MEMOIR OF THE RT. REV. JAMES ZILLIOX,

O. S. B., D. D.

FIRST ABBOT OF ST. MARY'S BENEDICTINE ABBEY, OF NEWARK, N. J.

(FIRST AMERICAN-BORN ABBOT.)

BY FRANCIS X. REUSS.

"Let these things be written unto another generation."

CHAPTER VI.

ESTABLISHMENT OF ST. MARY'S ABBEY, ELECTION FOR ABBOT, BLESSING AND INSTALLATION.

The origin of the church of St. Mary's has been given in a former chapter. Bishop Bayley of Newark, desiring to introduce the order of Benedictine Fathers into his diocese, and at the same time to provide for the German Catholics therein, did on the twelfth day of May, 1857, write the Abbot Wimmer expressing his wishes, and urging him to establish some of the Fathers there, offering them the church of St. Mary's. As early as 1855, Father Balleis had asked for an assistant from St. Vincent's, and had received one in the person of Father Charles, O. S. B. (Geyerstanger) one of the original band which had come over with the Abbot Wimmer in 1846. He had hoped to establish a body of Benedictines there, but to this the abbot did not agree, and he turned the church over to the bishop, going himself on a visit to his native country and to Rome. Bishop Bayley placed a secular priest, Father Martin Hasslinger, in charge. About this time the bishop communicated with Abbot Wimmer, and he sent in August, 1856, Father Valentine Felder, O. S. B., who purchased the

lots of ground adjoining the church property, for the purpose of building a new church. On November 1, 1856, he appointed a committee for this purpose. The new church was laid out 124 long, by 66 feet in width. Father Eberhard Gahr, O. S. B., was sent as assistant, in the winter of 1857, (Bishop Bayley had ordained him on March 17, 1857). And as has been mentioned Bishop Bayley, desiring to have a convent of Benedictine Fathers established in his diocese, expressed his desire to the abbot, and in that year (1857) he established a priory, under the title of "St. Mary's Benedictine Priory," placing in it three priests. The abbot also purchased three houses standing on High street, for $8,000, on the site of which now stands the abbey.

In June, 1884, Abbot Wimmer petitioned the Pope praying, that the existing priories of Newark, and North Carolina, might be elevated to the dignity of abbeys. The reply granting the petition came in January, 1885. Notification was sent to all the Benedictine Fathers in the province, that is, to all abbeys and priories east of the Mississippi river, and appointing the week beginning with Monday, February 9, 1885, as a time for assembly in St. Vincent's abbey to proceed to the election of abbots for these new abbeys, and so on this day, and the next, there came more than a hundred of the members of the order who were entitled to act as electors. There were one hundred and eighteen thus entitled, in the province, most of whom were present. Electors must be of the ordained monks of the order of which the Abbot Wimmer was president, in other words all must be professed Benedictines. The nearly four hundred novices and lay brothers could not vote. On Tuesday, February 10, they met in Scrutinium. Any voter may name a candidate, which candidate if he be present must immediately retire, whereupon his fitness for the office is discussed. There can be no electioneering. It is even forbidden that a voter shall say for whom they shall vote. The nominations being made, the convention adjourned until the next day-Wednesday-on which day Mass was celebrated in the abbey church at eight o'clock with a solemn invocation of the Holy Ghost, that He might guide them in a choice.

After which all the electors were sworn on the Four Gospels, that they would vote conscientiously for the best fitted candidate. Then a secret ballot was cast, a majority to determine it, no more than three ballots are taken. If there were no choice, the abbot would have the power to name the new abbot. This however did not happen. As Father James was chosen in the morning session, Rev. Oswald Moosmueller being elected to the North Carolina abbey, and thus on Wednesday, February 11, 1885, was elected the first nativeborn, and the youngest abbot in the United States, to be superior of the abbey and parish wherein he had been born and baptized. How few outside the monastery had ever heard of him. This gentle good priest who coming from Newark a child of twelve years returns a prelate with mitre and staff. How many of us out of the hundreds who knew him as a rosycheeked boy, exemplary and studious, yet bright and joyous; so young, and yet so imbued with the sense of the great purpose, he had in view, now contrasted the position he held, with that of the time when his sweet boyish voice in the choir at old St. Vincent's abbey, when he was known as happy Jimmy Zilliox. The approval and sanction of his election came to him from the Pope on June 10, 1885. And on the same evening he wrote me as follows:

"... To-day the Roman letter came. It was confirmed on April 19. I will see you in a few weeks, will possibly leave here about June 25."

