FESSIO REDUX
Thu, Mar22, 2007 - Category: University
6:22PM email from AMU President Nick Healy to AMU
faculty/students
We expressed yesterday that the separation of Father Fessio from the University’s administration had nothing to do with our shared commitment to our mission as a Catholic university ex corde ecclesiae. As a sign of our esteem for his great gifts and abilities, we have asked Father Fessio and he has agreed to continue a relationship with us. This will include the following: (i) He will be designated a theologian in residence and maintain a room on campus. (ii) He will join us for the Commencement exercises. (iii) He will teach the planned summer program for high school students. (iv) He will explore a semester abroad program in Rome and how our Austrian semester abroad program might be continued. It is expected that in developing plans for study abroad programs Father Fessio will be spending a significant amount of time in Europe. (v) It is anticipated that beginning in the spring semester, Father Fessio will assume teaching responsibilities at AMU, although the precise schedule for the teaching hours will need to be worked out. We are pleased that we can confirm the continuing association with Father Fessio and his commitment to the ongoing development of Ave Maria University in a non-administrative capacity.
UPDATE, 3/23, 7:30am - Healy & Monaghan approached Fessio less than 24 hours after dismissing him from campus "wanting to work something out." Fessio said, "I think it would have been better to have foreseen a little more clearly. It wouldn’t have been so much turmoil". (Naples News - full story)
UPDATE, 3/23, 5:30pm - Fessio - "This [reinstatement] is an extraordinary undertaking of the university for the students... I was removed yesterday, but had so much admiration and respect for the role I played here. We call Catholic priests father for a reason. It really is a family.” (New-Press - story)
UPDATE, 3/24/07 - orthodox Catholics speaking out
"Institutional suicide" was the immediate response of Philip F. Lawler, editor of Catholic World News. "..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?' "
An Ave Maria official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he feared reprisal if identified, likened the firing of Fessio to Monaghan's dismissal of Bo Schembechler as president of the Detroit Tigers shortly before Monaghan sold the baseball team in 1992. "He's very loyal to the people who work for him, but if he loses confidence in you for any reason, then it's like a light going off," the official said. "Sometimes he's his own worst enemy." (Washington Post - full story)
We expressed yesterday that the separation of Father Fessio from the University’s administration had nothing to do with our shared commitment to our mission as a Catholic university ex corde ecclesiae. As a sign of our esteem for his great gifts and abilities, we have asked Father Fessio and he has agreed to continue a relationship with us. This will include the following: (i) He will be designated a theologian in residence and maintain a room on campus. (ii) He will join us for the Commencement exercises. (iii) He will teach the planned summer program for high school students. (iv) He will explore a semester abroad program in Rome and how our Austrian semester abroad program might be continued. It is expected that in developing plans for study abroad programs Father Fessio will be spending a significant amount of time in Europe. (v) It is anticipated that beginning in the spring semester, Father Fessio will assume teaching responsibilities at AMU, although the precise schedule for the teaching hours will need to be worked out. We are pleased that we can confirm the continuing association with Father Fessio and his commitment to the ongoing development of Ave Maria University in a non-administrative capacity.
UPDATE, 3/23, 7:30am - Healy & Monaghan approached Fessio less than 24 hours after dismissing him from campus "wanting to work something out." Fessio said, "I think it would have been better to have foreseen a little more clearly. It wouldn’t have been so much turmoil". (Naples News - full story)
UPDATE, 3/23, 5:30pm - Fessio - "This [reinstatement] is an extraordinary undertaking of the university for the students... I was removed yesterday, but had so much admiration and respect for the role I played here. We call Catholic priests father for a reason. It really is a family.” (New-Press - story)
UPDATE, 3/24/07 - orthodox Catholics speaking out
"Institutional suicide" was the immediate response of Philip F. Lawler, editor of Catholic World News. "..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?' "
An Ave Maria official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he feared reprisal if identified, likened the firing of Fessio to Monaghan's dismissal of Bo Schembechler as president of the Detroit Tigers shortly before Monaghan sold the baseball team in 1992. "He's very loyal to the people who work for him, but if he loses confidence in you for any reason, then it's like a light going off," the official said. "Sometimes he's his own worst enemy." (Washington Post - full story)