security personnel wearing black suits were also in attendance.

 

 

Once underway, the meeting quickly turned into a rather raucous affair. The mob demanded to know who killed their Caesar. Many young women could be heard sobbing as students wondered out loud how it could be that their favorite priest had been so suddenly and so unceremoniously frog-marched off campus. There were standing ovations when Father Fessio was mentioned along with emotional appeals for his immediate reinstatement. If those in attendance sought answers, they were not forthcoming from the besieged speaker bunker. In describing the scene, one student said “It was a Greater North dog and pony show that showed the disconcerting lack of confidence in the administration… they gave a statement that said nothing and skipped around the questions, refusing to answer them. It really turned the students off.” Another student described the meeting as “meaningless.” What was intended as an ad hoc damage control venue was creating more damage than it was controlling. Those attempting to explain things without explaining anything were only making matters worse. By nightfall, it was abundantly clear that Wednesday had not been a very good day for higher ups at AMU.

 

Oops!

 

The situation hadn’t improved by next day. In fact, it got worse.

 

The deafening silence emanating from university officials, who refused to shed any light on the previous day’s events, was causing speculation in the local media and on the internet to run rampant. In an effort to fill the informational vacuum, websites that had been following the goings-on at AMU were already tracking the canary feathers back to the cats responsible for them. Although he couldn’t provide any details of his dismissal (because none had been given to him), Father Fessio was characteristically open and accessible. He gave several interviews to the local press where he came across as unfazed and nonchalant, appearing almost as if he was wondering what all the fuss was about. He seemed fine with it all, expressing happiness that a “burden” had been lifted off his shoulders and saying that he was looking forward to his future “work for the Lord’s vineyards.”  Father had nary a bad word directed toward anyone, only observing in the most detached and objective fashion imaginable, that in his most humble opinion, the firing had been a “mistake.” Indeed. If this was to be described as a “mistake” then it should be assumed that Father would have charitably informed the captain of the sinking Titanic that his dire circumstances were the result of a mere “boating mishap.”

 

Fr. Fessio’s graceful and commendable handling of the controversy contrasted sharply with the university’s ham handedness. The Fessio affair was becoming to AMU’s already suffering public image what Godzilla was to Tokyo. Only Tokyo’s Godzilla had emerged terribly from the sea through no fault of the Japanese. AMU’s PR Godzilla had emerged – smelling like a rose - from Tom Monaghan’s own office, and he had nobody to blame but himself and those advising him. AMU was now in the second day of its self inflicted PR disaster. In an interview with the Washington Post, Phil Lawler of Catholic World News referred to the debacle as “institutional suicide.”

 

At around 6 P.M., in an obvious attempt to stop the bleeding, President Nick Healy issued the second bewildering statement to come from AMU in as many days. It seemed now that all of the "irreconcilable differences" had been reconciled in less than a day. The statement told that Father Fessio had been asked by those who fired him the day before, to remain at AMU; Father Fessio accepted. Healy’s statement claimed that the sudden 180 was “a sign of our esteem for his great gifts and abilities.” Which begged the question; if Father was so “esteemed” and had such "great gifts and abilities" then why was he so shabbily treated when he was summarily canned the day before? The statement went on “He will be designated a theologian in residence and maintain a room on campus.” In other words, Fr. Fessio had been demoted… again. Father started out with AMU as Chancellor, Professor of Theology and head of the chaplaincy, and wielded a great deal of influence over the curricula and spiritual direction of the university. Now, only a few years later, he was to be somewhat of a figurehead, a “theologian” with no official power or authority. Officially, he was to be seen by the students but not heard by the administration. If this is the manner in which AMU management treats those they “esteem,” how would they treat those whom they don’t esteem?

 

While the effectiveness of the move to bring Father back - in whatever stricken capacity - remains to be seen, there were many questions as to how this all came about. The particulars of the firing are still being kept under wraps with explicit permission needed from the top before any staff or faculty can speak to the press. As of the time of this writing, Father Fessio still tells others that he has absolutely no idea what, in particular, lead to his firing that day.

 

Through no fault of those in the media reporting on the incident, there was was a great deal of guesswork due to a vacuum of information about the circumstances under which the firing occurred. Some articles and blogs speculated that it came about as the result of a recent interview where Fr. Fessio offered his thoughts about homosexuality being inherent at birth. The erroneous speculation was that his comments were seen as unorthodox, thus AMU decided to hand him his walking papers. As anyone close to university politics will attest to, it will be a long time before AMU management will ever "out-Catholic" Father Fessio.

 

People on the inside of AMU knew immediately that there was much more behind Fr. Fessio's firing than him simply "stepping in it" once or not giving a good interview. Those familiar with the situation are nearly unanimous in concluding that the ultimate reason behind the unfortunate turn of events, was a long running power struggle between Nick Healy and Father Fessio that finally had come to a head. At the heart of that struggle is the spiritual and liturgical direction of the fledgling university. Many who spoke with Angelqueen.org (AQ) referred to the struggle in terms “war” or “warfare.” As one source put it “the administration has been extremely hostile towards Father Fessio and tradition.” The source said that there exists an atmosphere where traditional and orthodox elements, particularly in regard to the liturgy, are “shunned,” while more liberal “glory and praise” and charismatic influences are given precedence.

