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Benedictines establish Marmion Academy: “A School of the Lord’s Service” In 1933, when the local bishop, the Most Reverend Edward Hoban, was looking for a religious community to staff the Fox Valley Catholic High School for Boys on Lake Street in Aurora, he turned to the Benedictines of St. Meinrad Abbey. Abbot Ignatius Esser and the monks of St. Meinrad Abbey decided on April 20, 1933 to accept Bishop Hoban’s offer to take over the Aurora school. At that time the school’s name was changed to “Marmion Academy” in honor of the late Abbot Columba Marmion, O.S.B., of Maredsous Abbey, Belgium. On September 12, 1933, the new Marmion Academy welcomed its first students for classes at the Lake Street Campus (pictured right). Formerly under the Augustinian Friars as Fox Valley School for Boys, Benedictine monks from St. Meinrad Abbey and Jasper Academy in Indiana took over administration of the school in the academic year 1933-34. As this was the heart of the Great Depression, many families struggled to provide for the tuition ($5 at the time) and uniforms at the Academy, the monks decided to partner with the U.S. Government to establish a military training which would in exchange provide instructors and uniforms for all students. To reflect the military addition, Headmaster Norbert Spitzmesser OSB changed the name of the school to Marmion Military Academy much to the chagrin of Abbot Ignatius Esser OSB who advocated that the name be simplified to Marmion stating that “Marmion is a wonderful name all by itself…Why shouldn’t the little name Marmion stand for a big thing in time?”
3The Marmion faculty and
student body in its first year, 1933-1934.
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61943: A group of Cadets board a bus headed for a Northwestern University football game.
61941: Studying for
finals in the Lake Street campus library.
51942: The Sanctuary Society dedicated to assisting the priests at Mass.
51940: Cadets take a soda break after school in the Lake Street campus Snack Shop.
31946: The Marmion Military Academy Color Guard. (Note Old Glory’s 48 stars!)
51944: Cadet Snipers honing their “mock battle” skills on the Lake Street campus parade field.
51945: Mothers’ Club 31947: Honoring those MMA alumni killed in WWII action. This plaque, dedicated on Nov. 9, 1947, has been restored and is currently on display in the Battaglia Center foyer on the Butterfield campus.
51949: Military Ball 31948: Coach George Ireland went on to much bigger (but not better!) things from MMA (won the NCAA title while coaching at Loyola in 1963).
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31950: The Reveille
yearbook staff.
61951: A nearly completed exterior of the new Abbey building (Nov. 1).
51952: Morning school formation at the Lake Street campus.
51956: The Marmion MP’s with SGT Sipes.
31955: Fr. Wulstan Mork, OSB and the Drama Club
51953: A pensive new Cadet registers
for his Freshman year guided by a Marmion monk in the Lake Street gymnasium.
61957: The Marmion Football team went undefeated seven victory-no loss mark! The only team in Marmion’s history to accomplish this.
31954: The Marmion Cheerleaders, Go Cadets!
51959: “Smartest looking outfit I’ve
ever seen” said Governor Stratton after inspection of the Cadet Color Guard, band and drill team prior to the opening ceremonies of the East-West Tollway.
31958: Valentines Dance
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61961: Battalion Commander Ronald Yender (later Fr. Basil) honors Abbot Gerald Benkert, OSB at Commencement as Fr. Leo Grommes, OSB and Fr. Joseph Battaglia, OSB look on.
51962: Fr. Peter Enderlin, OSB greets
51960: Presidential candidate
two Cadets on the Butterfield campus.
John F. Kennedy passing Marmion’s Lake Street campus.
61967: “Butch” at the MMA Lake Street campus.
51963: Marmion’s iconic water tower.
51964: The architect’s rendering of the new Lake Street gymnasium.
51966: Fr. Terrence Stanton, OSB
31965: Abbot Gerald addressing the audience at Youth Citizenship Day, pictured with Aurora Mayor Al McCoy ’44.
51969: Principal, Fr. Mario Pedi, OSB
31968: Fr. Philip Kremer, OSB congratulates a state science project winner.
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61971: The Marmion Cadets compete aganst the St. Patrick Shamrocks in the first ever SCC “Superbowl” (Cadets lost 18-7).
51973: Abbot David Cyr, OSB and MJR
51970: The installation of the Marmion Monolith.
51972: The bonfire is ready for the annual Homecoming celebration.
William Meyers review the Marmion Corps of Cadets at Military Night on March 25.
31978: Fr. Basil
Yender, OSB checking out the latest campus “technology.”
31975: Fr. Alcuin
Deck, OSB and Fr. Andrew Wahmoff, OSB keeping Latin alive.
61979: Fr. Gregory
Obee, OSB creating another Marmion Abbey artistic masterpiece.
51974: Our beloved
Mr. Dickson keeping things in order.
31977: Brother
Novice John Thomas Brahill, OSB joins the Abbey community. (Now Abbot of Marmion Abbey.)
