The town Ave Maria is born!

Did you know that the company Domino's Pizza was founded by Tom Monaghan, an American and devout Catholic? This is the story of this amazing man.

An orphan, Tom was raised by nuns in an orphanage. Since he had no money, he enlisted in the Marines, then ended up buying a pizza restaurant in Michigan. The transformation of his restaurant into a chain took on an unexpected turn and he quickly became rich. His new wealth didn’t take away his spirit of poverty—he remained very generous, especially towards the Church and pro-life movements.

However, this was not enough for him. A few years later, with the profits from his thriving food business, Tom decided to build a Catholic city! Despite the obstacles, his project took off: the town of Ave Maria was born, halfway between Orlando and Miami. Founded in 2007, it can accommodate a population of 8,000 people and 5,000 students.

The city is of course not limited to Catholics, but the three flags billowing above the public buildings are those of the country, the state and the Vatican. The Pope is pleased with this little town and sometimes inquires about it.

Angélique Provost