Ave Maria University
On Saturday, March 25, Ave Maria University celebrated the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord—the largest feast of the year in Ave Maria.
The day was filled with activities including a 5K race, Gyrene baseball and softball games, Eucharistic procession, and consecration of the University and parish to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The feast culminated with Vigil Mass, a townwide dinner, and a live music concert from Washington D.C.-based Celtic band Scythian.
The activities were held throughout the campus and town, with the grand dinner and concert taking place at the Canizaro Library lawn at Ave Maria University.
The day kicked off with a 5K race at 8 a.m., followed by an alumni brunch and a series of athletic games around noon. At 1 p.m., there was Mass for the Solemnity of the Annunciation at the parish church, where the town and University were consecrated to the Virgin Mary by the pastor and chaplain, respectively. The Mass was followed by a Marian/Eucharistic procession led by AMU Faith Households.
At 5 p.m., the dinner opened at the Canizaro Library lawn, serving close to 1,400 people from in and out of Ave Maria. Live music started at 6 p.m. with a group of AMU students called Blackout Friday, preceding Scythian’s concert, which started at 7 p.m.
On the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Catholics commemorate when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to tell her that she would be the mother of Jesus. It is a day to celebrate Mary’s valiant Yes to the Lord—the Yes that brought salvation to the world!
The day of the feast was also the 86th birthday of Ave Maria’s founder, Catholic philanthropist Tom Monaghan. The University expressed its gratitude for Mr. Monaghan and his life’s work by inviting all the attendees to sing happy birthday to him before the dinner started.
“I love the Annunciation feast we have every year because it’s such a joyful, concrete way to celebrate Mother Mary’s fiat, as well as all of our fiats to come to Ave.”—Sofie Harangozo, AMU Student (’25)
Annunciation is the largest feast of the year at Ave Maria, where students, faculty, staff, and townspeople get together to celebrate the Blessed Mother’s patronage of the town and University.
If you would like to support Our Lady’s university, consider joining AMU’s Annunciation Circle: a community of members who support Ave Maria University through their prayers and monthly donations of $10 or more. You can learn more about Annunciation Circle here.
GIVE TO AMU