Oratory Grand Opening Cancelled
Yesterday, Naples Daily News reported that Ave Maria University's scheduled grand opening for the oratory was cancelled. Bishop Frank Dewane of the Diocese of Venice has yet to approve Tom Monaghan's salmon steak-shaped building for Mass. But why? Feedback to AveWatch suggests that the residents of Ave Maria Town and University are pointing at Dewane as the fly in their ointment. Our speculation, however, is that the stiff neck belongs to Monaghan, not the Bishop. If it is shown to be true that the hold-up in the Oratory's opening is due to Monaghan's refusal to allow the Bishop to appoint the oratory chaplain - a right that is well within the Bishop's purview - Monaghan will have some angry locals and donors to deal with, not to mention his business partners (Baron Collier; Pulte) who built their real estate development with "a town core anchored by the landmark Oratory". Let's see where Monaghan puts the blame for this mess during the annual meeting of his club for rich Catholic businessmen, Legatus, in a few weeks. An advertised "highlight" to attend the $1,500/person event was "Latin Mass, at the new Ave Maria Oratory".