Hockey Wins State Championship (pg. 12) A Message from the Head of School Dear Friends, The air is once again filled with the sounds of chirping birds, outdoor athletic practices, cheerful students walking between buildings during passing periods, MARMION incoming freshmen registering for classes, nervously The News Magazine of anticipating joining the Marmion Brotherhood, and Marmion Abbey seniors ready to begin the next step of their life’s journey. and Academy It’s springtime!! April 2018 | Vol. 68, No. 2 We have enjoyed success once again this year because the young men of Marmion Academy MARMION is published three continue to represent God, their family, the Academy, and themselves with great integrity times a year (April, August, and honor. We have young men willing to embrace their faith, both here on campus, and out December) by Marmion, 1000 in the community. The cards, letters, and e-mails of gratitude and thanks that I receive from Butterfield Road, Aurora IL, organizations our students are involved with and serve, all contain a common theme; the young 60502. men who are educated here at the Academy continue to exemplify the Catholic Benedictine values instilled in them through role modeling of the Monks of Marmion Abbey and in all that Publisher: we do as a school community. We are successful because our students encounter Jesus alive in Rt. Rev. John Brahill OSB ’67 each other and in those who make up the entirety of our community. Editor: Madelyn Weed As we now look toward the next academic year, our enrollment numbers continue to be very Associate Editor: Terri Rios strong, and our programming second to none. We are excited to be adding a Law Course, additional Dual Credit Offerings through our newly established partnership with Loyola Contributing Writers: University, and new Advanced Placement Courses in World Language, Mathematics, and Rt. Rev. John Brahill OSB ’67 Social Science Departments. In addition, next fall we will be adding a third day to our Freshmen Abbot Vincent Bataille OSB Orientation Program, expanding the aspects of the orientation that foster a sense of brotherhood, Bill Fox ’74 family, and Christian Community. Fr. Charles Reichenbacher OSB ’59 Terri Rios We are realizing the Five-Year Strategic Plan for the Academy set forth when I became Head of Anthony Tinerella ’84 School and Principal. The Strategic Plan touched all aspects of the Academy, including initiatives Madelyn Weed within our Finance, Advancement, and Educational Departments, curriculum renewal, Cover Photo by: technology, and the Academy’s facilities. Ethan Chivari Photography ethanchivariphotography.com Marmion is blessed with an incredibly beautiful campus that is an essential part of our ability The 2017-2018 Hockey Team to provide the best educational experience possible for our students. Much of our campus, celebrates winning the Varsity including the Abbey, is now over sixty years old and has served us well. The campus was built White Division Illinois State with great vision and love, and as good stewards, we have grown and maintained a facility that High School Championship! now reflects the image of many junior colleges! Send address changes to: Over the past several years, the Advancement Team and I have been working diligently on MARMION Magazine Editor a specific initiative started as part of the Strategic Plan. This initiative is the renewal of the Marmion Academy overall infrastructure of the buildings called our Campus Renewal Campaign. We are currently 1000 Butterfield Road Aurora, IL 60502 celebrating the success and completion of Phase I of the Renewal Campaign and look to Phase II and beyond with great excitement. Phone: (630) 897-6936 FAX: (630) 723-3072 It has been a great year! I thank you for your continued prayers and support, and please know E-mail: [email protected] that you are an integral part of our continued success and growth. We are very blessed to have Web Site: marmion.org you as part of the Marmion Family. May God bless and watch over each of you and your families, and may God continue to bless Marmion Academy. Respectfully, Anthony Tinerella ‘84 Head of School and Principal 2 - Head of School Letter Benedictine Congregation by: Abbot Vincent Bataille OSB, President of the Swiss-American Benedictine Congregation “The Benedictine Order is an order Each congregation has a procurator meets every three years, conference without order!” so it is rumored that located in Rome who can handle the calls to deal with issues involving Pius XI remarked. congregation’s business with the Vatican the congregation when necessary, offices as needed. the review of each community of the Pope Leo XIII urged the Benedictine congregation, which takes place every Order to reform itself after the style On the international level the Abbot four years. of the other orders of the church. That Primate keeps in contact with the • Grants dispensations