Abbey Garden

Help the Abbey Gardens Flourish

In January 1996, Joseph ’40 and Helen Rippinger (parents of John ’64, Tom ’68, Dan ’72, Tim ’74, Abbot Joel Rippinger, and Mary Jo DiRe) celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by establishing the Marmion Abbey Garden Fund to support the care and beautification of the Abbey grounds.

The seeds of the Garden Fund were planted years earlier. Joe and his mother, Josephine, were passionate gardeners and devout Catholics who saw gardening as a way to honor God’s gift of nature. Along with Helen, they shared a deep love for Marmion and the Benedictine community. The Garden Fund continues their legacy of creating sacred spaces that reflect God’s abundance.

Support The Abbey Garden Fund

Meditation Garden & Grounds Renovation

After Joe and Helen, both Benedictine oblates, passed away in 2019, family and friends made generous donations to the Garden Fund, which was then renamed in their honor. These gifts funded the revitalization of garden areas near the Church parking lot, the Abbey Church, and the Abbey entrance.

Completed in 2023, the work was carried out by HGTS Landscaping under the supervision of Hugo and Anastasia Cardenas, whose sons Ernesto and Christian attended Marmion. HGTS continues to maintain the gardens today.

Purpose of the Abbey Gardens

Inspired by the Benedictine tradition of monastic gardens, the goal of the Abbey gardens is to:
  • Offer a space of beauty and meditation for the monastic community.
  • Create a welcoming first impression that reflects the spiritual beauty within.
  • Serve the wider community, including prospective vocations, oblates, visiting clergy, and laity.
  • Provide a peaceful setting for students, families, and Academy staff.

Fundraising for Ongoing Maintenance

The original fund was used to cover the cost of plants, trees, irrigation systems, and initial upkeep. Annual maintenance now costs approximately $15,000 and includes seasonal cleanup, fertilization, weed control, irrigation, and labor.

The Rippinger family aims to establish a self-sustaining endowment to ensure the gardens continue to flourish in the years ahead, fulfilling Joe and Helen’s vision of a beautiful Abbey campus.

Matching Gift Opportunity
A member of the Rippinger family has generously offered to match all donations to the Garden Fund, up to $100,000.

This matching gift seeks to grow the endowment and invites the Marmion family, especially those who knew Joe and Helen, to take part in their legacy. The family is deeply grateful for every contribution.

Support the
Abbey Garden Fund

You can donate online using the button below, or send a check payable to “Marmion Abbey” (with “Abbey Garden Fund” in the memo line) to:

Attention: Abbey Garden Fund
1000 Butterfield Road
Aurora, IL 60502

Support The Abbey Garden Fund
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