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St. Bede Academy
St. Bede Academy
Address
	24 West U.S. Highway 6; Peru, Illinois 61354; United States
Coordinates	41°19′18″N 89°9′58″W / 41.32167°N 89.16611°W
Information
Type	Private, College-preparatory; Day & Boarding
Motto	Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus; (That in All Things God May Be Glorified)
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Established	1890
Oversight	Diocese of Peoria
Superintendent	Eve Postula
Principal	Melissa Bosnich
Chaplain	Fr. Dominic Garramone, O.S.B.
Grades	9–12
Gender	Coeducational
Enrollment	285 (2023)
Campus	Rural
Campus size	800-acre (3.2 km2)
Color(s)	Green and White
Athletics conference	Tri-County Conference
Team name	Bruins or Lady Bruins
Rival	Hall Red Devils; La Salle-Peru Cavaliers
Accreditation	North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Yearbook	The Bedan Way
Tuition	$6,850
Affiliation	Benedictine
Website	www.st-bede.com

Saint Bede Academy is a private, four-year, Catholic college-preparatory high school located in Peru, Illinois. The campus buildings and monastery are situated on 800 acres of wooded land.^[2] The monastery is home to 12 Benedictine monks who have taken a vow of stability, meaning that they remain at Saint Bede Abbey for their lifetimes. The monks take an active role in the affairs and administration of the academy.^[3]

The school is accredited by the State of Illinois, the North Central Association, and the Office of Catholic Education of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria.^[1]

History

St. Bede Abbey and Academy were founded in 1890 by six monks tasked with establishing a Benedictine teaching institution where young men could receive a Catholic education.^[3] The school was dedicated on October 12, 1891^[4] as an all-boys boarding school, remaining as such until 1973, at which time it became a coeducational institution.

In 1981, the boarding program ceased, and the former dormitory rooms were converted into additional class and office space.^[5] Prior to the boarding program's ending, it was not uncommon for parents to send their boys hundreds of miles to attend and live at St. Bede. Afterward, the Academy still drew a consistent number of students from the local area.

Due to interest from foreign students and alumni, St. Bede resumed its boarding program in 2007. 10% of the student population consists of boarding students. Currently, St. Bede houses male and female boarders in separate houses located on-campus. Both houses operate under the care of a married couple who live with and supervise the boarders.^[5]

The original school building is still in use. It has undergone numerous renovations since it was built over one hundred years ago. In 2018 the Perino Science Center was constructed as an addition to the north face of the Academy. The PSC is a 17,000 square foot STEM center that rivals similar science facilities found at quality universities. The school's continued maintenance and capital development has always depended heavily on the monetary contributions of its over-7000 alumni and other donors.^[6] The school operates several fundraising events such as an annual auction and phone-a-thon to help bridge the difference between tuition and actual operating costs.^[7]

Academic life

The school operates on a fixed daily schedule of eight periods of forty-three minutes. Students are required to enroll in seven courses per semester. The school year is divided into two 18-week semesters. Additionally, students must garner at least 25 academic credits to graduate, as well as complete 25 hours of service work per academic year.^[8]

Student profile

The student population is made up of approximately 300 students with a student-faculty ratio of 9:1 and an average class size of 16:5. Approximately 99% of graduates go on to attend a post-secondary institution.^[6]

Athletics

St. Bede competes in the Three Rivers Conference for all sports. Beginning in 2023-24 school year, St. Bede will compete in the Tri-County Conference for all sports except football, which will compete in the newly formed Chicago Prairie Conference. ^[6]

Boys sports: Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Swimming, Tennis, Track, Weightlifting, Wrestling.

Girls sports: Basketball, Bowling, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Golf, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track, Volleyball, Weightlifting.