from temporary meant to have an Abbot Primate in Rome presidents of the congregations. Each vows for monks of the congregation who had authority over the order as the year he calls a meeting of the presidents • Collects the necessary information for Master of the Dominicans has over the at some monastic community to consider monks of the congregation seeking a Dominicans. With such authority the issues affecting the whole order. dispensation from Solemn Vows Abbot Primate would be able to send • Organizes the archives of the monks to other communities and make Many of the congregations are located congregation foundations where he thought they were in Europe. They usually follow national • Supervises the collection of funds for needed. But this is not in the tradition of lines. In the United States there are the support of Sant Anselmo from the the Benedictine Order. six congregations represented. Two congregation are original to the United States. The Abbeys have traditionally been founded others are connected with European In the past several years most by individual communities who congregations. congregations of the order have had to responded to a need or a request made face the issue of declining numbers. This of a particular community to send some The Swiss-American Congregation to has lead to the closing of communities. monks. So following its own charism the which Marmion Abbey belongs has its Over the past several decades three Benedictine Order did not establish a roots in Switzerland. This congregation abbeys have closed and one has centralized form of government. Rather was established in 1881. redefined its independent status. Each an Abbot Primate was named who case has necessitated a relocation of its resided in Rome. He was the superior of Over the years this congregation members. In one case it required the Sant Anselmo, the Benedictine abbey in has grown. Normally an abbey or President to take on the responsibility Rome, and director of the international independent priory would join of a small dependent community of one house of studies in Rome. In order to which was founded by an abbey of of the closing abbeys. These changes establish a closer connection among the congregation. In all there are 14 required legal counsel and decisions the world wide abbeys a number of communities in the congregation. To to be made regarding property, congregations were formed. represent the congregation on the investments and financial support for international and national level the the members. These congregations would function as General Chapter elects a president. a connection between communities as The challenges of the congregation are a support. These congregations would So what does the President of the unique. But advice and help is always also be a way for each abbey to have congregation do? available. So are we an “order without an avenue of contact with the Vatican order?” In some cases one might say Offices if there were a need. • Attends and arranges a variety so. But there is ample proof that in our of meetings: the annual Synod of own way we Benedictines find our way Today there are 20 congregations in the Presidents, the Congress of Abbots to deal with contemporary issues. How Benedictine Order. Each congregation which meets in Rome every four years, else could we stay alive and active for according to its own by-laws elects a the annual meeting of the Council more than 1,500 years? president to handle the business that of the Congregation, the General is appropriate to that congregation. Chapter of the congregation which Congregation Delegates to the General Chapter 2017 Abbey - 3 Priory News Brother Martin Professes Temporary Vows Brother Martín Quiej Chay OSB (pictured below) from the town of Zunil in the department of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, entered the community as a postulant in 2015. He successfully completed his one-year novitiate and professed temporary vows for three years during Mass on January 15, 2018. After professing his vows he began studies in Philosophy at the National Major Seminary of the Assumption, Quetzaltenango. Brother Martin is 33 year old. Marmion Says Goodbye Priory Welcomes Novice Francisco to Our Biggest Fan Novice Francisco Choc +Brother Dominic Wittry OSB ’52 of Marmion Abbey died Pop OSB (pictured below peacefully in the Lord on December 19, 2017 from a heart with Abbot John Brahill condition. He was 83 years old and a professed monk for 61 OSB) from the town of years. He was a native Auroran, born on September 11, 1934 Santa Maria Cahabon with his twin brother Richard ‘52. Brother Dominic attended in the department Our Lady of Good Counsel Grade School and graduated of Alta Verapaz, from Marmion Military Academy in 1952. After attending Guatemala, entered the St. Procopius College for two years, he entered Marmion priory as a postulant in Abbey in September of 1954.