Our Lady of the Mount Prepares to Celebrate 100 Years

In May of 1911, two Warren Township residents paid a visit to the Right Reverend William F. Dittrich, pastor of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Bound Brook, asking that a Catholic parish be established in Warren.

"They told [Father Dittrich] that there were 17 Catholic families to their knowledge and perhaps a congregation could be formed so everyone could meet in the center of the Township without going to Bound Brook or to Stirling or Plainfield which, at that time, was quite a trip," according to an early transcript of events.

Father Dittrich agreed and it was decided to hold Sunday Masses in the parlor of Binz's Hotel, which later became the King George Inn.

"The third Sunday of June was chosen to celebrate the first Mass," according to the transcript.  "On that day, 17 people were present and, two weeks after (Mass being only then celebrated every other Sunday), 39 persons attended Mass.  The parlor being too small, the Hall Room was then used."

Soon thereafter, ground was broken and the cornerstone was laid for the native fieldstone church that would become Our Lady of the Mount Roman Catholic Church on Mount Bethel Road.

"The cornerstone, weighing more than half a ton, was obtained from an adjacent farm where, exposed to sun and weather, it had been a familiar landmark throughout the memory of the oldest inhabitants," according to a parish history written in 1937.

"The ceremony of the laying of the cornerstone was one of the greatest events of the Township," says another parish account.  "Many notables of Plainfield, Bound Brook, Martinsville, and surrounding towns were present.  The history of the Church lays there now for generations to come."

For 41 years, Our Lady of the Mount was a mission to St. Joseph's in Bound Brook, St. Joseph's in North Plainfield and finally, St. James in Basking Ridge. 

But with the construction of Routes 22, 202 and 206 in the 1930s, Warren's rural landscape began to change and its population to grow.  On September 19, 1952, Our Lady of the Mount became an autonomous parish, ushering in a period of tremendous growth for the church as well.

Parish enrollment more than doubled - from 153 families in 1954 to 312 in 1960 - and a third Mass was added to the schedule.  A brick rectory to house parish priests was constructed in 1952 and the outdoor Shrine to Our Lady of Grace was dedicated in 1957.  Religious education for parish children and other programs were established.

"But Our Lady of the Mount faced an urgent problem that could not be solved with innovative programs - the parish had outgrown its small church," according to another parish history.  "From September 1966 until July 1970, Masses and other parish activities were held in Township schools."

Parish documents indicate that, by 1970, the parish had grown to 535 families, "a 270% increase in sixteen years" - closely parallelling the growth of the township.

So, in 1967, planning for a new Parish Center began and a Pastoral Council (a group of lay men and women who handle many parish functions) was formed.   On June 15, 1969, ground was broken for the new Parish Center and just over a year later, the first Mass was celebrated in the center's gymnasium.  In 1988, the Parish Center gymnasium was fully renovated to become the permanent church, with the rest of the center reserved for religious education classes and other functions.

Today, Our Lady of the Mount, and pastor, Father Sean Kenney, serve more than 1850 families in Warren. The yearlong centennial celebration kicks off Oct. 16 with a special Opening Mass at 11:30 a.m., with the Most Reverend Paul Gregory Bootkoski, Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen, along with former OLM pastors and other special guests.

The original stone chapel remains, alongside the rectory, with regular Masses still held there.  And, as parishioners prepare to celebrate Our Lady of the Mount's centennial, words written 25 years ago in a memorial booklet for the 75th anniversary celebration still ring true.

"From a small stone church with 50 members, Our Lady of the Mount has grown both spiritually and materially.  Its future rests in the hands of our All Good, All Loving God, who in His Divine Providence, watches over each of us individually and as a Catholic community."

For more information about Our Lady of the Mount Roman Catholic Church and its centennial celebration, visit the church's website.