Schools and Abbeys at War

Schools and Abbeys at War
The United States’ entry into World War II in 1941 brought changes to both monasteries and schools in Newark and Morristown. Abbot Patrick permitted Fathers George Sherry, Maurus McBarron, Eugene Polhemus, Dunstan Smith, Martin Burne and Philip Hoover to enlist in the armed forces as chaplains At the same time, St. Anselm College found itself short of students, and so lent monks such as Kevin Mahoney, Timothy Pelletier, Philip Mullen, Carl Tuck, Andrew Lavalle, and Felix Pepin, who taught at St. Benedict’s and Delbarton and helped in parishes. 

Several European monks were given hospitality during the war years. Fathers Sigmund Toenig, Willibald Berger, and Ansgar Rabenalt from Austria taught at St. Benedict’s, and Ninian McDonald (from Scotland) and Augustine Verhaegen (from Belgium) at Delbarton. Abbot Patrick was instrumental in the establishment of a priory in Keyport, New Jersey composed of refugee monks of the German Beuronese Congregation, Albert Hamerstede, the Prior of Maria Laach, Damasus Winzen and Leo Rudloff, later founders of Mount Savior monastery in Elmira, New York, and Weston Priory in Weston Vermont.

The presence of visiting monks from abroad as well as of diocesan priests was common in the age of ocean crossings to Europe by ship. The Abbey’s proximity to New York harbor assured a continuous flow of guests, resulting in St. Mary’s gaining a certain fame for its hospitality around the monastic world. The locals sometimes grumbled but, at the same time, were quietly proud. 

In addition, the Abbey welcomed a number of diocesan priests and religious who lived and worked as members of the community, some for long periods. They filled many a need in the schools and parishes for the always shorthanded monks of St. Mary’s. Father Cletus Donaghy, a diocesan priest, taught for decades at Delbarton before joining the community shortly before his death. The Fathers Foley, Cecil and Anthony, blood brothers, taught English and French and ran the popular intramural basketball program at Benedict’s in the 1940s. Father Genadius Díaz, a Spanish-born Benedictine from the Abbey of San Beda in Manila came in 1950 and remained in Newark until his death in 1985.