Welcome to the web sight. I hope that you will enjoy what you find here and find it informative as well.

July 06, 2008

Dear Friends,

I guess I am over due with this letter! A good friend of the abbey and the academy told me that I needed to get my letter on the site up to date. So here goes.

It has been a beautiful month of June and the first days of July have been cool and sunny as well. Oh yes there has been the rain. But we have not been hit very hard here in Aurora.

But as the weather is great it helps the lawns to grow. So the mowers are out in full fashion.

Looking back on the school year just ended it was a good one. The senior class was a talented one. They earned a collective total of $12 millions of dollars in scholarships and grants to colleges. That is a record amount.

The reunions are over. It was a delightful evening to spend with the 50 year class and those who graduated earlier. The evening with the 25 years class and the years that end in 3 or 8 was a good evening as well. Yet that reunion had less attendees. Makes us wonder about the flagging disinterest in the reunions. Maybe you could let us know.

This summer our two novices will profess vows to our community for 3 years. Our third novice will profess vows, God willing, in November. Yes, God has blessed us with new men to our community. However, we are still looking for a breakthrough with our alums. It has been 38 years since one of our graduates has entered the abbey. Could God be calling you????

The plans for the new Field House are taking shape. If we can find the remainder of the funds necessary we hope to break ground before the end of summer. We shall see. It would be exciting.

75 years ago this year in 1933, 6 monks came from St. Meinrad to open the new Fox Valley Catholic high school. It was to be called Marmion Academy. This next school year we will have a series of events to commemorate the founding of Marmion. How things are changed and how much we owe the far sightedness of our founders. They were men with vision and the courage to try new things. Yes, they set us on a solid road to success. We hope that in our time we have not misspent their efforts and have in fact built a stronger school and monastic community because of the first steps they took here in Aurora.

All the monks, teachers and administrative staff at the academy wish you an enjoyable summer, fun in the sun and time to spend in outdoor activities with those who are dear to you.

Peace.

Abbot Vincent