Ave Maria University alumnus Father Rich Pagano was in town today to celebrate Mass at the AMU alumni weekend. Father Rich knew Alex well from his time pre-ordination as a youth ministry leader in town. During Father Rich's homily today he spoke of AMU as a nourishing mother - alma mater - and so today I decided to share something I wrote years ago.
As an admirer of AMU since I began my own studies at its sister school (Ave Maria School of Law) back in 2000, I penned this tribute to what would have been Alex's alma mater (he is an honorary member of the class of 2014 and he likely would have been graduating this Spring). In honor of this week's AMU alumni reunion, I am dedicating this song to Alex and all the deceased students and alumni as a tribute to their school - a great school - and to the people who love her. Here is the sheet music, with the lyrics of the 3rd verse below:
As an admirer of AMU since I began my own studies at its sister school (Ave Maria School of Law) back in 2000, I penned this tribute to what would have been Alex's alma mater (he is an honorary member of the class of 2014 and he likely would have been graduating this Spring). In honor of this week's AMU alumni reunion, I am dedicating this song to Alex and all the deceased students and alumni as a tribute to their school - a great school - and to the people who love her. Here is the sheet music, with the lyrics of the 3rd verse below:
Saints go before us
Light the path afire
Lift up the chorus
All our deeds inspire
Our virtue never tire
O-o-o
Guide us along the way
May this we always pray
Ave Maria
Fill our hearts anew
Ave Maria
Ever, always, true
*Full disclosure: AMSL alums will recognize that the song is very similar to that school's alma mater. The tune is the same, the lyrics are different.
Some of the Goodly Beggars know the tune and have the sheet music (but I don't know if they would be ready to play it just yet). While this is a song of tribute that evokes my observations of what the school intends to stand for and the source of the nourishment it provides, I understand that having never been a student of AMU, I might have gotten it wrong.
*Full disclosure: AMSL alums will recognize that the song is very similar to that school's alma mater. The tune is the same, the lyrics are different.