 

The Eagle and the Legal Beagle

 

If the intended goal is getting a Catholic university off the ground, one would be hard pressed to find anyone better qualified than Fr. Fessio to help realize that goal. Father holds a Masters Degree in Philosophy from Gonzaga University and a Doctorate in Theology from the University of Regensburg. His thesis director was none other than Father Joseph Ratzinger - who now happens to sit in the chair of St. Peter as the Supreme Pontiff of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Not only did they share a student-teacher relationship, but the Holy Father and Fr. Fessio have become personal friends over the years, often attending the same seminars and retreats as well as meeting privately on many other matters. The Pope frequently asks Fr. Fessio – who was once his favorite student at Regensburg - how things are going AMU. After all, it was the Holy Father himself who intervened on Fr. Fessio’s behalf to get him released from his exile as a hospital chaplain (imposed on him retributively by his liberal Jesuit superiors) in order to take the position at Ave Maria.

 

In addition to his impeccable credentials and connections (and a mailing-list of tens of thousands of potential donors), Fr. Fessio also brought with him to AMU experience and gravitas. As founder of both Saint Ignatius USF and Campion College, he possessed an invaluable real-world “school of hard knocks” background in jumpstarting Catholic higher learning institutions. He also possessed a good deal of business experience after founding and running the multi-million dollar Catholic publishing giant “Ignatius Press”. Fr. Fessio is prominent and well known not only in Catholic circles, but in the national - even international – media, where he has often been sought after to speak on every subject from the goings on at the Vatican to his thoughts on Islam.

 

In the early days of AMU’s founding, Father Fessio’s “star power” was not lost on Tom Monaghan. Monaghan realized that if he had Fr. Fessio do nothing more than smile and strike poses in a display case somewhere on campus, he would attract far more than his fair share of seed money, needed faculty, new student applications and all of the other happy-stuff that was essential to getting AMU off on the right foot. Initially, Father Fessio’s experience and talents were put to good use. He was made Chancellor, Professor of Theology and head of the chaplaincy. He had a great deal of influence, not only over the curricula and educational direction of the university, but the liturgical and spiritual direction as well.

 

In regard to the liturgy, Father Fessio is a reformer who holds that many of the problems with the modern Catholic condition stem from many of the problems with the modern Catholic Mass. He’s spoken at length about his ideas on liturgical reform publicly as well as with the Holy Father, who for the most part shares his sympathies. At times Fr. Fessio has been quite vocal about the issue, more than once stating publicly that he viewed changing the orientation of the priest toward the people (versus populum) as a “mistake.”  Father Fessio presides over reverent ad orientum (facing the altar) Novus Ordo Masses. Most of his Masses are spoken or sung in Latin and accompanied by sacred Gregorian chant. Ironically, at a university being billed as the new bastion of orthodoxy and reverence in Catholic academia, Father Fessio’s orthodoxy and reverence would become his undoing.

 

Enter one Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of Ave Maria University.

 

Unlike Father Fessio, former New York lawyer Nick Healy’s qualifications as a Catholic leader and educator are nearly non-existent. He has no credentials, education or formal training in any ecclesiastical discipline. The extent of his expertise on the sacred liturgy is limited to that of a layman occupying a pew at Mass. Before being picked up by Monaghan, his only experience as a Catholic educator had been when he held the position of “Vice President of University Relations,” a communications/PR position, at Franciscan University, Steubenville. His educational and professional background is mostly in New York Maritime law and insurance. By any reading of his résumé, Healy is very qualified to act as a fiduciary for East River tugboat captains who get bumped by barges, but is he qualified as a Catholic educator? His position at AMU, however is less a result of his background than him acting as Monaghan’s right hand or “push” man.
 

The differences between Father Fessio and Nick Healy are not limited to their prerequisites. Father Fessio is seen frequently out and about campus mingling and visiting with students, while Healy spends his days in his office. Father Fessio is extremely popular with the students; Healy is not. Fr. Fessio is reform minded and orthodox; Healy is a committed praise and worship type of charismatic.

 

 

Charismatic Charisma

 

If the mantra of the 60s was “if it feels good do it”, then the mantra of the Charismatic movement that has its roots in that turbulent era would be, “if it feels good, it must be the Holy Spirit.” The Charismatic “renewal” sprang out of nowhere after it was literally fabricated on American college campuses in the 1960s. It more closely resembles “happy-clappy” Pentecostal Protestantism than anything traditionally Catholic. Compared to their traditional or orthodox counterparts, charismatics tend to be far more accepting of novelty in matters such liturgy and music. They are more inclined toward innovation and less inclined toward tradition and established dogma. Their spiritual orientation would tend to be more horizontal and less vertical in nature and their faith more emotional than cerebral. A higher degree of emphasis is placed on what is perceived as personal spiritual gratification, rather than liturgical reverence and catechetical development. Charismatic liturgies have been notorious breeding grounds for some of the worst liturgical abuses on record. While charismatics can range anywhere on the ideological spectrum from heretically liberal to politically conservative, there is no denying that the movement itself is wholly modernistic and newfangled. They would likely protest the labels, but in light of 2,000 years of tradition, the charismatic movement is entirely new to Catholicism or “neo-Catholic,” it’s adherents by extension “neo-Catholics.” There is no such animal as a traditional charismatic.

