St. Paul's Abbey, Newton, United States

What it is

A monastery founded in 1924 by German Missionary Benedictines from St. Ottilien, which became an abbey in 1947 and at its peak had more than 65 monks. Korean monks from Waegwan Abbey took charge in 2002 and still keep the monastic life going on more than 430 acres; the original monastery is on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places as the St. Paul's Abbey Norman Monastery.

What it needs

Preservation New Jersey put the abbey on its 10 Most Endangered Historic Places list in 2024 and still lists it as endangered: the old building is vacant, open to vandalism and suffering from lack of maintenance and weatherproofing, and a 2008 plan to convert it to affordable housing stalled. Separately, the monks are raising money through a Church Renovation Fund to restore the abbey church.

Before you act. The endangered listing dates from 2024, and no later report on the old building or cost estimate was found. The monks' own fund is for the abbey church, not the empty Norman monastery, so saving the old building means opening that conversation with the prior.

Sources

Last checked 8 November 2026. Parts of this entry could not be fully confirmed; see the note above. Responsible body: St. Paul's Abbey, Newton NJ (Missionary Benedictines of St. Ottilien; 501(c)(3)).

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