Ave Maria Press is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

publishing company which was founded on May 1, 1865 by Father Edward Sorin, a

Holy Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

Cross priest who had founded the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

."About." ''Ave Maria Press.'' August 17, 2007. Ave Maria Press. August 24, 200
Avemariapress.com
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History

Ave Maria Press is one of the oldest Catholic publishing houses in the United States."Ave Maria Press Celebrates Its 150th Anniversary", Congregation of Holy Cross
/ref> Sorin founded the company in order to publish the ''Ave Maria'' magazine, a magazine focused on Catholic families, honoring

The Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

, and showcasing

writings. He purchased a printing press in Chicago, and set it up in Brownson Hall at Notre Dame. Rev. Neal Henry Gillespie C.S.C. was editor of ''Ave Maria Magazine'' from 1868 until his death in 1874. Sorin placed Fr. Gillespie's sister,

Mother Angela Gillespie Eliza Maria Gillespie (February 21, 1824 – March 4, 1887), also known by her religious name Mary of St. Angela, was an American religious sister, mother superior, and foundress of many works of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in the United States. ...

, a veteran nurse of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, in charge of editorial management. In the early days, much of the work of typographer and pressmen was done by the Holy Cross brothers. The

Sisters of the Holy Cross The Sisters of the Holy Cross (CSC) are one of three Catholic congregations of religious sisters which trace their origins to the foundation of the Congregation of Holy Cross by the Blessed Basil Anthony Moreau, CSC, at Le Mans, France in 1837. ...

assisted in various editorial and production capacities.

Orestes Brownson Orestes Augustus Brownson (September 16, 1803 – April 17, 1876) was an American intellectual and activist, preacher, labor organizer, and noted Catholic convert and writer. Brownson was a publicist, a career which spanned his affiliation with ...

Robert Hugh Benson Robert Hugh Benson AFSC KC*SG KGCHS (18 November 1871 – 19 October 1914) was an English Catholic priest and writer. First an Anglican priest, he was received into the Catholic Church in 1903 and ordained therein the next year. He wa ...

, and

James Cardinal Gibbons James Cardinal Gibbons (July 23, 1834 – March 24, 1921) was a senior-ranking American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Apostolic Vicar of North Carolina from 1868 to 1872, Bishop of Richmond from 1872 to 1877, and as ninth ...

were contributors to the magazine. In 1875, Rev. Daniel Hudson C.S.C. became editor, a position he held until 1930. By 1900, ''Ave Maria'' was the largest English-language Catholic magazine worldwide. At the same time, Ave Maria diversified its offerings, releasing books and pamphlets as well as the magazine.McConville, Emil
"Ave Maria Press celebrates 150th anniversary", ''South Bend Tribune'', February 7, 2015
/ref> The magazine was started in 1865 and continued until 1970 when it was dropped due to decline in circulation. Ave Maria Press now focuses solely on the publishing of Catholic books. The company's bestselling book is Joseph M. Champlin's ''Together for Life'', a guide for couples planning a Catholic wedding. Ave Maria Press is located on Moreau Drive on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.

References

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External links

Ave Maria Press
Christian publishing companies Companies based in St. Joseph County, Indiana Publishing companies established in 1865