 

Before going to work for Monaghan, Nick Healy had a public relations position at the heavily charismatic Franciscan University, in Steubenville, Ohio. His leanings and many of his designs for AMU come as a result of his experiences there. Healy’s charismatic formation wouldn’t be an issue in and of itself if he was simply a “work-a-day” president of a university, but that's not the case. He has his intentions on the liturgy and spiritual direction of AMU and he has increasingly sought for himself more control over both. For a time, Fr. Fessio was able to counteract Healy’s influence, but only for so long. Because of his pull with Monaghan (who hails from a charismatic background himself), Healy was uniquely positioned to get his way on matters important to him, thus it was inevitable that Fr. Fessio’s orthodox vision would be progressively pushed aside, commensurately yielding to Healy’s charismatic agenda. Along the way, the frictional relationship between the two would boil over.
 

There was an incident in 2005, when Healy’s son-in-law and AMU faculty member, Dr. Jules van Schaiejk, suggested to Healy that they bring in a speaker by the name of Paul Griffith to give an on-campus talk. Healy agreed. When Fr. Fessio was made aware of Griffith’s highly unorthodox views - one being that Catholics should support homosexual “civil unions” - he as Provost put the kibosh on the talk and had Griffith’s invitation withdrawn. One thing led to another and the issue eventually grew to become so contentious, that van Schaiejk resigned over it. van Schaiejk and Healy no longer speak to each other.

 

Shortly after the Griffith dust-up, Healy made it known that he wanted to bring in a new charismatic “healing” priest by the name of Father Richard McAlear. Fr. McAlear had been involved with the charismatic renewal since the early days back in 1972, and according to his bio, part of the “healing ministry” since 1976. Healing Masses are services where after Mass or sometimes even during Mass, the priest or lay people touch or anoint with oil the body parts of those who wish to be “healed” of real or perceived spiritual and physical ailments. These dramatic rituals are marked by lots of hand waving, emotional outbursts and scenes of attendees channeling “the spirit.” Congregants often have to step over those who are laid-out in the aisles or rolling around on the floor after having been “slain in the spirit.” What starts out as what was supposed to be a Catholic Mass, usually devolves into a rather helter-skelter affair by the time it’s all over.
 

Healy intended to make regular “healing Masses” available at AMU. Of course Father Fessio, who considers healing Masses to be an “abomination,” wanted none of it. Father attempted, to no avail, to stop the healing Masses from coming to campus. His unsuccessful efforts only further deepened the rift between him and Healy.
 

Not long after these two incidents, Healy approached Tom Monaghan and attempted to convince him to remove Fr. Fessio from AMU altogether. Although Father Fessio wasn’t fired outright, he was removed from the chaplaincy. Monaghan never gave Father Fessio the courtesy of speaking with him about the demotion before rendering the decision. Monaghan, a college dropout, would soon replace Father Fessio as University Chancellor, and University Chaplain - Father Robert Garrity - would report to Nick Healy instead of Fr. Fessio.

 

One source, who had spoken to AQ about the liturgical situation at AMU prior to the most recent Fr. Fessio controversy, is from a family that has been involved with AMU since the very beginning. His father sits on an AMU board and one of his brothers plans to open a business in the town of Ave Maria. The source and another brother had in the past been enthusiastic involved with the new university, once going so far as to fully finance a retreat to Atlanta for ten AMU students. Because of the disappointments they’ve encountered along the way, the brothers have no further plans of aiding AMU, financially or otherwise for the foreseeable future. He said:

 

“As far as Ave Maria, it appears to be degrading. The morning Mass was always a Fessio type Mass with the priest facing the altar. The noon Mass was more of a typical Novus Ordo Mass with the priest facing the people. Slowly things started to degrade where the priest at the noon Mass would leave the sanctuary to distribute communion so that the parishioners could not utilize the communion rail.  Also, extraordinary ministers were introduced and women lectors.” He continued, “I predicted that within 5 years, Ave Maria will be a fully charismatic college.”

 

He made that prediction 3 years ago.

 

Offers that can’t be refused

 

Many of those in Healy’s orbit have either spent time at Steubenville or at least adhere – often to the point of stridency - to the charismatic mentality. There also exists a certain contingent of students and staff who, to varying degrees, actively or passively adopt this mindset. The behavior and tactics employed by some of them has caused traditional and orthodox circles at AMU to refer to those from Steubenville, their sympathetic partisans and the more zealous charismatics as “Steubenites” or the “Franciscan Mafia.”  While this mafia might not fit you for a pair of cement shoes, there have been many examples of those who’ve crossed its path suffering draconian real-world consequences. Several sources without prompting have referred to a “climate of fear” created by management resulting from the manner in which they deal - at times wrathfully - with faculty and staff who are seen as going against the charismatic grain. According to some of the first hand accounts given to AQ, the sources aren't exaggerating.

