OSBNJ

The Creation of OSBNJ

On 5 March 1863, the civil corporation formally known as The Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey was created by an act of the New Jersey State Legislature. Abbot Boniface Wimmer was designated president and Fathers Roman Hell, Oswald Moosmueller, and Peter Henry Lemke (now working in Elizabeth, New Jersey) were the first officers of the corporation. Regular meetings were held, often presided over by Abbot Boniface, and minutes were kept even after St. Mary’s became an abbey with its own parallel meetings of the chapter.

Father Oswald Moosmueller succeeded Father Utho as prior in 1863. He set about liquidating the foundation's heavy debt and enhancing the church. Under his aegis, two side altars to accompany the high altar were designed and carved by Brother Cosmas Wolf of St. Vincent (these fine statues are still to be seen at Newark Abbey), and plans were made for the further decoration of the church.

His work was cut short, however, when in 1866, Abbot Boniface undertook to establish an American Benedictine House of Studies in Rome to be known as St. Elizabeth’s and Fr. Oswald was sent as superior. Clearly Abbot Boniface had sent some of his most talented and competent monks to care for the priory in Newark. Fr. Oswald, in particular, had a remarkable career as scholar, author and administrator beyond the scope of this brief essay.