The softball team won the IHSA Class 1A state championship in 2023.^[9]

Clubs and activities

Abbey Mass Servers
Band
Band
Bass Fishing
Caedmon Literary Magazine editors
Car Club
Chorus
Extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion
Fall Theater
Heritage Club
Homecoming Variety Show
Interact Club
Last Supper Club
Musical
Pep Club
Prom Committee
Stage Rats
Student Government
Scholastic Bowl
Spring Musical
Student Ambassadors
Technology Club
Yearbook Club
Interact Club
Venturing Club

Campus

The 800 acre St. Bede campus includes the school, its attached monastery, a church, a football field with stands, a baseball field with stands, a basketball stadium/theater, an outdoor 400 meter track, a soccer field, the Saint Bede Abbey Press building, the boarding houses, and much open space, including an apple orchard, as well as corn and soybean fields.

Facility

The school is a five-level brick building with dozens of classrooms and offices. The building can be perceived in halves, with the north half containing most of the classrooms and the south half containing most of the offices.

The main administrative office is located on the first floor. There are computer labs on the first and second floors. The art department takes up most of the third floor. The science labs and classrooms are located in the Perino Science Center. Lockers are located on the second and third levels of the building. There is a tunnel that connects the main building with the gym, where physical education classes are held.

Saint Bede Abbey

St. Bede Abbey, attached to the school, is the permanent residence of twelve monks who live according to the Rule of Saint Benedict. The monks, many of whom actively participate in the everyday workings of the school, follow the gospel of Christ by serving God, the Church, and the community through daily prayer, both communal and private, serious work, quiet reflection, hospitality, and the renunciation of marriage, possessions, and pleasure.^[3]

The Abbey, like the Academy, was founded in 1890 by a group of six monks who were sent from St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania to spread the Benedictine tradition. By 1910, the community of monks had grown large enough to become independent from St. Vincent's and thus elected their first abbot. The population of monks peaked in the middle of the twentieth century, and has since declined to its current population of 32.^[10]

The current abbot is Philip Davey, OSB, who succeeded former abbot Claude Peifer, OSB, in June 2011. Abbot Peifer, likewise, succeeded Abbot Roger Corpus, OSB, in 2003.^[11]

Abbey Church

The Abbey Church is a multi-purpose building containing a general assembly area, students' chapel, theater/lecture hall, lounge, kitchenette, and conference rooms. The students use the Abbey Church for Eucharistic liturgies, prayer services, penance services, classes, plays, and meetings.

Library

The St. Bede Academy library is a multilevel facility consisting of two large reading rooms on two levels joined by four levels of stacks. The theology library consists of the upper reading room and the top level of the stacks. The academy library consists of the lower reading room and three levels of stacks. The academy collection totals 20,000 volumes and the monastery collection contains 19,000 volumes.

Student refectory

The student refectory, located on the main floor of the school building, provides hot lunch and snack items daily to students. Students remain on campus during lunchtime. The refectory was renovated during the summer of 1997 to restore the original tin ceiling which had been covered over for years. Ceiling fan/light fixtures now hang to provide an atmosphere of former days at the Academy. A commons area located in the Perino Science Center is a gathering place for students where students go to meet socially, study. etc. Refreshments are always available in the PSC vending area.

Notable alumni

Andrew J. Bacevich- Professor Boston U. and Johns Hopkins, Author and Historian, Princeton-West-Point
J. A. Happ, Pitcher - New York Yankees, Northwestern University
James Massey - Professor at University of Notre Dame, MIT and ETH Zurich

References

^ ^a ^b Catholic Diocese of Peoria. "School Information - St. Bede Academy". Retrieved November 10, 2011.
^ Dr. Ted Struck. "Letter from the Superintendent". Retrieved November 10, 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c "St. Bede Abbey - History". Retrieved November 10, 2011.
^ "Announcements" (PDF). www.st-bede.com. October 12, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 25, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2023. Today is the 120th anniversary of the dedication of our school that took place on October 12, 1891.
^ ^a ^b "Boarding Information". Retrieved November 10, 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c "St. Bede Academy Profile -" (PDF).
^ "Annual Fund". Retrieved November 10, 2011.
^ "2011-12 Student Handbook" (PDF). p. 10. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
^ "Softball: St. Bede dethrones Illini Bluffs for 1A title". Shaw Local. June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
^ "Mission Statement". Retrieved November 10, 2011.
^ Allison Ryan (June 8, 2011). "Davey named new St. Bede abbot". Retrieved November 10, 2011.