31976: Basketball Head Coach Jim Newport takes
the Cadets to the IHSA Elite Eight for the first time in school history.
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31982: An aerial view of the Marmion Butterfield campus.
31980: Abbot David Cyr, OSB
presents Joe ’40 and Helen Rippinger a plaque marking the establishment of the Lt. Thomas A. Rippinger, USN ’68 Memorial Fund.
61983: The annual Homecoming Pass-in-Review.
31981: The Marmion Yearbook Man
of the Year : SGM Walter J. Schroeder, United States Army.
61989: Marmion Senior Day at Wrigley Field.
51986: Fr. Andrew overseeing wreath creation at the Abbey Christmas Tree Farm.
51984: The Decio Library plans are announced.
51985: The new Administration building under construction.
31987: Abbot David Cyr, OSB blesses the ‘Mantis’ Virgin Mother sculpture with Fr. Charles Reichenbacher, OSB ‘59 looking on.
31988: Frank Miller ’51, Kane County
Board Chairman, and Fr. Peter Enderlin, OSB preview the new Marmion exit sign on I-5 (Now I-88) East-West Illinois Tollway.
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31990: Fr. Joel Rippinger, OSB publishes
The Benedictine Order in the United States, An Interpretive History.
61991: The Abbatial Blessing of Abbot Vincent Bataille, OSB.
51992: Marmion’s Guatemala
Mission, the Priory and Seminary of San Jose, is relocated from Solola to a 55-acre lot in Quetzaltenango.
51993: Marmion’s annual Career
Day featured alumnus Dr. Michael Schafer ’60. In addition to serving as a
professor and chairman of the department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern Medical School, he was also the team orthopaedic surgeon for the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Bears.
51994: Marmion added Soccer to the fall sports schedule, led by Coach Kevin O’Connor and the first team captains Jim Freid-Studlo, Eric Schearer and Joe Diliberto.
51995: The Faculty/Staff team gets ready to compete at the Homecoming Pep Rally.
61996: The Rifle Team, led by SGT Leon Collins, shows off their State Championship hardware.
61998: The Abbey Church of St. Augustine of Canterbury was dedicated to the Glory of God on August 1.
51999: Tom Koutsos ’99 51997: The senior “Kairos” retreat was
introduced under the direction of Fr. Basil Yender, OSB ’61, Fr. Michael Burrows, OSB ’70, Frank Giangrego and Judy Kosky.
and the Varsity Football Team defended their SCC Title and were ranked #14 in the State.
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32001: The Honor Guard lowered the 62000: The Swim Team became Marmion’s first State Champions.
32004: Marmion welcomed Irish 52000: Marmion pilgrims applauded the unveiling of the mural paintings at the Beatification of Blessed Columba Marmion, OSB.
visitors, Bernadette and Tom Marmion. Tom is the grandnephew of Blessed Columba Marmion.
flag to half mast on September 11 in honor of all the lives that were lost on that unforgettable day.
52002: Marmion’s Choir performed a variety of musical styles at Disney World. 32006: Anthony
Tinerella ’84, Fr. Michael Burrows, OSB ’70, and SGM Gissel ’69 participated in Ash Wednesday Mass.
52005: Dr. Don Farrimond,
52003: John Milroy ’79 was selected as first lay headmaster of Marmion Academy.
Academic Dean, was the game show host for the LEAD program’s first “Hollywood Squares” game night.
32007: The Lima Lima Flight Team did a fly-by during the Homecoming Pass-in-Review.
52008: Twelve students,
accompanied by four chaperones, went on the mission trip to Ecuador.
32009: Abbot Gerald Benkert, OSB celebrated his 100th birthday!
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62011: Regole Field House is
dedicated on November 13. It provides the blessing of extra space and opportunities for coaches, students, parents and visitors.
52012: MENtor Program is introduced at Marmion in the Fall, empowering upper classmen to guide and support new students in what it means to be a Marmion Cadet.
52010: Abbot John Brahill,
52013: CPARC
OSB ’67 is elected the fifth abbot of Marmion on June 25, succeeding Abbot Vincent Bataille, OSB who served for 18 years.
52016: Marmion’s first Olympic Athlete,
Ben Kanute ’11 competed on the USA Olympic Mens Triathalon Team in Rio de Janeiro.
52015: 34 Trustees, administrators, faculty,
friends and benefactors traveled to Guatemala in July to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Marmion’s Guatemala Mission.
52014: Lt. Col. Patla proudly
displays the Marmion Flag in November at -39 F temperature and 10,000 ft. elevation while on a meteorological mission to the South Pole.
32017: The Addams Family entertained
packed audiences (and You Tube followers) with their quirky humor.
(Computational Prototyping and Research Engineering Center) opened, initiating a strong working relationship with high technology businesses around the world.
32018: In its’ second
official year in the Chicago Catholic Hockey League, Marmion clinched the State Championship (White Division), defeating New Trier Gray in overtime on March 16.
2019: Marmion celebrates 85 years!