 

In September of 2005, Father Chad Ripperger, was invited by Una Voce – a private traditional Catholic organization not affiliated with the university - to give a talk and offer an off-campus private Mass. Father Ripperger is a traditional priest with the Fraternal Society of Saint Peter (FSSP), a fully legitimate priestly society authorized by the Holy See by John Paul II. Father Ripperger, who happens to be a former student of Father Fessio’s from their days at the Ignatius institute, is described by Father Fessio as “someone whose zeal and fidelity I have the highest regard for.” The students had asked for and received permission from Father Fessio to have Father Ripperger visit. Everything seemed to be a go. Things began to go south however when news of Father Ripperger’s visit reached the desk of AMU Chaplain, Father Robert Garrity. Father Garrity telephoned Father Ripperger and informed him that if he intended to visit, Father Ripperger must concelebrate a Novus Ordo Mass. The clear implication was that if Father Ripperger refused to comply with the unusual request, the already planned and approved event would not be allowed to take place. Being that Father Ripperger (like the vast majority of his FSSP brethren) does not offer or concelebrate Novus Ordo Masses, it was impossible for him to agree to Fr. Garrity’s odd, late-breaking precondition. Father had no choice but to inform Una Voce and the students that he, regretfully, had to cancel.

 

Later that same month, Father Garrity would take further measures against the traditional students at AMU, whom he viewed as “divisive.” A newly formed traditional student group named “The Saint Gregory Sodality” (after Pope Saint Gregory the Great) had submitted a draft of its constitution in order to become officially recognized by the university. After reviewing the proposed constitution, in an email copied to Nick Healy and other officials, Garrity demanded a long list of unusual amendments to the constitution. In a section of the document entitled “Long Term Goals,” was a sentence which read “Assist in making the traditional Roman liturgy available on or near campus.” Garrity instructed the Sodality students to omit the sentence altogether because, he explained “the traditional Roman liturgy is celebrated here at AMU abundantly… the Mass of the Second Vatican and of its postconcilliar legislation is the traditional liturgy… therefore, this ‘Long Term Goal’ of the Sodality is currently unattainable.” In other words, the group was to abandon any and all efforts to have the traditional Mass offered anywhere near AMU because, according to Garrity, it already was being offered. Either the students were woefully ignorant of their surroundings, or Garrity had just declared the Novus Ordo (which translates literally to “New Order”) as “the traditional Roman liturgy.” Garrity would further impress the students by demanding that his appointment as Speech Tsar be constitutionally mandated. He instructed them to add to their constitution “It is for the Ave Maria University Chaplain to interpret and apply the meaning of the term ‘traditional’...” Garrity was making it clear that he and he alone was to determine the very meaning of the very word “traditional.” Further on in the email, Garrity would complete the clampdown by stating “this issue of pressing for the Tridentine Mass at AMU need not be, and is not to be, brought up again to the Chaplain or to University officials, lest divisiveness and frustration be the result. Furthermore, the Sodality is directed to refrain from any activity or speech which is deemed by the Chaplain to be divisive or misleading to other students.” With this one sentence, Garrity was telling the students that there was to be no mention of the Tridentine Mass and was appointing himself overseer of all activity and speech in regard to the singled out Sodality students. Father Garrity's intervention had effectively neutralized The Saint Gregory Sodality.

   

In March of 2006, two traditional students from Sodality were participating in a private, off campus event that was being sponsored by Una Voce. It was to be a series of three talks along with three Tridentine Masses. The talks and Masses were to be given by Father Demets, a traditional priest from the Fraternal Society of Saint Peter (FSSP), and were to be held on private property not belonging to AMU. The event in no way was affiliated with the university and no university priest or staff member had any authority over it. When word of the event got back to university administrators, they made every effort to nip it in the bud. One thing lead to another until the environment became so hostile that the Mass intended for the third night was called off. The beleaguered FSSP priest could have given the third and final Mass, but fearing reprisals would be taken against the students, he thought it best not to. Although Fr. Garrity had no jurisdiction over the private facility, he showed up at the location on the last night to see to it that the third Mass did not take place. For two of the students involved, there was talk of expulsion. The reason given was that they used university property (email) to spread the word of the event. Father Fessio stepped in on behalf of the students and the expulsion was averted.

 

One particularly disturbing incident took place in April of 2006. AMU was sponsoring a talk entitled “The Holy Father in the Holy Land.” The speakers were a combination of Christians and Jews and the topic was the visit to Israel by John Paul II. One of the students, who had been threatened the previous month with expulsion for attending the Una Voce event, attracted the attention of management when he failed to attend the talk. An investigation was launched in which acquaintances of the student were privately interviewed regarding their interactions with him in an effort to discover why he hadn't attended the talk. After the inquiry, the student and the same friend who had nearly been expelled with him in March were summoned to the Father Garrity’s office, where previously prepared documents awaited their signatures. Part of the text read “I assent to these teachings of Nostra Aetate, and thereby affirm that The Jews, as a people, have not been rejected or accursed by God.” The statement was highly problematic on a number of levels, one being that anyone familiar with the text of Nostra Aetate would realize that the statement the students were to sign thoroughly distorts and embellishes what Nostra Aetate actually teaches.

