Our History

History

One Community in Christ

St. Benedict and St. Scholastica were twin siblings born in Nursia, Italy, around 480. Both devoted their lives to God—Benedict founded the Benedictine Order and wrote the Rule of St. Benedict, while Scholastica established a nearby community of Benedictine nuns. United in faith and purpose, they met each year to pray and share spiritual guidance. Their bond as brother and sister reflected their shared mission of leading others to God through prayer, work, and love of community.

As a young man, Benedict went to Rome for his education but disturbed by the city’s corruption, withdrew to live as a hermit near Subiaco. For years, only the hermit Romanus knew of him, bringing him food. His holiness soon drew followers who asked him to be their abbot. He built twelve monasteries and became known for his wisdom and virtue.

Benedict eventually moved to Monte Cassino, where he wrote his Holy Rule and founded the great monastery that shaped Christian monasticism. He died there on March 21, 547. His influence spread worldwide, with his followers converting nations and advancing education for centuries.

On March 21, 1947, Pope Pius XII honored him in the encyclical Fulgens Radiator, praising his wisdom and describing the Rule as “an outstanding monument of Roman and Christian prudence,” remarkable for its moderation, humanity, and enduring relevance. Pope St. Paul VI in 1964, proclaimed St. Benedict as the principal patron of all of Europe.

History

History of Marmion Academy

Marmion Academy traces its roots to Jasper Academy, founded in 1889 by the Benedictine monks of St. Meinrad Abbey in Jasper, Indiana. In 1933, the Benedictines came to Aurora, Illinois, to take over Fox Valley Catholic High School, previously operated by the Augustinians. At the request of the Bishop of Rockford, they renamed it Marmion Academy in honor of Abbot Columba Marmion, O.S.B., later beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

Marmion opened in the fall of 1933 as a resident/day school, incorporating students and faculty from Jasper. In 1935, it was designated a military academy by the U.S. War Department, with all students enrolled in JROTC, and became known as Marmion Military Academy.

By 1947, the Benedictine community in Aurora was established as Marmion Abbey, taking full responsibility for the school. The Academy operated as a resident/day school until 1959, when residents moved to new facilities on Butterfield Road, while day students remained in Aurora. Both groups reunited on the Butterfield campus in 1971.

In 1994, students were given a choice between JROTC and a new Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program, prompting the school to return to its original name, Marmion Academy. Due to low enrollment, the residential program closed in 2003, and Marmion has since operated solely as a day school.

In 2019-20, after several years of growth, the Academy welcomed over 550 young men, the largest enrollment on the Butterfield Campus.

As the needs of and the demographics of students of the Fox River Valley continue to evolve and change, so too has Marmion Academy evolved accordingly. In November of 2025, Abbot Joel Rippinger, OSB and the Monks of Marmion Abbey announced that after deep study, research, and prayer, Marmion Academy will transition to a hybrid Co-educational Academy and welcome young women beginning in August of 2026. This change will allow for an even larger number of students to benefit from Marmion’s Mission of providing young men and women with a faith filled, Catholic Benedictine education, readying them to be leaders in life.

United in faith and purpose, St. Scholastica and St. Benedict met each year to pray and share spiritual guidance. Their bond as brother and sister reflected their shared mission of leading others to God through prayer, work, and love of community. This relationship is reflected in the expanded Mission of Marmion Academy and bringing both young men and women, as one community, closer to God.

History

Marmion Academy Timeline

  • 1889 – Jasper Academy founded in Jasper, Indiana, by Benedictine monks of St. Meinrad Abbey.
  • 1926 – Fox Valley Catholic High School established in Aurora, Illinois, run by the Augustinian Order.
  • 1933 – Benedictines assume control of Fox Valley Catholic High School at the request of the Bishop of Rockford.
    • School renamed Marmion Academy in honor of Dom Columba Marmion, O.S.B.
    • Faculty and students from Jasper Academy merge; school opens as a resident/day program.
  • 1935 – Designated a military academy by the U.S. War Department; renamed Marmion Military Academy with mandatory JROTC.
  • 1947 – Pope Pius XII formally establishes Marmion Abbey; full responsibility for the Academy transferred to the new abbey.
  • 1959 – Resident students move to new facilities on Butterfield Road; day students remain on the Aurora campus.
  • 1971 – Day and resident students reunite at the Butterfield Road campus.
  • 1994 – Students given option to join the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corp (JROTC) or the new Leadership and Service Program, which was further developed and evolved to the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program.
    • School name returned to Marmion Academy.
  • 2000 – Dom Columba Marmion beatified by Pope St. John Paul II.
  • 2003 – Residential program closed due to low enrollment; Marmion Academy continues as a day school.
  • 2025 – After deep study, research, and prayer, Abbot Joel Rippinger, O.S.B., and the monks of Marmion Abbey announce that Marmion Academy will transition to a hybrid coeducational model, welcoming young women beginning in fall 2026.
    • This change allows more students to benefit from Marmion’s mission of providing a faith-filled, Catholic, Benedictine education that prepares young men and women to be leaders in life.