St. Mary's Abbey is a community of Benedictine monks praying and working in Morris County, New Jersey. We sponsor Delbarton School, an independent Catholic school for boys in grades 7-12, in continuing a 1,500-year monastic tradition of Benedictines engaged in Catholic liberal arts education, guiding students to strive for excellence in scholarship, spirituality, character and physical and mental health. The monks of St. Mary’s Abbey also serve as chaplains for local communities of women religious, assist neighboring parishes by serving as weekend assistants, and welcoming guests for a retreat within the serenity of the monastery.
Prior of the Monastery
Fr. Edward Seton serves as prior of the monastery, the second in command, and teaches in the Theology of Delbarton School. He also oversees an annual exchange program with Glenstal Abbey School in Co. Limerick, Ireland. The program allows a group of Delbarton and Glenstal students to visit these Benedictine schools in the winter and spring, respectively. Fr. Edward Seton is also a weekend assistant at St. Joseph Church in nearby Mendham. Fr. Edward Seton is also the liturgy director and abbey advancement officer.
Consensus among Delbarton alumni and the community at large is this: Delbarton would not be Delbarton without the monks at St. Mary’s Abbey. The larger the presence of monks in the abbey, the stronger, and more sustainable Delbarton will be. The entire Delbarton community depends on young men such as yourselves to consider religious life or, at the very least, learn about what monks do, and the paths followed to the Abbey to be able to influence others. Learn about serving the Church as a layman, religious brother or priest and the difference these ministries make, especially to people in need. How to discern your path and the typical roadblocks confronted when considering religious life. Learn about various roles needed to be filled by laymen.