 

The bewildered students weren’t given any reason why they were called into the chaplain’s office that day and made to sign a document (that was to become part of their permanent record) which contradicted Church teaching. They were baffled at why, at a college in America, they were being made to sign an odd, theologically flawed statement created by someone else, regarding their beliefs on the salvation of Jews. Although they reluctantly signed the statements, they to this day, regret doing so. One higher up source who was close to the situation expressed remorse over the theological inaccuracy of the document and the treatment of the students. He explained that someone at the very top of the AMU pyramid wrongly suspected the students of “anti-Semitism” and threatened not to allow them to graduate. The source went on to point out that nobody at the Orwellian document signing “ceremony” believed that the students were in any way anti-Semitic and that no evidence whatsoever of anti-Semitism had been brought against them. The source referred to the student who was at the center of the controversy as a “good kid,” and said that he was made to sign the document partly for his own protection from the top official, on whose anti-Semitic radar screen the student had happened to erroneously show up.

 

During the fall semester of 2006, two concerned students attended one of Fr. McAlear’s “healing” Masses and documented over 70 liturgical and rubrical omissions, abuses and inconsistencies – all before the healing portion had begun. The students describe what they witnessed as “liturgical chaos,” saying that the Mass turned into a clamorous carnival-like atmosphere with blatant disregard to the Eucharist. A band was “rocking out” to praise and worship music in the background. The two students found the experience so disturbing that they felt the need to vacate the premises. What follows is an account of what happened when they attempted to leave:

 

 “I physically could not stand it anymore and was on the verge of tears. My friend and I left but we did not make it out the door. A student, a disciple of Fr. McAlear cornered me against a bike rack and verbally assaulted me for being on the ‘devil's side’ saying that I was an ‘enemy of the Spirit’ and that ‘Fr. McAlear was doing the direct Will of God!’ and that ‘you can write as many reports as you want, but Fr. McAlear will never falter- only your Latin will!’ He stormed off leaving me pressed up against the metal bike rack shaking.” The students sent the abuses they documented to the bishop of the Diocese of Venice, who at the time was Bishop Nevins. They never received a reply.

 

Just this past March, 2007, the university sponsored a retreat for 15 students to travel to a mission ranch in New Mexico. Once there, students attended a Mass where they witnessed many blatant abuses. Among other absurdities, they were made to run around in circles shouting Native American chants near the start of the Mass, then as a group they were made to sing the day’s Holy Gospel, the words of which were scrolling in “bouncy ball” fashion across Teleprompters that had been rolled in for the occasion. When two of the scandalized students brought their concerns to those who were overseeing the event, not only were they harshly rebuffed, but their retreat was cut short and the two were put on the next plane back to Florida. When Healy and others in the administration got wind of the incident, the students were severely censured and an effort was made to have them expelled. The move to expel the students ended only after Fr. Fessio stepped in on their behalf, once again saving students on the wrong side of the administration from expulsion.

Musical Chairs

 

Diana Silva and her husband Michael first met Father Fessio in November of 2003 at an Ignatius Press retreat house in California, when AMU was in its very first semester of classes. Father Fessio picked up on Diana’s love for sacred music and saw also that she was immensely qualified in her field, accomplishing much during her two decades of liturgical music experience. Diana holds a Master’s degree in Church Music from Westminster Choir College in Princeton New Jersey. She was on the music faculty at the University of California Davis and has sung with the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony. The Silvas moved from California to Florida after Diana accepted an offer from Father to become the music director at AMU. Her mission would be threefold: To build a professional choir-in-residence, implement a BA program in sacred music and oversee liturgical music at the university.

 

Though Diana initially had high hopes of fostering the music she loved at AMU, her enthusiasm would eventually turn to discouragement. After approximately a year on the job, increasing pressure was placed on her to become more involved with “Praise and Worship” (which she considers a misnomer) music that the charismatic factions of the staff were vying for. Diana at one time had been active in the modern/folk/pop trends of liturgical music, but she had long ago left it behind. As she developed spiritually and professionally, she gravitated towards traditional chant, polyphony, classical and the like. The sacred liturgical music of the Church, unambiguously held in high regard by the deposit of faith, had become her music. Realizing that it had been all but lost, she dedicated her professional life to its restoration.

 

Despite there being no measurable demand for it coming from the student body, the goal of management was to have a Praise and Worship program at all costs. So at Healy's insistence, during the Spring '05 semester P&W groups were formed under Diana's supervision. The absence of enthusiasm on the part of the students became evident when they would frequently miss rehearsals and Masses, making it difficult or impossible to keep the P&W groups viable. Ignoring the near total lack of interest, Healy stubbornly pushed for even more P&W music as well as Masses.

