Expansion in NewarkWhile the monks were able to acquire adequate land in New Hampshire, this was more difficult in Newark. School and monastery were hemmed in by businesses and shops. Old maps of the area show a leather tannery, the Halsey Patent Leather Factory, behind the abbey on Shipman Street. It had been in operation for many years to the disgust of everyone. In the summer of 1903 the owners offered the property for sale. The portion fronting on High and running through to Shipman Street was bought and was used to enlarge the yard while one of the tannery buildings was converted into a laundry.
To celebrate fittingly the golden Jubilee of the St. Mary’s Abbey Church in 1907 the complete renovation of the interior of the building was accomplished under the direction of the pastor, Father Polycarp Scherer. On Sunday 6 October, a Pontifical Mass of Thanksgiving was offered by Bishop John J. O’Connor of Newark while Abbot Peter Engel of St. John and president of the Congregation preached. In the afternoon pontifical vespers were celebrated with the abbot of St. Leo in Florida, Charles Mohr, presiding. The next day Abbot Hilary Pfraengle sang a Pontifical Mass for the living and deceased benefactors of the church and school and the pastor, Father Polycarp preached. On the following day, a requiem was celebrated by Archabbot Leander Schnerr of St. Vincent for all the deceased monks, sisters and parishioners of St. Mary’s. On that occasion, Bishop Leo Haid, OSB, Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina had the sermon of the day.
During these years both the numbers of students in St. Benedict’s and of monks in the monastic community of St. Mary’s had been increasing so that the need for more room was pressing. At the time of Abbot Hilary’s death in 1909 the student body numbered two hundred. By Abbot Ernest’s death in 1937 the number had risen to six hundred. The Chapter, therefore, decided to erect an additional school building on the property purchased from the tannery. An architect was engaged, contracts let, and construction was in progress when the community was dealt a severe blow in the sudden death of Abbot Hilary on 21 December 1909.
Abbot Hilary had, in fact, been in poor health for some time and had not been able to attend choir or the common table. He always managed to offer his daily Mass and to attend to some of his community obligations, but he felt that his end was approaching. On the day of his death he arose at his usual time, offered Mass and spent the afternoon with some of the confreres until nearly five o’clock, all the while complaining of a severe headache. About five he retired to his room and shortly after the community supper when a brother brought Abbot Hilary his meal, he was found lifeless.
To avoid interfering with the celebration of Christmas and to allow abbots of the Congregation the opportunity to attend, the date of the funeral was set for Monday 27 December, and Newark’s Bishop O’Connor offered to celebrate the requiem. A major snowstorm, however, impeded some of the abbots from attending with the exception of Abbot Peter Engel of St. John’s Abbey, Minnesota, President of the Congregation, who arrived early in the morning on the day of the funeral. The body of Abbot Hilary was laid to rest in the community plot of St. Mary’s Cemetery.