Ave Maria Mutual Funds Celebrates Milestone And Opens Branch Office

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Sept. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ave Maria Mutual Funds (http://avemariafunds.com/), the largest family of Catholic mutual funds in the U.S., announced that Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc., the Funds' investment adviser, has opened a branch office in Plymouth, Mich.

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Earlier this year, Ave Maria Mutual Funds surpassed $1 billion in assets under management. Ave Maria Mutual Funds adhere to morally responsible investing guidelines established by the Funds' Catholic Advisory Board. A celebration event marking the $1 billion milestone was attended by hundreds of shareholders in Plymouth, Michigan in late June. It featured legendary football Coach Lou Holtz, a member of the Funds' Catholic Advisory Board.

Bill Bennett's "Morning in America", a nationally syndicated radio show, broadcasted live on September 4, 2013 from the firm's new branch office to celebrate the opening.

"As our funds have grown dramatically, it's clear our mission has resonated with serious investors who are pro-life and pro-family," said George P. Schwartz, CFA, President of Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc. 

About Ave Maria Mutual Funds
Ave Maria Mutual Funds is the largest family of Catholic mutual funds in the U.S. The six no-load mutual funds invest in companies that do not violate core pro-life, pro-family values of the Catholic Church. Ave Maria Mutual Funds launched its first fund, the Ave Maria Catholic Values Fund (Ticker: AVEMX), on May 1, 2001. Since then it has added four additional stock funds and one bond fund. The largest is the Ave Maria Rising Dividend Fund (Ticker: AVEDX) with assets of $544 million as of August 31, 2013. The moral criteria are set by the Funds' Catholic Advisory Board, which includes Coach Lou Holtz, Larry Kudlow, Tom Monaghan, Michael Novak, Fr. John Riccardo, Paul Roney and Phyllis Schlafly. For more information about Ave Maria Mutual Funds, please call 1-866-AVE-MARIA (866-283-6274) or visit avemariafunds.com.

About Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc.
Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. is a Registered Investment Adviser founded in 1980 based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In addition to the new branch office in Plymouth, Mich., the Firm has a branch location in Ave Maria, Fla. The firm's primary objective is to provide superior investment counsel to those that seek a disciplined approach to investing. For more information about Schwartz Investment Counsel, Inc., please visit www.schwartzinvest.com.

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. serves as investment adviser for Ave Maria Mutual Funds, which only invests in securities that meet the investment and religious requirements. As such, returns may be lower or higher than if decisions were based solely on investment considerations. This method of security selection may or may not be successful and the Funds may underperform or outperform the stock market as a whole. All mutual funds are subject to market risk, including possible loss of principal.

Request a prospectus, which includes investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses and other information that you should read and consider carefully before investing. The prospectus can be obtained by calling 1-866-283-6274 or it can be viewed at www.avemariafunds.com. Distributed by Ultimus Fund Distributors LLC

CONTACT:
Jami Schlicher
Jennifer Connelly Public Relations
973-850-7309
[email protected]  

SOURCE Ave Maria Mutual Funds