On the 13th he again wrote:

"My plan is to leave here Wednesday 24th, get to your city Friday. I am bound to get to Newark by Saturday. by becoming Abbot I don't find my mind a bit more illumined, or my memory truer, or my soul improved. If I don't pray I'll surely be hurt by it, I never felt fitted to receive any notice from learned men, and so I think I shall meet them only-as it were-by accident, we'll meet soon, I'll keep you posted. Pray for me."

On June 25th he wrote:

"Will be with you Thursday 26, to go with you to Newark. Keep up your spirits you'll need them when you meet me, I'm dejected and quite cast down."

This letter enclosed an Invitation to his Blessing and Installation. It will be well, just here, to gain some idea of the thoughts which occurred to him before and during his election, and this can be best done through the medium of some of his letters to myself. And I may here state, that the writer had for many years before been honored by the confidences of this holy priest, and that this close friendship was never interrupted down to his last hour. I would not seem to be guilty of giving publication to his inner grief during this trial to his humble soul, and so I shall only give so much as shall be needed to establish facts, rather than parade that sorrow. On December 7, 1884, he wrote:

"In three weeks the election takes place. . . . James has no solid chances, thank God. I know James will be glad that no such burden will befall him. You'd better pray that he may not receive the infliction, and that others may be spared the same from him. A sorry old Abbot he would make with his notions of an Abbey. . . ."

December 12, 1884:

.. You readily see into my views of conducting a Religious House; they are not political enough.* I have not the natural courage to remove and keep down plenty of things that grow like weeds. So depend upon it they'll never call me to sign myself 'James.' If I even touch your city I'll see you.

He came to Philadelphia in the last week of December, but hurried to St. Vincent's and gave a Special Retreat to the Sisters of Mercy at St. Xavier's convent, near there, from the last Sunday of that month until on January 1, 1885, wrote me, and I quote one sentiment:

". . . And so you know my reasons,

whereas if priests are

not heart and soul for God, they have no chance for success in their way, and are not likely to end even as respectably in their line, as do cobblers in theirs."

* The Abbot Zilliox desired most earnestly to retire to the Abbey at Monte Cassino, in Italy, because he did not see his ideal Benedictine Rule realized at St. Vincent's. The primitive observance was more to his taste, and this was the cause of any friction between himself and the good old Abbot Boniface, who was all leniency. P. James was more rigorous. And he was himself greatly surprised that so many elected to remain with him at Newark, and then came between him and his desire. I know also that he would have retired to Monte Cassino Abbey, had not a certain Jesuit Father advised him not to do so.

Again, on January 15th:

"Yesterday the briefs came from Rome, which means go ahead and elect new Abbots. And you will soon know that your friend James will not be banished to either place. There is a possibility that 58 votes out of 118 may go for me. But what do they want even to name me for? I'm so unfit for the office. I have not even the address an Abbot needs. . . ."

On February 4th he wrote:

"In a week some one will be Abbot. If God's Providence puts its finger on me, I pray His Holy Will be done. My choice would be a hidden life of prayer, manifesting itself only in helping blessed souls that look for spiritual help and would be saints if shown how. Pray. . ." Again, on February 12th:

me.

It is as you wished it. I write in haste to say so.
I was chosen on the second ballot. I'll see you soon.

Then on February 22d:

God pity

". . . You are quite right. I have not much time for letters I'd prefer to be alone to prepare for my new sphere, not so rosy as many might think. I'd evade it if it were not plain that it is God's design; and with His help, I'll spend my whole life in His Holy Cause. I'll probably stay here till Easter, and then I'll come to your city for sympathy-if you have any. . .

On March 11, 1885:

"I'm very busy; my election papers have not been sent to Rome yet, because Father Oswald has been tarrying over his refusal to accept North Carolina. I can hardly expect any return before May. For every rose there are already three thorns."

I pause here to state that Father Oswald did resign, and Father Leo Haid became abbot in North Carolina. He was another truly sincere and pious priest; he needs not any good words, his works speak for themselves, and so I resume my quotations. Shortly before his blessing (July 15, 1885) Father James wrote me:

"I told you to remain,

It left me, however, more time

to think and pray. I need prayer to stay my fainting heart; for it is true the nearer I approach to Newark, the heavier I feel. It is a hard place for me. I was hard worked yesterday, and to-day I feel quite sick from over strain. . . . God help me bear my burden."

The ceremony of blessing and installing the young abbot took place on July 22, 1885, in St. Mary's abbey church,