Center for the Domestic Church
An educational resource hub for current and future families, meeting the practical formational needs of young people envisioning their roles as mothers and fathers.
Our Mission
Spotlighting the Irreplaceable Work of Home & Family
The Ave Maria Center for the Domestic Church is an educational resource hub for current and future families, meeting the practical formational needs of young people envisioning their roles as mothers and fathers. The Center spotlights the irreplaceable work of caring for a home and family, platforming the unique role of mothers in the home.
AMU Extracurricular Formation
A Three-Legged Stool of Formation
Reflecting on the valuable extracurricular formation we provide to our students, the Center for the Domestic Church is an important, and long-missing, leg in the human and spiritual formation we offer.
Founders Scholarship Program
Spiritual Formation
The Founders Scholarship Program (FSP) is dedicated to students' spiritual development.
Center for the Domestic Church
Human & Family Formation
The Center complements these and fills a third critical role of formation in preparation for marriage, home and family life.
How We Form
Three Areas of Formation
Home
Material care for the human person in the family
Practical formation
Applied; hands-on
Family
Care for the person in human relationships, starting with marriage & parenting
Relational formation
Interpersonal
Self
Personal mission & vocation; growth in mind, soul & body in service of the family
Personal formation
Mindset & spiritual skills
Who We Serve
Growing With Our Community
Initially
- ✓Current AMU female students preparing for motherhood
- ✓Current AMU male students preparing for fatherhood and alumni who are growing their families
Future
- ✓Mothers and newly married women in Ave Maria, Florida and beyond through virtual educational resources and opportunities for community building
- ✓Male AMU alumni recently married and in the first years of fatherhood
Our Approach
What We Will Do
Provide educational opportunities in applied workshop formats along tracks designed for student interests and needs.
Create a practical extra-curriculum experience that builds over the four-year student experience, resulting in relevant certifications or individual credits towards graduation or the Minor in Marriage & Family.
Collaborate with experts, aligned organizations and women currently engaged in raising their families with valuable experience to share.
Create online resources, a content library and networking/resource referral hub for alumni and friends of the University seeking support in caring for their homes and family lives.
Be a source to match women with individual coaching and mentoring as they prepare for and build their families.
Content Tracks
Formation Tracks & Partners
Homemaking, Motherhood, Parenting, and Education are our starting tracks, with Marriage and Fatherhood tracks planned as the Center grows.
Sample Topics
- Importance of the home environment
- Time management
- Budgeting & financial planning
- Cleaning
- Laundry & clothing care
- Cooking & meal planning
- Nutrition
- Interior design/decoration
- Entertaining & hospitality
- Maintenance
- Gardening
- Sewing
- Health & wellness (first aid)
- The "family dinner"
Example Partners
- HomeAdvantage Plus
- Smart Home Management
- Home Unlimited Inc.
- Home Renaissance Foundation
- Individual experts
Formats
How Programming Reaches You
Campus-Based
Each semester
Workshops
Hands-on, practical home economics
Seminars
Mindset; intellectual growth
Gathering
Small group learning; celebrations; individual mentoring
Service
Serving families & elders in need
Internal Partnerships
Households; Women's & Men's groups; Marriage & Family Minor; Mother Teresa Project; Ave Students for Life
Community
Alumni / Public
Online Workshops & Resources
Podcast
Annual Conference
Resource Library & Referrals
An Emerging Center
Help Us Build It
We envision a physical location for the Center within walking distance of campus — a home for workshops, hands-on learning, and community-building in keeping with the home-focus of the Center.
Donor Philanthropic Support
Help build the Center from the ground up as a founding supporter.
Workshop & Membership Fees
For alumni and community participation in ongoing programming.
In-Kind Support
Expertise, speaking, mentoring, and partnership contributions.
Invest in Home & Family.
Your support helps us build a permanent home for the Center for the Domestic Church and prepare the next generation of mothers and fathers for a life of faithful, joyful family life.