Details
Wednesday, May 8th, 6:30-9pm
Old Main - Delbarton School, Morristown, NJ
Our benefit celebration is named the "Abbot's Table" because hospitality, especially at the abbot's table in the monastery dining room, is at the heart of Benedictine way of life,
In his Rule (Chapter 56), St. Benedict wrote:
Let the Abbot’s table always be with the guests and the pilgrims.
But when there are no guests, let it be in his power to invite whom he will of the brothers.
And in Chapter 53, “The Reception of Guests,”
All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ, for he himself will say: I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Matt 25:35).
In welcoming all of us, their friends and supporters, as guests to the “Abbot’s Table,” the Benedictines of St. Mary’s Abbey honor Christ’s presence in us, and wish to share with us the spirit of their Benedictine monastic lives.
Honorees
Mr. Andrew & Mrs. Sole Anselmi '83, P '16
Mr. Marc & Mrs. Ann Marie Manahan
Scroll down to learn more about them!
About our Honorees
Andrew & Sole Anselmi '83, P '16
Sole and Andrew Anselmi’s ties to St. Mary’s Abbey go back to the 1950's, when the monks served at St. Joseph’s Church in Maplewood. Andrew’s father, Eustace (“Gus”), was a parishioner there along with his family who had recently emigrated from Italy. The Benedictines were a polestar for Gus, his parents, and his siblings as they struggled to find their place in the new country.
When Father Columba Rafferty married Gus and Ann, the Benedictines wound up becoming a fixture at the Anselmi Sunday table, with Ann serving them mounds of pasta, meatballs, eggplant, and braciola while the monks graced the family with their wisdom, humor, and guidance. With the encouragement of the monks, Andrew’s older brother Gregory became a lifer at Delbarton, involved in theatre, debate, and a member of Delbarton’s first lacrosse team before graduating in 1976. Andrew attended Delbarton from 1979-1983, during which he was co-captain of the wrestling team and Student Council President. Andrew is proud to say that the class of ’83 launched the Deanery System, modeled on Benedictine values and governance.
After Andrew graduated, Gus served as a member of the Delbarton School Board of Trustees. Sole and Andrew’s twin sons, Nick and Luke, attended Delbarton from 2012-2016. Nick and Luke were both members of the wrestling team and celebrated their advance to the state championship simultaneously from adjacent mats. With Sole involved in the Mother’s Guild, they claimed that they never had a bad day at Delbarton. Graduating college together and now roommates in law school, Nick and Luke regard their days at Delbarton as among the finest in their education. After their sons’ graduation from Delbarton, Sole volunteered to support The Abbot’s Table while Andrew served on the Alumni Board and now is Chair of the Delbarton School Board of Regents. In 2018, Andrew was inducted into the Delbarton Hall of Honor.
Beyond the classrooms, gymnasium, and Abbey Church, St. Mary’s Abbey has been at the core of Sole and Andrew’s lives. The good fathers traveled to Puerto Rico to marry Andrew and Sole, and baptized all of their children. Recently, the marriage of their daughter, Gabrielle, was presided over by Bishop Elias Lorenzo and Monsignor Geno Sylva, who was Andrew’s schoolmate at Delbarton. The Abbey has likewise lent spiritual support to Andrew’s siblings, cousins, uncles, and aunts. To Andrew and Sole, the Abbey has been sacred ground that has not only created a brotherhood for those who matriculate from Delbarton, but also a family-hood to those who encounter it. Andrew and Sole are humbled, inspired, and forever grateful to the many monks who have gathered daily, to pray and nourish, around the Abbot’s Table.
Marc & Ann Marie Manahan
The Manahan family’s relationship with St. Mary’s Abbey began a few generations ago. The Abbey has blessed the family’s many sacraments including multiple weddings and provided loving assistance when the family has lost loved ones. Members of the Abbey have gone out of their way to welcome the Manahan family and provide support including high school and college counseling that started some 40 years ago…
Ann Marie has been involved with St. Mary’s Abbey since 2017. She was asked to be apart of the inaugural Abbot’s Table dinner and she Chaired the event over the next two years. Ann Marie’s involvement with the Abbot’s Table dinner has led to many enduring friendships with the members of St. Mary’s Abbey and the Delbarton community. Marc has been involved with the school serving on the finance and governance committees and as a member of the Board of Regents since 2020.
Ann Marie and Marc have been married for almost thirty years and have resided in Morristown since both were young children. They are blessed with two children, Madeleine and Jack. “The monastic community of St. Mary’s Abbey has been there for our family through our best and worst of times. While our family gatherings with members of the community are life long memories for us, it is during our toughest times that the Abbey has stepped up in extraordinary ways to support our family unconditionally. For this we are eternally grateful.”
The Manahan’s feel that St. Mary’s Abbey is a special home and are so blessed and fortunate for all the meaningful friendships they have developed with the priests, brothers and staff at the Abbey and within the Delbarton community. They are truly honored and humbled to be a part of this special evening.