Who Is
Ave Maria
Restoration?

Our Executive Directors

The Executive Directors of Ave Maria Restoration, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, bring together diverse professional experience to ignite a global movement renewing historic churches, monasteries, and convents for future generations of the faithful.

Daniel Sáenz

Chief Executive Officer

Daniel Sáenz is a strategic and mission-driven leader who brings over two decades of experience in technology and business transformation to his role as Founder and CEO of Ave Maria Restoration. Throughout his career—including leading large-scale digital initiatives — Daniel has built a reputation for aligning innovation with purpose, empowering teams, and delivering lasting impact.

Guided by his Catholic faith, Daniel founded Ave Maria Restoration with a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. His vision is to have a world where all historic Catholic churches, monasteries, and convents are restored as living sanctuaries of worship, prayer, and community both today and for future generations.

Christopher Aubin

Chief Development Officer

As Chief Development Officer of Ave Maria Restoration, Christopher Aubin brings over a decade of experience in various business development and strategic partnership roles. He has built a reputation for driving growth through collaboration and a deep understanding of how to connect people and purpose.

Inspired by his Catholic faith and a lifelong love of architecture, Christopher believes in the power of sacred design to lift hearts toward God. He inspires everyday Catholics to see the impact of collective giving through crowdfunding, while also engaging benefactors and sponsors to support restoration on a larger scale to preserve historic churches, monasteries, and convents for those who gather there today and for future generations to come.

Patrick Wilmot

Chief Financial Officer

As Chief Financial Officer of Ave Maria Restoration, Patrick Wilmot brings over a decade of experience in accounting, finance, and data strategy, combining professional excellence with a heart for mission-driven stewardship. A Certified Public Accountant with a Master’s in Finance from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Patrick is dedicated to ensuring financial integrity, transparency, and sustainability across all restoration initiatives.

Strengthened by his Catholic faith, Patrick views sound financial management as a form of stewardship that safeguards the trust of donors and advances the mission of restoring the Church’s sacred heritage.

Our Mission

Ave Maria Restoration’s mission is to support Catholic communities around the world by providing financial resources to restore their historic churches, convents, monasteries, and sacred patrimony.

We believe in the power of collaboration and the impact of crowdfunding to respond to every dimension of the global patrimony crisis including revitalizing historic sacred sites as places of pilgrimage, prayer, and enduring Catholic heritage.

Our Vision

We envision a world where all historic Catholic churches, monasteries, and convents —entrusted to the care of the Church — are preserved and renewed as living sanctuaries of worship, prayer, and Catholic community.

We pray that through every restored patrimony, the light of Christ may continue to illuminate the hearts of the faithful for generations to come, and that love and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary may flourish throughout the world.


Top Priorities

Historic Churches with Active Parish Communities – Provide funding that enables local parishes and dioceses to carry out their restoration projects

Convents and Monasteries in distress – Restore and protect these sacred sites by converting them into Pilgrimage and Patrimony Centers

Convents and Monasteries with Active Religious Communities – Provide funding that empowers religious communities to carry out their restoration projects

Our Logo and Its Meaning

We are inspired by those who have gone before us and hope to be an example for future generations.

Prayer for Ave Maria Restoration To Our Lady, Queen of the Church

O Mary, Queen of the Church, to your Immaculate and maternal Heart we entrust the mission of Ave Maria Restoration.

You, who have guarded the sanctuaries of the ages,
look with mercy upon the churches, monasteries, and convents
now in need of renewal.
Into your hands we place this work of restoration—
crowdfunded through countless small acts of faith and generosity.
May every gift, however modest,
become powerful in your care,
united with others to raise up what time, neglect, or hardship has worn down.

O Queen and Mother,
look especially upon those historic Catholic churches
where the faithful still gather for the Holy Mass.
Strengthen the hope of their pastors and people.
May the renewal of these sacred spaces
rekindle love for the Eucharist,
revive the life of their communities,
and become a radiant sign of faith and beauty
that draws souls once more to Christ.
Amen.

Join Our Mission

Ave Maria Restoration is more than a nonprofit.
It is a movement of Catholics from around the world, crowdfunding to Restore Historic Churches and fund approved diocesan restoration projects.

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