Man Behind Domino's
Funds New Catholic U.

Here is a prime example why you should pay attention to your parishioners. The founder of the new Ave Maria University, Tom Monaghan, who is better known as the founder of Domino's Pizza, has committed $200 million to start the school near Naples, Florida.

According to a recent New York Times article, Monaghan has grand plans for the university: majors as varied as theology and hotel management; a Division I football team; three golf courses, including one for donors only; and a new town, Ave Maria, with a commercial center joining the campus.

Not everybody is happy about the gift to start the new school, according to the New York Times: "Many Catholic educators are uneasy about Ave Maria, irritated that Mr. Monaghan would start his own university rather than support an existing Catholic college and annoyed at his broad criticism of Catholic education."

Competition for endowment funds has grown increasingly intense among both public and private colleges and universities.

This is yet another example of why we should condition ourselves to expect the unexpected in the world today.