A Message from the Abbot and Headmaster

Oct 6, 2025 | All, Jonathan Licari

Dear Delbarton Community,

When we last wrote to you on August 15, a lawsuit against St. Mary’s Abbey and Delbarton School was about to be tried in Morris County Superior Court.

The suit was filed in 2017 and deals with an alleged incident of sexual abuse in January 1976 that involved a former monk who left the Abbey in 1978 to pursue a secular career in business.

The civil jury trial began on September 2, 2025, at the Morris County Courthouse in Morristown, NJ. Today, the trial concluded, and jury deliberations have begun.

We will update you when a decision has been reached and a verdict is announced.

We appreciate your prayerful support during this time.

Yours in Christ and St. Benedict,

Abbot Jonathan Licari, O.S.B.
Administrator, St. Mary’s Abbey