 

A major setback for the music program and deep disappointment for Diana came when Father Fessio was removed from the chaplaincy. Not long after, without Diana's knowledge, Healy brought in a new P&W director specifically to oversee the music he was trying to implement. The new director and a history professor held auditions for the Praise and Worship groups, which after being formed, were given little or no supervision. No-shows and liturgical abuses/irregularities followed, as did quality assurance issues. For example, “Alleluia” numbers were put in song lists for Lent, despite the fact that the Alleluia is never part of any Catholic liturgy during the penitential season.

 

In Spring of 2006, Father Fessio gave a homily on the Church’s teaching regarding sacred music. Using quotes from popes from Saint Pius X up through John Paul II to gently but persuasively make his case, Father taught that the music used in liturgy should appeal to the higher nature and befit the solemnity of he sacred event at hand - the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It was a non-polemical and rather innocuous (not to mention 100%correct) teaching homily which Father had properly given in his role as priest. For whatever reason, it brought scorn from AMU higher-ups causing Father Fessio to get into hot water with them.

 

Then in Fall of '06, it was decided by management that P&W will be "student led," with no supervision whatsoever from the Department of Sacred Music. Eventually the student leader was unable to handle the workload and the position was given to the wife of a staff member. At this point, despite the fact that as Director of Music and Liturgy she was contractually obligated to be responsible for all liturgical music, Diana was to have absolutely no say over the P&W groups.

When Diana began at AMU under Father Fessio, the music program was developing in a way that properly dignified a Catholic higher learning institution billing itself as as bastion of Catholic orthodoxy. Since, the music program has become yet another battleground of liturgical “war” raging at AMU. After a while, Diana was made to feel like persona non grata by the administration as her career at AMU became a daily struggle with disruption and interference.

 

Diana submitted her resignation from AMU in November of 2006, to become effective as of June 2007. As it stands now, all musicians report to Father Garrity, who reports directly to Nick Healy.

 

A solid foundation or Dominos?

 

One of the earliest eyebrow-raising moments for AMU observers came at the unveiling of the artists’ drawings and scale model of what was to be the future main oratory at the very center of Ave Maria University and town. What was shown at unveiling ceremony - arranged in conjunction with a performance by the Vatican Choir at the Naples Philharmonic - was an imposing glass-encased structure that seemed more suited for lunar botany than Catholic worship. It was abstract and unsightly. The Ave Maria “hothouse” as it was called, was universally panned by Catholics and non-Catholics alike, providing a wealth of joke material for bloggers and print journalists.

 

Donors and supporters who were waiting with bated breath were, to say the very least, under whelmed. Instead of asking where to send their checks, they were asking how bird droppings, water stains and the infamous Florida mold were going to be cleaned off the hulking glass behemoth. Instead of exclaiming “how lovely!” they opted for “how expensive it will be to keep cool!”

 

The now scuttled oratory design was the brain-child of Tom Monaghan, founder and former CEO of Domino’s Pizza and primary benefactor of AMU.

 

The main reason why the novel, avant-garde proposed oratory didn’t seem at all a fitting tribute to a Catholic university is because, simply put, it wasn’t Catholic. The inspiration for its design was drawn in large part from the Mildred B. Cooper Chapel, and the Thorncrown Chapel, both in Arkansas, both Protestant and both designed by Euine Fay Jones - an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright. Labeling Wright’s style as “modernist” would be considered a compliment by him and his admirers, as he is affectionately referred to as “the father of modern architecture.” It is well known that he despised classical Catholic architecture. Monaghan is a long time admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright, at one point even living in a home designed by Wright. According to an August 5, 2006 article in the Naples Daily News “Each of the university buildings will be constructed in styles inspired by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.”

 

Although Mr. Monaghan is often referred to in the mainstream media and by those who don’t know any better as an orthodox or even a “traditional” Catholic, he has been much more aligned with charismatic movement than any elements of solid orthodoxy or tradition. In fact Monaghan’s ties to the charismatic movement go back decades. He was very involved with the Ann Arbor based "Word of God" community, an ecumenical mixed-religion charismatic group whose questionable activities have drawn investigations by both the Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. The Church built on the Domino Farms property is fully modernist charismatic "community." Of course none of this calls into question Mr. Monaghan's love of the Lord or his politically conservative credentials, but a political conservative and a traditional Catholic are not one in the same.

 

Mr. Monaghan’s interior disposition becomes important when considering that his influence over the development of the university is virtually without restriction. In addition to being the main benefactor, he is school chancellor as well as CEO. He is not merely providing funding for the project and seeing to it that his investment is well spent, he is inserting himself into nearly every aspect of development, from the architecture of the buildings, to the hiring and firing of staff, to the liturgy. While Monaghan may well be a good businessman and a well meaning Catholic, many feel that he is too much the neophyte to be exerting the degree of macro-influence and micro-management over everybody and everything associated with the project. They fear that for someone who is wielding such complete control, he lacks sufficient grasp over such matters as Catholic theology, philosophy, history, liturgy and tradition. His autonomy is so screwed down and without question, that Monaghan has even taken it upon himself to design the very altar table for the oratory, an avant-garde, nouveau looking creation with three offset stones. At the time of this writing, some around him are trying to get the self-made liturgical designer to go with something more Catholic, before it’s too late. It should be noted that Mr. Monaghan, chancellor of a Catholic university, is a college dropout.

