St. Bede Soccer gets the ball rolling!

When looking at St. Bede Academy’s list of athletic teams, it was always noticeable that soccer was missing from the rosters. In years past, it existed as a club, and there was hope that a team may materialize in the future.

All that changed this fall, as St. Bede assembled an IHSA soccer team competing in an abbreviated junior varsity season this year. The team’s members span the entire school, featuring students from freshmen through seniors, both male and female. As is the case with sports such as football, female students can compete in male sports seasons, allowing all students to give St. Bede’s newest sport a go this fall.

St. Bede Soccer following their first match at Rotary Park in LaSalle, IL. The Bruins finished with a 1-1 draw.

The Bruins competed in their first match at Rotary Park in LaSalle this past Monday, September 9 against Somonauk High School, resulting in a 1-1 draw. Freshman midfielder Ankinimbom Yong scored the team’s lone goal deep in the first half.

Despite only practicing together for about 3 weeks, there is a positive mood around the new squad. Head coach David Garcia has been emphasizing to the players the importance of playing as a team. “Teamwork, that’s the main thing, and also getting to know each other, how they play their positions,” Garcia said of their goals in early practices. “The goal is for everyone to focus on their position, take care of their spot, work together as a team, and put all their heart in and represent this institution as best they can.”

Ankinimbom Yong ‘28 dribbles past a Somonauk defender.

As they are a young team, the philosophy for the Bruins is to build a foundation for the future. “When one loses, we all lose. When one wins, we all win. Support each other, even though there are mistakes, we always have to learn from the mistakes and not be afraid of making them.”

While they have their goals on the pitch, the impact of starting a new team at St. Bede isn’t lost on the players. Senior goalie and captain Haiden Ator is proud to be a trailblazer for the program. “It means I get to pave the way for all future student athletes who have been wanting and looking forward to playing soccer. I get to help the rough edges, smoothing things out, helping the coaches work with the team, work on plays, and help organize things”, said Ator.

While still in their infancy, the sport is excited for a new season and to welcome fans to their games. Ator encouraged fans to join in the fun, saying “People should check out a game because it is new to St. Bede, we have a good team, a good foundation, and it’s always fun to watch a soccer game!”.

The St. Bede Bruins will take on Streator Township High School’s junior varsity squad this coming Monday, September 16 at 4:30.

Michael Schulz ‘27 handles the ball around a Somonauk forward.

9/16 – @ Streator Township High School

9/24 – @ Calvary Christian

9/26 - @ Coal City High School

10/1 - @ Illinois Valley Central High School

10/4 – @ Riverdale High School

10/7 – vs. Oregon High School, Rotary Park in LaSalle

2024 Athletic HOF inductees announced

St. Bede Academy will proudly induct three individuals and a former football team into the 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony takes place over Homecoming weekend on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 10 a.m. in the historic Abbot Vincent Gymnasium.

The 1973/74 Football Team

The senior members of the 1973/74 football team graduated with an overall record of 35-7 (including the 9 JV games). During that time, they posted 14 regular season shutouts at the varsity level.

At just about the halfway point (after four games) of the 1973 season, the team was ranked first in the state, outscoring opponents 130-14, Year-end awards included two members named to the 1973 Chicago Daily News All-State Team; Mark Stuart, first team, tailback and Steve Byrne, honorable mention, offensive tackle.

Marissa (Piacenti) Jobe ’99

A 1999 graduate and standout gymnast. In 1999, Marissa placed 13th all-around at both the IHSA State Gymnastics Meet, as well as at the National High School Gymnastics Championships of America.  Marissa was a state medalist her sophomore, junior and senior years while earning fifth in state as a senior. She was also awarded as a Top Ten graduating senior.

Patrick Mulligan ’74 (posthumously)

Patrick Mulligan loved SBA. The school and St. Bede community were his life. He participated in football, track and basketball during his career, which spanned from 1970 to 1974. Patrick’s stories of the Academy convinced his brother, Michael, to attend for his final two years of high school. 

Fondly remembered by all his loved ones, Patrick was tragically taken from his family, friends and the entire SBA community in 1976. 

William Van Daele ’74

William was a standout athlete for St. Bede, participating in four years of football and in track. William served as a captain of the football team his senior year, as well as the “unofficial captain” of the track team both junior and senior year. He also played basketball as a freshman. William says, “St. Bede is the place I love more than any other place in the world.”  

Academy pizza party inspires new cookbook

Fr. Dominic (a.k.a. the Bread Monk) recently published a second edition of his cookbook Thursday Night Pizza (Reedy Press, $22.50). This updated version includes a number of recipes inspired by an annual fundraiser he organizes with Academy Wrestling Coach Sam Allen.

 A few years ago Coach Allen was lamenting on how hard it is to come up with original fundraising ideas, especially something that didn’t require our students to sell a certain number of tickets or products to family and neighbors. He made an offhand comment to Fr. Dom: “Maybe I should pair up with you and we could call it ‘Stage Rats and Wrestlers’.”

