The Ave Herald

The Ave Maria Knights of Columbus held a dinner Tuesday night to honor AMU founder Tom Monaghan and to thank him for his support of the Knights.

Ernie Mitchell of the Knights' Oratory Council and Joe Thomas of the Ave Maria University Council Joe Thomas presented Mr. Monaghan (right) with a plaque bearing a quote from Sister Berarda, a teacher whom he has said is one of the greatest influences on his life.

"There wouldn't be any Domino's, there wouldn't be any Ave Maria University, if it wasn't for her," Mr. Monaghan said in an emotional remembrance of the nun who taught him in the first, second and third grades and inspired him throughout his life.

"She was a mother, father and teacher to me," he said.

The plaque bears advice that Mr. Monaghan said Sister Berarda gave him: "Have faith in God. Have faith in yourself. Then go out and do it. You can be anything you want to be." (Sister Berarda is pictured, left, in a portrait that is normally displayed in the Ave Maria history exhibit.)

The Queen Mary Pub was filled for the dinner with town residents, students, priests and sisters from the Domican Sisters of Mary. Mr. Monaghan helped the order, which now is one of the fastest-growing communities of women religious in the U.S., get started and some of the sisters teach at the Donahue Academy.