The Benedictine Abbey of Newark (also known as Newark Abbey) is a community of Roman Catholic men living in community and following the Rule of Saint Benedict in the center of New Jersey's largest city. Founded in 1857 as St. Mary's Priory, the monks of Newark Abbey have been a constant presence in Newark for the past 163 years, remaining through years of transition, upheaval, and demographic change. Today, Newark Abbey operates St. Benedict's Preparatory School, St. Mary's Church, and the Pierre Toussaint Food Pantry while continuing the Benedictine tradition of prayer and work in the 21st century.