 

To be sure, becoming a saint doesn’t require a degree in theology or even a great deal of intelligence. In fact, a good argument could be made that worldly education and intellectual sophistication can actually become obstacles to sainthood. At issue however isn’t whether Monaghan possesses the qualities for sainthood, at issue is whether he possesses sufficient faculties to so completely lord over the founding of a Catholic academic institution. Some say that because he is using his own money to jumpstart Ave Maria University, he should do with it as he well pleases and that his autocracy has been paid for in full. This argument may hold true when establishing privately owned franchises charged with serving consumers, but does it hold true when establishing a tangible representation of the earthly Body of Christ responsible for educating young Christian minds? Unlike a private corporation in a capitalist free market, which is for the most part only the business of the board members and stakeholders, the moment Tom Monaghan announced to his Catholic brethren that he was embarking on this endeavor, it became every Catholic's business as much or more as it was his business. From the Holy Father, down to the student paying tuition and out to all of the faithful, AMU’s failures and successes belong to all Catholics. Nobody will argue that the philanthropic manner in which Monaghan is spending a huge portion of his wealth is anything but highly commendable. The concern is that his wealth has purchased for him the ability to turn a very high profile Catholic enterprise into a personal sandbox, and that he’s making crucial mistakes along the way.

 

As far as business acumen is concerned, a case could be made that Monaghan may be losing his touch. If donors, parents, students and faculty can be viewed as "customers," then large segments of the customer base have now been alienated or driven away. Of course, as expected secular liberals and the usual garden variety of Catholic detractors came out against the planned university while it was still only a notion. Now however, the penchant for repeated public gaffs, bloopers and at times downright bad behavior of the AMU powers-that-be have infuriated the many of the traditional and orthodox circles AMU had intended to woo. From a business model standpoint, what customers will be left to provide the student body, donation money and brain-trust? AMU can get by just fine without the approval of secular liberals, but can it get by without, orthodox, traditional and other "deep" Catholics?

 

Cloudy Florida Forecast

 

As it stands now, the new AMU campus is set to open for the Fall, 2007 semester. Although the original plan called for 600 students to be aboard for the maiden school year, only around 390 are expected. That translates to several million less in operating capital than had been anticipated. After nearly 5 years, the university still has yet to be fully accredited. In some ways this has been a blessing in disguise, as many students who had considered transferring to another school feared that some or all of their credits from AMU would be useless elsewhere. This unintended consequence however, cannot be seen as a good problem to have. It is not known if the university will operate under the local Diocese of Venice any time soon, but until that time, weddings and baptisms can't be performed.

 

Construction costs are far higher than initial projections, causing the project to be significantly scaled back from the original plans. Due in part to the series of hurricanes, outlays for expenses such as materials, labor and insurance have skyrocketed. Additionally, the real estate market in Southwest Florida, which was seeing a boom of historic proportions when the project began, has since taken a downturn. Where once local listings were sold before they could be entered into the MLS system, there is now a stagnant inventory of thousands of new and pre-existing area properties available to potential buyers which drop in price literally by the day. Not exactly an ideal market for agents selling the pricey Ave Maria Town properties to compete in.

 

The redesigned oratory, which is about 1/3 the size of the scuttled crystalline giant that birthed it, is near completion. The result is a recipe of ingredients taken from the Wright-inspired Protestant chapels fancied by chef Monaghan, combined with a handful of ideas from several sous-chef architects, mixed with various composite and natural materials which were all then blended together during several reluctant trips back to the drawing board. The final recipe now cooking in the hot Florida sun, is somewhat bluish colored and resembles a giant designer handbag. If the blogs are any indication, it doesn't seem that the AMU oratory will soon outlive its ability to elicit the colorful descriptions that began coming the moment it was fatefully unveiled. Two adjectives, however, that you won't often hear ascribed to it are "beautiful" and "Catholic."

 

The turnover rate for faculty and staff is extremely high. The development department is so much seen as a "revolving door" that new hires are likened to temps. In addition to the the Director of Music, other key faculty and staff have left. Father Beers, a traditionally minded staff member who has been very successful at building the pre-theologate program, has decided to put himself out to pasture by this summer. Coincidentally or not, he decided to make the decision public just a few days after the Fr. Fessio debacle. Over the past few months, some key personnel losses include its Provost, Dean of Pre-Theologate, Director of Liturgical Music, Human Resources Manager, it's magazine editor, events coordinator and others. As this story is being written, "panicked board meetings" are being called because the admissions department is in an uproar over three simultaneous high-level resignations over the past week.

