Benedictine Academy records

In the community history, Where There Was Need (1961), Genevieve Harrison, OSB explains that in the missions outside of Chicago, "Sisters were to fill the needs for basic education in the settlement of German families which the Benedictine priests served from time to time on a missionary basis". By 1866, Nepomucene Ludwig, OSB had grown the community to eight professed sisters, two novices, and nine postulants and the in 1865, they felt ready to branch out from St. Joseph Parish-- "The Sisters were to fill the need for basic education in the settlements of German families which the Benedictine priests served from time to time on a missionary basis. Maytown and Hennepin had Mass and confession and other sacraments from the priests and catechism from the Sisters." This apporximates another report that the Benedictine Sisters were in Maytown (a name for May Township in Lee County, IL) staffing an elementary school 1880-1883 and Maytown Seminary, a secondary school, 1867-1871 and 1879-1880. A local history, The Catholic Church in Maytown (1976) mentions six Benedictine sisters opening a school in 1880 with girls as boarders and boys as day students with differing reports on how long they staffed area schools.

In a 1979 letter to Vivian Ivantic, OSB, the parish secretary of St. Patrick Church in Amboy, IL, Mary M. (Madge) King wrote:

Another history I have says that "six Sisters of the Order of Benedictine Nuns opened the school and taught, in addition to the common branches, German, French, Music, Drawing and many other accomplishments desirable for young ladies. The Academy was not intended to be exclusively for Catholics, but principally for young ladies though young men and lads will be admited". This says in 1895 the property was sold. My parents and ancestors helped build some of the churches in the Maytown area and I have lived here all my life. I coordinate our CCD program-- we have 78 students in grades 1-12--in this rural area.

Existing resources indicate these dates for the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago in Maytown, Illinois: 1880-1883, 1867-1871, and 1879-1880.

The Hennepin missions in Hennepin, Illinois 1880 thru 1883 were probably for catechetical classes only.