Jesus saves...with the Ave Maria Mutual Funds!

[Bluebear]

**NOT a parody!** :crazy:

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Nov. 2 /Christian Wire Service/ -- Bowie Kuhn, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball and Chairman of the Catholic Advisory Board of the Ave Maria Mutual Funds, is pleased to announce the addition of Lawrence Kudlow to the Catholic Advisory Board. A convert to Catholicism, Mr. Kudlow brings a unique perspective to the Catholic Advisory Board. He served as associate director of economics and planning during the Reagan administration and more recently was a member of the Bush-Cheney Transition Advisory Committee. In addition to his nightly show on CNBC, Kudlow & Company, Larry is a noted economist and author. He is also a columnist and contributing editor to National Review.

Mr. Kuhn added, "We are very pleased that Larry agreed to join the Board. His insights into Catholicism plus his vast knowledge of the capital markets and the economy will help this board to fulfill its duties." Other Catholic Advisory Board members include Tom Monaghan, Founder and former owner of Domino's Pizza; Michael Novak, author and theologian; Phyllis Schlafly, author and Founder of Eagle Forum; and Paul Roney, Executive Director of the Ave Maria Foundation. The Board also has Cardinal Maida, Archbishop of Detroit, as its Ecclesiastic Advisor.

The Catholic Advisory Board oversees the religious criteria for the Ave Maria Mutual Funds. The Board sets the criteria for what types of companies should be screened out of the Ave Maria Mutual Funds by the investment adviser, Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc. Companies with ties to abortion, pornography or those that undermine the Sacrament of marriage are excluded. The Ave Maria Mutual Funds comprise the largest Catholic mutual fund family in the country.

There are currently four Ave Maria Mutual Funds with over $350 million invested in them by over 10,000 shareholders from all 50 states. The Funds include the Ave Maria Catholic Values Fund (Ticker: AVEMX) started in 2001; Ave Maria Growth Fund (Ticker: AVEGX) and Ave Maria Bond Fund (Ticker: AVEFX) both started in 2003 and the newest fund, Ave Maria Rising Dividend Fund (Ticker: AVEDX) launched May 1, 2005.

http://www.earnedmedia.org/mmc1102.htm

[Tempest]

1. This is going to be one major under-performing mutual fund

"Companies with ties to abortion, pornography or those that undermine the Sacrament of marriage are excluded."

[sui generis]

2. I would like to quote a moving line from "Pecker" here:

fullagrace!

holyholyholy! grace! fullagrace!

(hee hee)

:P

[GrumpyGreg]

3. OMG---I thought this entire thing was a joke. Hysterical!

[Bluebear]

4. Good point Greg!

I added "not a parody!"

[Sinistrous]

5. Of course "Ave Maria" translates as "Hail Mary".

To football fans this connotes desperation.

Sinistrous

[Sgent]

6. This fund

and other "social" funds have been around a long time. There are funds such as Pax World which don't invest in environmental unfriendly companies, etc.

I personally have no problem with this -- they raise the cost of capital to "unfriendly" companies, thus essentially being a boycott, but with investment dollars. The people who invest in these funds are voting with their dollars, and I fail to see how this is a bad thing.

[Bluebear]

7. By all means, invest in it if it's attractive to you!

I didn't say it was 'bad'. However, some folks might like to know who is on the board of these funds before they invest in them.

[Sgent]

8. I don't invest in them

for a variety of reasons.

That being said, is it surprising that a Catholic fund with the stated goal of upholding "family values" has a board that reflects those desires?

[Bluebear]

9. I don't consider same-sex marriage as against family values, for instance

Nor did I realize Phyllis Schafley was Catholic. it sounds overall like a pretty bigoted fund to me.

[Squatch]

10. 3 stars on Morningstar.com...

Not a bad looking fund, except for the expense ratio and deferred load.