A Message from the Head of School Dear Friends, This year marks my third year as Head of School and Principal, and my family and I feel very blessed and honored by this privilege. Throughout my first two years, I have focused MARMION our efforts on blending the strong tradition and educational The News Magazine of practices of the Benedictine Monks with 21st Century educational tools and practices. We have Marmion Abbey expanded our college preparatory curriculum, increased our guidance and support, and brought and Academy new technologies to the forefront of the educational experience for our students. Also, we have expanded our community outreach and marketing efforts in order to spread the good news of August 2015, Vol. 65, No. 4 this special community and the amazing things happening at the Academy. MARMION (USPS 330-520) is published four times a year As a result of our collaborative efforts, hard work, and prayer, we begin the new academic in January, April, August/ year with student enrollment up 22%. Adding to our excitement, we will be blessed with 12 September and November by monks working at the Academy, as our junior monks will be joining us this year as part of their Marmion, 1000 Butterfield Road, seminarian experience. As a Benedictine School, it is essential to have members of our monastic Aurora IL, 60502-9705. Second community active at the Academy as they are at the heart of the “Marmion Difference.” Class postage paid at Aurora IL, 60507. Free subscription. This year we will continue to expand our college preparatory offerings, with additional courses in engineering, fine arts, and social science. Many of the members of the Class of 2015 benefited Publisher: greatly from our STEM engineering partnerships/internships and the SolidWorks certification Rt. Rev. John Brahill OSB ’67 course. The experience and training have allowed them to move on to engineering programs at outstanding colleges and universities. Complementing this effort, we will be continuing phase II Editor: of our Technology Strategic Plan, including the expansion of our iPad One-to-One Program with Madelyn Weed freshmen through juniors. Associate Editor: Terri Rios In keeping with our tradition as a Benedictine School of service, the commitment of our students serving others continues to grow with our Respect Life Group, Mission Trips, and our student Contributing Writers: led Crayons for Kids program that has provided school supplies to grade school students of Terri Rios, Madelyn Weed, the Fox Valley for almost ten years. The newly created Campus Ministry Outreach Program has Rt. Rev. John Brahill OSB ’67, provided an avenue for area 7th and 8th grade students to come to Marmion for retreats led by Anthony Tinerella ’84, Rev. our students. Charles Reichenbacher OSB ’59, Maria Thornton, Christian In an article celebrating the opening of Marmion Academy dated September 3, 1933, the bolded Anderson ’04, Joe Large ’97, caption states, “Adhering to Time-Tested Principles, Yet Absorbing the Best in Modern Pedagogy.” Dan Thorpe, Dave Rakow, This was not a tagline, but an ideal generated at the birth of a school that has positively impacted John Tsang, Kevin Griffin the lives of thousands of young men for over 80 years. Photographers: Terri Rios, Jim Newport, The monks have charged me with assuring the continued success of the Academy and if we Brian Cole ’81, Maria Thornton, are to continue to be an educational leader, it is crucial that we embrace what the 21st Century Armando Enrique Alvarado brings to the educational experience of our students, while focusing and expanding the time Linares, Patricia Overton proven practices of over 1,500 years of Benedictine Best Practice. We are up to this task as a school community and with continued collaborative hard work, effort, and prayer we will keep Cover Photo by: Marmion the place to be where boys become Marmion Men. Armando Enrique Alvarado Linares You are an integral part of our success and growth, and we need your continued support and prayer. We are all one Benedictine Community in Christ – one Marmion Family. We are Send address changes to: “MARMION STRONG!” MARMION Magazine Editor Marmion Academy May God bless and watch over you and your families, and may God continue to bless Marmion 1000 Butterfield Road Aurora, IL 60502-9705 Academy. Phone: (630) 897-6936 Respectfully FAX: (630) 723-3072 E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: marmion.org Anthony Tinerella ‘84 Head of School and Principal 2 - Head of School Letter Jubilees Celebrated in 2015 by: Fr. Charles Reichenbacher, OSB ’59 Three monks observe special jubilees in 2015: Abbot Vincent Bataille OSB – 50 years of ordination to the priesthood, Fr. Michael Burrows OSB ’70 – 40 years of profession of monastic vows, and Fr. Frederick Peterson OSB – 25 years of profession of monastic vows. A Jubilee Mass was celebrated by our monastic