Marmion Abbey and Academy are named for Blessed Columba Marmion O.S.B., the third abbot of Maredsous Abbey in Belgium and a noted spiritual author and retreat master. He was born on April 1, 1858 in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dublin in 1881. Five years later he entered the Abbey of Mardesous, Belgium. He was elected abbot of Maredsous in 1909 and served until his death on January 30, 1923. He was beatified as a Blessed of the Church by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000. His feast day is observed on October 3, the date of his blessing as abbot.
He delivered countless spiritual conferences and retreats which serve as the basis for his three major books. These works give a deep insight into his spirituality: Christ, the Life of the Soul (1917), Christ in His Mysteries (1919), and Christ the Ideal of the Monk (1922). His spirituality is centered on Christ and our divine adoption as children of God. These works have been translated into many languages and are considered spiritual classics.