Paulist Fathers sell land for state park

Oak Ridge — The Paulist Fathers, also known as the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle, have sold 1,174 acres of woodlands to the State of New Jersey. The property in Jefferson Township, Morris County (with a small portion in Sparta Township, Sussex County) is being acquired for preservation under the state’s Green Acres Program. The Paulist Fathers, a Roman Catholic religious community, was founded in New York City in 1858. In 1924, the Paulist Fathers acquired the property bounded by Ridge Road, Russia Road and Sparta Mountain Road as the location for part of their seminary system and named it Mount Paul. After the training of seminary students was consolidated in Washington, D.C., in 1997, the northern New Jersey land and buildings continued to serve as a center for religious retreats. During the 85 years of Paulist ownership, the Mount Paul property has been preserved from development and protected from contamination by any illegal dumping of toxic wastes or other foreign material. Being in such pristine condition, and falling within the Highland Preservation Area, the Fathers note that “it serves as an ideal contributor to the water supply for the cities of North Jersey.” The property includes a 12-acre pond supported by a dam. In the mid-1990s, the Paulist Fathers totally rebuilt the dam and spillway in compliance with state specifications. In the future, 1,133 acres will be public parkland managed by the Division of Parks and Forestry out of Kittatinny Valley State Park; the remaining 41 acres will serve as the Regional Highlands Center at Mount Paul. In July 2009, the remains of 70 Paulist Fathers interred in Mount Paul Cemetery were transferred to the nearby St. Thomas the Apostle Cemetery in the Milton section of Oak Ridge. The Paulist Fathers intend to use the proceeds from the sale to continue their missionary activities — ministries of Evangelization, Reconciliation and Interfaith Dialogue — and also for seminarians’ education and senior priest support. For more information, visit www.paulist.org.