community on June 11, with Abbot Vincent as celebrant, Fr. Michael as homilist and Fr. Frederick as a special concelebrant. Abbot Vincent was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Loras Lane of the Diocese of Rockford on June 19, 1965. He was an instructor at the Academy (having taught French and mathematics for 20 years Abbot Vincent Bataille OSB celebrating his at both the Lake St. and Butterfield campuses), dorm prefect, Choral 25th anniversary of ordination at the Director, bus driver, Director of Admissions and Dean of Students. original Marmion Abbey Chapel (1990). He was the Abbey sacristan, liturgical vestment tailor and choir director. He holds Master Degrees in music from the University of Notre Dame and in education administration from DePaul University. On December 14, 1991 he was elected the fourth abbot of Marmion Abbey, an office he held until his resignation on June 24, 2010. On August 8, 2011, he was elected President of the Swiss- American Benedictine Congregation, an office he still holds. For the last five years he has also been a spiritual director and confessor at Mundelein Seminary of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Fr. Michael in his Jubilee Mass homily said that, “Abbot Vincent was our builder abbot (abbey church, abbey infirmary, monastery renovation, playing fields, Regole Natatorium, Regole Science Center and Regole Field House)—the Pharaoh on the Fox—who loved nothing more than the sound of bulldozers and power saws. He was more at home with a hard hat than a miter. But more than a builder abbot, he was our spiritual father.” Fr. Michael Burrows OSB ‘70 blessing his parents duirng his ordination at Annuciation Church Fr. Michael graduated from Marmion Military Academy as a in Aurora (1980). resident student in 1970. He is the nephew of the late Fr. Joseph Battaglia OSB. Fr. Michael professed his monastic vows on August 6, 1975, and was ordained a priest on April 7, 1980. He continues as a sophomore theology instructor (over 30 years), as the student chaplain of the Academy, and the Benedictine representative on the Head of School staff. He has participated in every student KAIROS retreat (55 to date). He is sought by alumni to officiate at their weddings and baptize their children. In his homily, Fr. Michael spoke of the mystery of a monastic vocation—and more personally, “why me Lord?” Fr. Frederick professed his monastic vows on August 6, 1990, and was ordained a priest on May 13, 1995. He taught freshman Western Civilization courses at the Academy in his first years after ordination. His main ministry that he has exercised for almost 20 years is pastor of St. George Romanian Byzantine Catholic Church in Aurora. He took a struggling parish and brought it back to life Fr. Frederick Peterson OSB professing again through good liturgy, solid preaching and devotion to his monastic vows to Abbot David Cyr OSB ‘44 people. at the original Marmion Abbey Chapel (1990). Fr. Michael said that, “Fr. Fred’s work at St. George’s is a testimony to God’s grace in action.” Even during Fr. Fred’s health challenges of the last six years, “you never gave up on your parish, and always kept your people first in your thoughts.” Abbey - 3 50 Years of Benedictine Presence By: Abbot John Brahill OSB ’67 Marmion Abbey’s Guatemala Mission celebrated its 50th life because of the opportunity to study given them by the anniversary with a special concelebrated Mass at the mission Benedictine monks. Upon completion of the anniversary on Friday, July 10. Archbishop Mario Alberto Molina, bishop celebrations the American guests had the opportunity to of the Archdiocese of Quetzaltenango, was joined by myself, visit majestic Lake Atitlan and the historic city of Antigua. Bishop Gonzalo de Villa of the Diocese of Sololá, and some A smaller group of these friends then traveled to the Tikal forty concelebrants for the special anniversary Mass. Included National Park in northern Peten region of Guatemala to visit among the concelebrants were the monks of Priorato San José, ancient Mayan ruins. Abbot Vincent Bataille, Fr. Charles Reichenbacher, and many graduates of the Colegio Seminario San José. Some eight Although the actual anniversary of the founding of the hundred seminary students, parents, alumni and friends of mission was the date of June 10, 1965, the three days of the the mission were in attendance. During his homily Bishop anniversary celebrations were chosen in order to highlight Molina briefly recounted the history of the founding of the the Solemnity of St. Benedict on July 11. mission priory and seminary since its beginnings in the Diocese of Sololá in 1965. He also reminded all present of As we remember God’s blessings of Marmion’s Guatemala the many blessings that God has bestowed upon the mission mission during these past fifty years, the monks of Marmion during its fifty years of existence.