Benet Academy

Founded in 1886, the school was initially established in Chicago as the all-boys St. Procopius College and Academy by Benedictine monks, who also operated the St. Joseph Bohemian Orphanage.

Notable alumni of the school include Bishop Robert Barron, NBA player Frank Kaminsky, Jim Ryan,[7] and Grammy-winning singer Dave Bickler.

The nuns were transferred from Pittsburgh to St. Scholastica's Convent on Chicago's north side, but later that same year moved to an old parish building at Ashland and 19th Streets, where they would remain until 1912.

[17][18] Failing to attract a single prospective applicant in over seven years, they expanded enrollment to students with no intention of joining the clergy.

The two groups would eventually be taught separately, and the monastic students were trained to become priests fluent in Bohemian, German, and English and prepared to preach to ethnically diverse congregations.

Following the Latin years, students were enrolled in the business course, which included math, bookkeeping, economics, composition, history, oratory, and religion.

[30] Due to increasing applications for admission, still more space was required, and William Schwartz sold the abbey 40 acres (16 ha) of land in Lisle.

On July 16, 1911, a new building was dedicated on the grounds of what is now Benet Academy, the same day the cornerstone was laid for the nearby Sacred Heart Convent.

Bishop of Joliet Martin Dewey McNamara gave the former orphanage buildings to St. Procopius Academy,[39] which was at that time still combined with the college.

[22] The groundbreaking was held on April 19, 1900, the school moved in May, and the new facility was dedicated on July 1, 1901, by Peter Muldoon, Bishop of the Diocese of Chicago.

[14] After the war, the previously ethnic Czech college acquired a more diverse student body, due to rising enrollment caused by the G.I.

In 1926, under the leadership of Mother Mary Genevieve, the convent founded a day and boarding high school for girls—the Sacred Heart Academy.

By 1964, the last year in which boarding school students were enrolled, alumni had hailed from all US states, South America, France, Mexico, and Guam.

The farm was closed in the late 1950s for financial reasons and the convent sold most of the land so a school could be built for the growing village of Lisle.

[53] The business education program from Sacred Heart was continued at the new school; three teachers taught courses in consumer economics, typewriting, shorthand, and bookkeeping.

[32] The new facilities included zoned lighting areas, which allowed for multipurpose use for assemblies, performances, sporting events, and graduation ceremonies.

[63] In the fall of 2015, Benet began its Building + Inspiring + Leading strategic initiative to evaluate ways to improve the student experience.

[67] Shortly after this decision was announced, Austin G. Murphy, abbot of St. Procopius Abbey, released a statement saying that he was "deeply troubled" by the actions of Academy administrators, and that he would be "taking this matter to prayer" in order to discern how to proceed.

Members must maintain high GPAs, take advanced classes, and fulfill a large service hour requirement to remain in the program.

Scholars take part in many events throughout the year, including attending the Harvard Model Congress in Boston, visiting research laboratories, and participating in advisory councils for state lawmakers.

[91][92] In 2000, Benet outscored all DuPage County high schools, which then-Principal Ernest Stark attributed to its closed campus policy, silent study halls, and "more focused" and "not very fancy" curriculum.

[107] Benet competes in the East Suburban Catholic Conference (ESCC), part of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).

[108] The school sponsors teams, named the Benet Academy Redwings, for men and women in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and bass fishing.

[117] Benet's boys' basketball team has set several state records, including a 102 home-game winning streak between November 26, 1975, and January 24, 1987.

In 2000, the department began depicting works that were "not quite so fluffy and light", including Children of Eden, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, The Pirates of Penzance, and Into the Woods.

[137][138] In February 2010, the Law Club participated in its first mock trial, sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association, which is expected to become an annual event.

[141] The fundraiser is a school-wide effort, jointly coordinated by Student Government, National Honor Society, and LIFT, Benet’s Campus Ministry.

The Christmas Drive was featured in the cover story of the December 2010 issue of Christ is our Hope, the official magazine of the Diocese of Joliet.

The money was used to support a mission trip in Appalachia, and also to provide food, school supplies, blankets, and gifts to local families in the Chicago area.

The Friends of Imiliwaha Jr. Board invites all passionate individuals who want to lend a hand in improving lives for those in Tanzania, Africa.

An elderly man with a long beard, a hat, and a crucifix hanging from his neck is sitting on an ornate chair.
Rev. John Nepomucene Jaeger, born in Kuttenberg, Bohemia (now Kutná Hora in the western Czech Republic ) in 1844, championed founding a parochial school for the children of Chicago's Czech immigrants. [ 9 ]
A building is surrounded by a parking lot, open fields, and trees.
Aerial view of the Benet campus, from the south, in 1984. Benet Academy was created from the merger of the St. Procopius Academy for boys and Sacred Heart Academy for girls in 1967.
An unfinished building
St. Procopius College under construction on July 23, 1900. The mission of the college was "not only to train candidates for the priesthood, but give young men in general such an education as to prepare them to become leaders of their people in the various walks of life." [ 18 ]
An unfinished building with a water tower in the background
The Benedictine Convent and Normal School in Lisle, one-fourth complete, in 1913. Sacred Heart Academy was founded here in 1926.
Benet Academy lies on the northwest corner of Maple and Yackley Avenues in Lisle, Illinois. Athletic fields and parking lots surround the building, which is composed of many halls. At the west end is the Large Gym, and next to the Large Gym to the east lies the Small Gym. South of the Small Gym lies St. Martin Hall, and east of the Small Gym lies St. Jude Hall. Southeast of St. Jude Hall lies St. Joseph Hall, and east of St. Jude Hall lies St. Thomas Hall. East of St. Joseph Hall lies Benet Hall, and east of Benet Hall lies St. Daniel Hall. St. Daniel Hall is at the east end of the building.
Map of the Benet Academy campus. Founded as an orphanage in 1910, the campus has been steadily expanded since. A Science and Activity Center was added in 2009.
Benet Academy Front in 2021
Benet Academy Today
Three young men listen as an elderly monk gives a lecture in front of a chalkboard, a desk with a chair, and a crucifix.
Until July 2022, Benet was owned and operated by St. Procopius Abbey; many of the Benedictine community's monks have taught at the school, as seen here in 1984
Benet Scholars sit in on a lecture at Harvard University .
Benet draws students from across the western Chicago suburbs. Almost all Roman Catholic, over 99% continue on to college.
The Benet Academy Marching Redwings, march toward Benedictine University to perform at a Benet football game.
Benet Academy Girls' Volleyball 2023
Several rows of high schoolers holding musical instruments walk along a residential street.
The Benet Academy Marching Redwings performing in the Naperville Last Fling Parade in 2008
Twelve adolescents pose for a picture, standing and smiling. They are holding foam swords, a model of a human body's muscular system, a trophy, and medals.
Members of the Benet Science Alliance team display their awards after the state Illinois Science Olympiad tournament in 2010