Marmion Academy is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it is a Catholic high school specifically for young men. It is managed and run by the Marmion Abbey, which is made up of Benedictine monks. The school is private and it is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford. In 1933, the academy was founded after monks combined two other schools; Jasper Academy and Fox Valley Catholic High School.
. The school started a United States Army Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program in 1935 to help students pay for their tuition. During this time, the name of the school was officially Marmion Military Academy. Later, the monks removed the military aspect from the name by making the JROTC program optional for students. Marmion Academy originally had two separate campuses, one for residential students and one for those who were only there for days. Eventually, these two campuses were merged and in 2002, the residential program was closed. The school is located at the Butterfield Road campus, which is where the residential program was run in earlier years. The school serves males in grades ninth through twelfth grades. There are currently around 520 students enrolled. Several subjects are available for each class, including theology, mathematics and English. All students must complete 15 hours of community service each year as well. Marmion Academy has started to expand its student body and enhance its athletic department in recent years. Their team name is the Cadets, and they are part of the Suburban Christian Conference. In 2010, they placed second in state for the 6A football championships, which was their highest placement ever. The school colors are red and blue, which appear in every athletic uniform. The school is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It is overseen by a president, and also has a head chaplain and headmaster to help oversee the students and faculty. The patron saint of the school is the Blessed Columba Marmion, which is where the name Marmion Academy arose. More Reference Links: http://marmion.org/s/1356/academy/academy2.aspx?sid=1356&gid=1&pgid=327 http://football.dailyherald.com/teams/Marmion-Academy/
