Benet Academy lives on!!

In a few months we will be celebrating Halloween! And because of that, my thoughts and my own spirit leads me back to a special place in my life. Benet Academy, once upon a time, Saint Procopius Academy once upon a time St. Joseph Bohemian Orphanage.

Just a quick history: St Joseph Bohemian orphanage was closed because in 1948 the Diocese of Joliet was formed, and that would make St. Joseph orphanage, and Guardian Angel home another orphanage in Joliet that made up two in the same diocese. So the bishop decided that they would drop St. Joseph Bohemian Orphanage and send the children either to Guardian Angel in Joliet, or Angel Guardian in Chicago or St. Hedwigs in Chicago in order to open the Saint Procopius Academy on the campus of St. Joseph Orphanage. Which later became Benet Academy when Sacred Heart Academy merged with Saint Procopius Academy in 1968.

Just one other note Saint Procopius Academy was located at that time on the college of Saint Procopius campus which later became Illinois Benedictine College. The reason for the change and the transfer of buildings was the academy was growing and needed more room, so the former orphanage gave it expansion for the growing student body on the high school level. When they first moved to the orphanage campus, Saint Procopius Academy was a boarding High School. But in 1968 the boarding school was phased out and Sacred Heart Academy students were invited to become part of the new named Benet Academy, the former saint Procopius Academy.

The only campus now that holds the name Saint Procopius is the Abbey where the monks reside. And for the nuns Sacred Heart Monastery is on the campus of the old Sacred Heart Academy.

So now that we got all that out of the way, we will begin by telling the early history of my time when I began working at the Academy in 1972. So stay tuned for more stories of haunted Benet Academy.

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