 

Another former AMU VIP is Roger McCaffrey, the respected publisher of Roman Catholic Books and former publisher of Latin Mass Magazine. Roger relocated to Naples after Father Fessio enlisted him to assist in fundraising and publishing at AMU. In an interview with Brian Mershon of Renew America, McCaffrey, who resigned last September to pursue "attractive options elsewhere," paints a bleak picture for the university's near future. He said "Once the new semester begins, they'll move to get people off their knees for Communion, mess around more and more with the liturgy, and the self-proclaimed 'healer' priest, with his national organization, will inevitably have a widened role." Roger calls Father Fessio's firing "manifestly unjust and brutal in its execution" and asks "Is there anyone who can picture God on Nick's side in this?" He goes on to say "...the very modestly traditional liturgical life is under dire threat now, there is no chance I'd recommend Ave Maria to family or friends." Roger believes that the Fr. Fessio controversy will cost AMU not only students, but faculty as well. Phil Lawler, editor of Catholic World News, tends to agree. He told the Washington Post, "if you're a tenured professor at another Catholic university and you see this happening, you say to yourself, 'If it could happen to Father Fessio, it could happen to anyone -- so what's my incentive for going to work at Ave Maria?' " Monaghan refuses to offer faculty at AMU tenure, their positions are largely "at will." Monaghan's will to be precise.

 

Despite the "gag order" that has been issued campus wide since Fr. Fessio's firing, Mr. McCaffrey isn't the only disenchanted AMU player, former or current, who is singing bluesy songs that aren't music to the ears of management. Although they're under strict orders to say nothing and to refer all inquiries to Monaghan's PR guy, Robert Falls (who then has no comment), students, staff and faculty realize that they live in a free country, and that AMU management's control over their very will has its limits. In fact, although they choose not to be identified for obvious reasons, few are those who are not willing to discuss the goings on at the university if the intended ear is discerning. It must be noted that the faculty and staff members who have broken the imposed "code of silence" are, to a person, educated professionals who understand the concepts of employee loyalty, confidentiality and discretion. They also understand that those concepts eventually reap diminishing returns and that there is also a time to speak out.

 

As one source close to the faculty puts it, "the stories you're hearing about the climate of fear are true." He says that "if there has been any movement at AMU from its inception until now, that movement has been from competence to incompetence."

 

What now?

 

Despite the litany of disappointments, the general consensus among good Catholics is that they wish to see AMU succeed in a providential manner. Even the most miffed of those in the AMU realm agree that with the proper reformatory and restorative measures, AMU could possibly right itself.

 

As it stands now, Nick Healy and Tom Monaghan run the entire AMU show from top to bottom. Yet if their resumes were combined, no ecclesiastical credentials exist and the only educational asset that could be drawn from both would be a single graduate degree in law. Not exactly an overqualified duo when the monumental task ahead is to establish a world class Catholic higher education institution. The current condition of the Tom Monaghan/Nick Healy system could go to show that the AMU project would be better served with more diverse and capable decision making apparatus in place. Since Father Fessio's firing, there has been suggestions of Intervention by board members, donors, stakeholders, ecclesiastical authorities or any combination of adults.

 

The traditionally geared can only be dismayed at reports of traditional students and activities being stigmatized or cast aside. A surefire way to begin winning them back would be for AMU to offer the Tridentine Mass, but that doesn't seem likely any time soon. The head of the theology department, Father Matthew Lamb, or any number of FSSP priests, could offer a Tridentine Mass at any given time, but thus far, all efforts to have the Mass anywhere near AMU have been hostilely opposed by some in the administration. Even if AMU was to get the permission of the local ordinary (or potentially rely on the much anticipated Moto Proprio), university officials - namely Monaghan, Healy and Fr. Garrity - seem as though they will not allow the Tridentine right under any circumstances. Traditionalists can only wonder at the irony of Father McAlear's healing Masses being available on campus while the Mass of nearly all of our saints and popes is not. Until that prevailing wisdom changes,  AMU will continue to be scratched off of traditional Catholic Christmas lists.

 

One thing that would greatly help to bridge the divide AMU has created between itself and many Catholic circles, would be a bit of heartfelt contrition. Catholics are a forgiving bunch, so acknowledgement of past mistakes and a sincere commitment not to keep making them would go a long way. Thus far however, the tact mostly has been to strike out or adopt a sort of bunker mentality, which only turns any rebuke - even those from potential allies - into a tar baby.

 

Another area that needs to be looked at is the AMU policy of attempting to force the square charismatic agenda through the round orthodox hole, particularly in regard to music and liturgy. The buzz put out was that traditional and orthodox minded types should think of AMU as top of the line for Catholic secondary education, hence, these are the types that showed up for the party. Many now feel that the red carpet rolled out has become the rug being pulled out from under them. Students recently put together a petition with the signatures of 1/3 of the student body requesting the more reverent, Fessio type Masses. The faculty (which gets nothing but high marks from all quarters) has always been seen as far more conservative and reform leaning than the staff. The current crop of students and faculty are simply disinclined towards the charismatic atmosphere that management is attempting to manufacture around them.

 

What also absolutely must be addressed if AMU is to be successful, is the retention of quality human assets. The university must be able to attract and retain highly educated, well formed Catholic laity and clergy as faculty and staff, so it follows that AMU would need more, not fewer, qualified experienced and orthodox priests like Father Fessio. One reason why the reaction to his firing was so strong is because he is so widely seen as what’s right with AMU. That his name was added to the growing casualty list of key players who have been run off seemed a bridge too far.

 

It seems that Tom Monaghan just may have fired the wrong man on that Wednesday morning.