Our Lady of the Mount Church, Warren's only Roman Catholic parish, will celebrate its 90th anniversary on October 14, 2001. Roman Catholics were in short supply here during the township's first two centuries. The pioneer settlers were mostly Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians, the Germans who arrived here beginning in the l840s were heavily Protestant and the French and Swiss who came after the Civil War were Baptist. The handful of Catholics living in Warren during the latter half of the l9th century attended mass at St. Mary's, Stony Hill (founded 1847), St. Joseph's in Bound Brook (1873) or St. Joseph's in North Plainfield (1882). Partners Alfred E. Binz and Guy Pierre Coquille, who bought the Mountain House in September 1903, were French Catholics, and it may well be that their arrival at Mount Bethel provided the spark for the new congregation. About 1930 Binz penned a brief history of the parish's first two decades: "In May, 1911," wrote Binz, "a man from Warren Township serving in Coon Town, Mr. John Thaler, a convert, and Mr. Rauner went to see the pastor of Bound Brook, Rev. Father [William F.] Dittrich, to find out if it would be possible to have a place in the Township where Mass could be said for the benefit of the Catholic families living there. They told him 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." "Father Dittrich, who always was ready to please, without waiting, said, "Yes, why not? We can try." And an appointment was immediately made to see what would be the best place, and the following month, one Tuesday in June, they came to Mt. Bethel and met Alfred E. Binz, who then was the Innkeeper and also of the same faith. After the proposition was presented to Mr. Binz, and immediately taken by the friendly ways of Rev. Father Dittrich, Mr. Binz agreed to put the parlor of the Hotel at the disposal of Father Dittrich, and the third Sunday of June was chosen to celebrate the first Mass. 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 and kept up there until church was erected." "In September 1911, Mr. Binz and his mother agreed to give a plot for the church, (and then a new Catholic element by that time had set in.) Mr. Donegan, Mr. Hicks, Thaler, Rauner, Stilts, Irving, Binz, Dubois, were the first committee to take care of the place, and finally Mr. Donegan and Binz were chosen to help in Father Dittrich's enterprise. Plans were made, contracts were given and everybody, Catholics as well as Protestants, gave their bid towards the building of the church, one lending his horse, wagon; the others furnishing men at their own expense, and that way, excavations were soon ready for the building. Contracts of foundation were given to Mr. William Schulz, a Protestant, who gave work at less than cost, adding several men on the job at his own expense. John C. Cooper, also a Protestant, with his men, carted all the round stones from the Stolz and Binz farms for one hundred dollars. Think of it! Then Mr. Carrar got the contract for the building (as you see it today) and paid an artist out of his own pocket to make it as it is, one of the most beautiful chapels of the State. Roof (contract) was given to the Manville plant, and I. Smalley from Bound Brook furnished the lumber at a rock bottom price. Stained windows were given by the members of the congregation, and the stations of the cross were presented by Mrs. Colmay in memory of her husband (deceased). Mr. Donegan offered the carpet covering the chancel and the Rosace (Rose Window) was presented by the congregation to Mr. Binz in memory of his uncles, who both were priests, one a Canon of Notre Dame in Paris, and also Chaplain of the French Army; the other a Monsignor in a Parish in the City of Paris. The statue of the Lady of the Mount was given by Mr. Pelletier, who gave many gifts to the Church, and all of the vestments, linens and altar necessities were offered by Mr. and Mrs. Irving through the kindness of Mrs. Irving's aunt, Hester. The altar was a gift from Father Miller of St. Joseph Church." "The ceremony of the laying of the cornerstone was one of the greatest events of the Township. Many notables of Plainfield, Bound Brook, Martinsville, and surrounding towns were present. The history of the Church lays there now for generations to come. The dedication of the Church was made on the 4th of July, 1913, presided by a Bishop from Trenton and about 25 priests were present, over 300 people attended the ceremony. Those present and the persons responsible for the beautiful building felt that through Father Dittrich's work and ability a great work had been accomplished. Since then, different Fathers took charge, Father Rudden from Bound Brook succeeded Father Dittrich. Then St. Joseph Church took care of the Mission, Father Hart succeeding Father Rudden. Father Campbell, Curate of Father Hart, officiating; then Father Clune, and now in the care of Father Gilfillan." "The first marriage ceremony was the wedding of Alfred E. Binz to Miss Colmay, Father Dittrich coming from Atlantic City to perform the ceremony. The little Lady of the Mount name has been changed, but to the old pioneers it will remain always The Lady of the Mount, the pride of Mt. Bethel and vicinity. We can only be thankful for the Protestants who were always generous in giving a hand every time a show or bazaar was given for the benefit of that Church. It was a splendid cooperation of souls toward the ideal of a building to God." Officially incorporated on October 14, 1911, the congregation broke ground for its new building on November 6 of that year, completing most of the work by the spring of 1913. An official dedication followed on July 4, 1913. Binz and his mother, Catherine, donated the land on which the church stands. Initially a mission of St. Joseph's in North Plainfield, it became a mission of St. James, Basking Ridge, in 1948. In l952, with the local Catholic population booming, Out Lady was established as an autonomous parish with Martinsville's Blessed Sacrament attached to it as a mission. The rectory was completed in 1953, with Father Thomas Flynn as the first resident pastor. The old Mount Bethel School, which stood opposite the church, was acquired in 1936 for educational and social purposes. As the parish grew, it became obvious that the church (which had no bathrooms then or now) and schoolhouse were inadequate. In the mid-Sixties the church was forced to rent space from the Board of Education to hold Masses and catechetical classes. Planning for a new parish center began about l966, with a proposal quickly drawn for a $630,000 structure with classrooms, a meeting hall, kitchen and combination gym and auditorium. A variance request to allow construction on a 14-acre site on Mt. Horeb Road met with strong opposition from neighboring property owners, and was eventually turned down by the Board of Adjustment in August 1967. Our Lady revised its plans, settled on a site across Mt. Bethel Road and saw its plans fulfilled on July 19, 1970, when the parish's new home was dedicated. The original fieldstone church, now used principally for weddings (about 30 each year), christenings and funerals, was honored by the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission in May 2000 with its prestigious historic preservation award. Little changed since it was built, the building stands today as an enduring monument to the 12 pioneering Catholic families that founded The Lady of the Mount nine decades ago. © Warren Township Historical Society |