The Most Blessed Sacrament Friary, previously known as the Monastery of Saint Dominic, was originally the home of an order of Dominican nuns.
The monastery was built in the early 1880’s and it was modeled after the monasteries of the Old World. Some features of these monasteries were
arched cloisters, a traditional well, a vault resting-place for the departed of the community, and double grilles which separated the outer
world from those on the inside.
In 1880, four nuns from Oullins, France, came to Newark, New Jersey to establish the first permanent American foundation of cloistered nuns
at the monastery. The Monastery of Saint Dominic was one of the few places in the United States, at the time, where women led monastic lives
of contemplation.
The Sisters reached Newark on July 6, 1880, and stayed with the Sisters of Charity at Seton Hall College until their temporary home was ready
for occupation. In two years time, the community had grown from four to fifteen and it was deemed necessary that the Sisters obtain a more
permanent residence. Construction of the Monastery of Saint Dominic began shortly thereafter.
In April, 1884, the Sisters moved into their new residence and nine years later, the monastery was full with all 47 cells occupied. The Sisters
lived very contemplative lives, every day, rising before dawn to spend the entire day in prayer and meditation.
The monastery was closed to the public since its founding in 1884, but in September 2003, the eight nuns who lived there opened their doors to the public for the first time as they prepared to move out. The monastery had become increasingly difficult for the nuns to maintain which prompted the move.
The monastery was closed to the public since its founding in 1884, but in September 2003, the eight nuns who lived there opened their doors to the public for the first time as they prepared to move out. The monastery had become increasingly difficult for the nuns to maintain which prompted the move.
When the monastery had become available, a group of lay people had met with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal to discuss the possibility of
establishing a Novitiate in the Archdiocese of Newark. The nonprofit corporation, the Friends of the Newark Monastery, Inc., was created to
acquire the Monastery of Saint Dominic for the Friars.
On March 10, 2004, the Friars moved in to the monastery and began their ministry. Their ministry would be threefold. First and foremost, the
Friary would be a house of formation for novices. Second, the Friary would serve as a center for outreach to the poor in the community.
Finally, the Friary would serve as a base for the Friars’ mission of evangelization and renewal.
