Brother Augustine
In the spring of 1913, Andrew Phillips commuted daily from his home in Dover, New Jersey, to his job at Prudential Life Insurance Company in Newark. He attended Mass every morning at Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Newark. A young woman by the name of Mary Walsh, also attended this Mass everyday. She was a member of the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate organized by Father Thomas Judge. She was impressed by this young man and found the courage to ask for his help in instructing a group of Italian American boys in preparation for First Holy Communion. Reluctant as he was, his generosity was greater. It was through this work that Andrew Phillips met Father Judge.
One night he attended a sermon given by Father Judge on [The Most Precious Blood of Jesus] As he listened, he resolved right there what he would do, and he decided to follow wherever Father Judge might go.
Brother Augustine continued the lay apostolate work with Eugene Brennen. In 1924, Father Judge and Brother Augustine submitted to the late Bishop O"Connor a proposal to establish a boarding school for elementary school boys in New Jersey.
Bishop O'Connor was pleased with this proposal, since Seton Hall was closing their Grammar Department. Bishop O'Connor pointed out that our community would benefit from an overflow of vocations in the Diocese. He assigned Brother Augustine to report back to him as soon a he had found a suitable location.
The place he found was 6.5 acres known as the Pointer property in Stirling, New Jersey. The Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity did not have sufficient funds available to cover the purchase of the property. Bishop O'Connor endorsed Brother Augustine's note at the Federal Trust Company in the amount of $25,000. The Bishop believed there was no need for a mortgage as it could entail too much bookkeeping.
The Missionary Servants renovated the building and spent $10,000 in improvements and equipment for the school, which opened in 1924 with 20 boys. The school was named Blessed Trinity Academy. The school remained open until 1927.
At the same time, Brother Augustine was devoting much of his time caring for priests with alcoholic problems. This work attracted the attention of Bishop O'Connor and he instructed Brother Augustine to expand this work. In the fall of 1924, Brother Augustine bought the nearby Twohy-Mills property consisting of 114 acres for $10,000 in cash and held a mortgage of $10,000. He spent an additional $5,000 on improvements and equipment. The two priests he was caring for were the first patients and an additional 28 priests were taken care of here.
Blessed Trinity Academy continued to grow and there were 35 boarding pupils. The boys built a small grotto with a statue of Saint Joseph. A strong devotion to Saint Joseph developed and the need was felt for a chapel to accommodate all the people devoted to Saint Joseph. They often called this the National Shrine of Saint Joseph.
They soon realized that the boys' academy and the work with the priests could not be continued in such close proximity. Father Judge decided to close the academy in 1926. This decision meant the loss of considerable revenue for the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity because they were receiving $50.00 a month from each student for board and tuition.
The work with priests had grown so much that it was necessary to add 21 rooms to the original seven, and sun parlors for the comfort of patients. Prior to this building program, the Diocese of Newark loaned Brother Augustine $52,000 to enable him to pay off the debt and mortgage resulting from the purchase and improvements of the building. To protect the diocese of Newark, Brother Augustine executed a deed to the Diocese of Newark with the understanding that upon repayment of the sums advanced, the property would be deeded back to the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity.
There was a subsequent loan of $35,000 and endorsement of a $5,000 note. The indebtedness of the Missionary Servants consisted of $86,000 due to the Diocese of Newark, and $5,000 due the Federal Trust Company.
Prior to the execution of the deeds, as security for the Diocese, the cost of caring for the priests was defrayed out of voluntary contributions collected by Brother Augustine and an occasional contribution from the diocese, since then and up to September, 1932, the diocese sent $200 monthly, with the understanding this would take care of all priests of the Newark Diocese sent to Stirling, regardless of the number.
In order to further the work for the priests, the building formerly used as a school was renovated and equipped as a rest home for laymen and priests, and now forms a part of the National Shrine of Saint Joseph's property and was known as Saint Joseph's Villa.
During 1931, Brother Augustine was asked to arrange for the payment of the debt to the Diocese. In order to accomplish this, the general plan of refinancing provides for the direct sale of First Mortgage Bonds by the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, secured by all of their assets in Stirling, New Jersey; Holy Trinity, Alabama; Silver Springs, Maryland; Chesapeake Haven, Maryland and Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. In order to execute the mortgage to secure these bonds, which the community will sell directly to its benefactors, deeds on the New Jersey property are required. It was proposed that a sufficient amount of First Mortgage Bonds be deposited in escrow in a New Jersey bank for the benefit of the Diocese of Newark, to be released by it against payment to be made, as the sale of the bonds progressed.
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Brother Augustine remained the custodian in Stirling from 1924 until 1932. Brother Augustine was a blessing to Father Judge, and he played a very special role in the purchase, development, and administration of the Shrine of Saint Joseph. It was because of his special devotion to Saint Joseph that the Shrine of Saint Joseph was started on the Stirling Property.
After several years of travel collection work, Brother Augustine was assigned to Holy Redeemer Missionary Cenacle at Eufanla, Alabama. It was there that he became ill in the summer of 1951. A serious operation taxed his heart and limited his activities. He passed to his eternal reward on April 17, 1952, at the Shrine of Saint Joseph.