 “I told him I would do it,” Fr. Dom recounts with a smile, “just for the cool name and the chance to design an awesome logo! We also wanted to demonstrate that at Saint Bede, athletics and the arts don’t have to be in competition with each other, as they are at so many schools.”

 They settled on the idea of a gourmet pizza party and wine pairing, a semi-formal event with tablecloths to the floor, real tableware (no plastic, please!) cloth napkins, centerpieces and candles. The wrestlers serve the wait staff with Coach Allen as the maître d’ and Stage Rats run the kitchen under Fr. Dom’s direction. The menu generally includes a soup, five gourmet pizzas paired with carefully curated wines and a homemade dessert such as tiramisu cream puffs or lemon mousse-filled cannoli with a blueberry drizzle.

 The fundraiser has been a huge hit and has become an annual event, but that popularity has put a lot of pressure on the organizers to keep the menu varied, to keep guests coming back. Coach Allen says, “We want people to think: ‘I wonder what they come up with this year?’”

That creative thinking was the part of the impetus behind the new edition of Thursday Night Pizza. New pizzas include a Sicilian sausage pizza with pistachio pesto cream sauce, a tomato bacon galette topped with gorgonzola cheese, and “Piggy in the Vineyard,” with ham, shallots, smoked gouda and red grape halves, drizzled with honey and garnished with fresh thyme.

The other factor encouraging Fr. Dom’s creativity is the popularity of backyard pizza ovens.

“I had to write a whole new section on patio pizza making, and include a recipe for Neapolitan Pizza dough that can stand up to the high temps in a wood-fired oven,” he said.

 The new edition of Thursday Night Pizza is available in the Academy Business office during regular business hours or at www.stbedeabbey.org/monksmarket. This year’s gourmet pizza party and wine pairing will be held on Oct. 26; tickets will go on sale Sept. 16. Contact Fr. Dom for more info.

Chaplain's Day welcomes in the class of 2028

Student Ambassadors (green shirts) lead a photo scavenger hunt with incoming freshmen on Chaplain’s Day.

Of the many traditions held at St. Bede Academy, Chaplain’s Day is one of the most revered and anticipated of the year, and this year’s event held special gravity due to two very important parties. Student Chaplain Fr. Dominic and the Student Ambassadors teamed up to welcome the class of 2028 with a day full of valuable information and activities to prepare them for the school year.

As the name would suggest, Fr. Dominic had an important role in Chaplain’s Day. He spoke with new students about the importance of accountability, courtesy and reverence. These three concepts guide his Religion 1 classes and will be emphasized throughout the year with the whole student body. He also taught them the new school hymn, with text written by Fr. Dominic, which highlights the importance of learning from the Order of St. Benedict, leading in service, and opening our doors to others.

Utilizing these themes of courtesy, accountability and reverence, the Ambassadors set about opening the doors to the freshmen. They, along with Director of Enrollment Management Jon Steben, assured the new students that they are not alone in any fears they face coming into the day and that they can achieve their goals through the tried-and-true curriculum of the Academy. They participated in a photo scavenger hunt to learn more about the grounds of this storied campus, walked their schedule, learned how to navigate the halls of the school and even enjoyed lunch as a typical SBA student would. For the final activity of the day, freshmen learned things that the Ambassadors wish they knew as freshmen - hallway etiquette, emphasizing time management and learning how to behave as a proud SBA student were just a few of the topics covered.

With the teachings of Fr. Dominic and hands-on experience of the Ambassadors, the class of 2028 received an invaluable education on how to get the most out of St. Bede Academy. We are so excited to see all that they accomplish and the heights they will reach!

St. Bede to host Chaplain's Day Aug. 12

Bruins young and old have many cherished traditions of St. Bede Academy, but the most commonly beloved feature of the school is the sense of community shared by the student body. Students feel like they have a second home here and that first extended stay is coming up quickly.

Chaplain’s Day 2024 will be on Monday, Aug. 12, and the class of 2028 will be here in full for the first time. Students will have the chance to become familiar with campus before their first day of school on Tuesday, Aug. 13, and learn more about how to be successful at St. Bede.

While many of the traditional elements of Chaplain’s Day will be present, the Student Ambassadors, along with Director of Enrollment Management Jon Steben, will be rolling out new sections to acclimate the newest Bruins. A notable feature is the timing of the day itself - the day before the first day of classes.

While Chaplain’s Day is typically earlier in the month, this year called for some changes.

“We wanted to shorten the amount of time between Chaplain’s Day and the first day of school so that students can implement all that they learn more quickly. Coupling this with the late IHSA no-contact week being later in the year, the timing fell really well,” explained Steben.

Another new feature is the afternoon’s session, which will focus on the Ambassadors’ experiences at St. Bede Academy. Steben and the Ambassadors will address common challenges that freshmen may typically face, giving new students advice based on their own high school experiences. The ultimate goal is to assure students that, even among the challenges of high school, they are far from alone in them and that they have fellow Bruins looking out for them.

We are so excited to welcome the class of 2028! What advice would you give the newest Bruins? Email Steben at jsteben@st-bede.com.