Post date: Jun 19, 2017 12:51:23 AM
While a distinct Iona Prep had been in development since the 1940s, it was not until 1967 that it reached its modern history that today’s students would be familiar with.
Iona Prep’s modern era was ushered in when Mrs. Matthew T. Carney sought to sell her summer estate in New Rochelle just as Iona Prep was on the hunt for a new campus. Directed to speak with Br. Powers of Iona College, Carney sold her 27 acre estate to him in 1965. Br. Powers, then realizing that this newly acquired land would be too far from the college’s campus, exchanged it with Iona Prep for the Harris Gym.
On January 2, 1966, ground was broken on the new Iona Prep campus, with many familiar names sponsoring the construction, including the Tully Family and Wellington Mara. In September of 1967, construction on the Carney estate was completed, and Iona Prep moved into its new home.
Under the leadership of President Brother Delaney, many facets of the school that modern students would be familiar with were added. These additions included what is now called Wellington T. Mara Field.
Probably the most notable of Br. Delaney's additions was the Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel situated at the center of the school, symbolizing that Christ was the center of Iona Prep education. The chapel became the heart of the school, as it was used for retreats, leadership programs, and Mass.
Over the next four decades, more state-of-the-art amenities were added to the school. In 1984, the D’Urso Conference Center, complete with a computer lab, graced the campus, and just a year later the Paul Verni Arts Center was beginning to be utilized by Iona’s most creative students. In 1985 tennis courts were added to the campus, and in 1994, the Heffernan Gym. By 2001, Iona Prep ushered in the technological age by equipping incoming freshman with laptops, a trend that has continued to this day.
After forty years of advancement, Iona Prep reached back to its roots in 2013 by reuniting with Iona Grammar, to once again offer a K-12 education.
Iona’s success, struggles, setbacks, and triumphs over the years reached a high point this school year as we celebrated the Centennial Anniversary.
Reflecting on this past year, Br. Leto, believes the Iona Prep community has truly been living up to its mission. “To get to see our guys and watch how they have grown in the grace of the Lord has been a tremendous experience, it's been phenomenal,” says Brother Leto.
“My main hope is that all of us together continue to build the Kingdom of God on earth—it is a community of people helping each other, a community of people praying for each other, a community of people working with each other, a community of people thriving with each other,” said Br. Leto. He added jokingly, “And of course, I want to win a few more championships.”
As Iona’s Centennial Anniversary comes to a close, new changes are on the horizon, including an expansion of the Paul Verni Arts Center. This new building will include a 430 seat theater for speakers, presentations, and Iona’s Thespians, as well as additional classes for core subjects and the fine arts.
-Michael Bachmann