Sanctuary of Mary

BRANCHVILLE  With help from Bishop Serratelli, the local Vocationist religious community reopened the Sanctuary of Mary, Our Lady of the Holy Spirit here Sept. 7 — carrying on the mission of the late Father Sylvester J.M. Livolsi, who founded the popular religious site, which most recently closed in 2014.

Along with the Bishop, the Vocationists broke ground on a retreat center here, expanding the popular priest’s vision for this peaceful out-of-the-way place which he built to help visiting faithful get closer to Jesus through his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On a picture-perfect afternoon last Saturday, Bishop Serratelli served as main celebrant and homilist of the noon Mass in the sanctuary’ church — the first Mass in about four years — to commemorate the official reopening of the facility, now staffed by a team of the Vocationist religious community from Florham Park, who took over ownership and administration of the sanctuary. Led by Father Louis Caputo, guardian and custodian, these priests, brothers and sisters already have started to revive Father Livolsi’s “dream” of offering the site as a place of prayer and Marian devotion, nestled in the serene, bucolic setting of central Sussex County. Starting that day, the Vocationists began to be available for Masses, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, confessions, counseling and Christian formation, including Bible courses, and retreats at the sanctuary, which originally opened in 1975, Father Caputo told The Beacon.

An enthusiastic congregation — which included overjoyed clergy, religious, members of Father Livolsi’s family and worshippers, who knew the priest and prayed at the sanctuary before — filled the church for the Mass, which was followed by a groundbreaking ceremony outside for the retreat center, which is to be completed by next year. The facility will provide a place for priests, sisters, brothers, parish groups and the laity to stay for overnight, weekend or weeklong retreats. This 15-bed center also will house a conference room, a meditation room and a library, Father Caputo said.

“We gather on a beautiful Saturday to begin a great work by God’s blessing. What a great gift it is by the Vocationist Fathers and Sisters to have chosen this place to build a retreat center: a place, where we all can come and develop our relationship with God. That the Vocationists are devoting the time and energy to the dream of Father Livolsi is a blessing to all of us,” said Bishop Serratelli at the beginning of the Mass, concelebrated by Vocationist priests, including Father Caputo, and diocesan priests. Vocationist Sisters provided the music. “We need a place like this, where we come and honor our Blessed Mother to get to know her son better,” the Bishop said.

Perched on a hill, the sanctuary was built on 11.6 acres of wooded land on a bend at 252 Wantage Avenue. A priest of the Newark Archdiocese, Father Livolsi picked out the scenic spot and proceeded to devote much of his priesthood to building, maintaining and expanding this property. After he died on Feb. 16, 2008 on his 85th birthday, the site remained closed until May 1, 2009, when members of the Society of Our Lady of the Blessed Trinity reopened it. After its members left in 2014, the sanctuary was closed, according to the facility’s website, sanctuaryofmary.org.

Reviving Father Livolsi’s dream yet again started up in June 2018, when Marie Carlone, who knew him, left a message on his obituary page online. She then started talking with Susie Ritchie, the priest’s niece, who told her that the family wanted to give away the land. Carlone knew some Vocationists from Florham Park, told them about the property and put them in contact with the Livolsi family, said Father Caputo, who met the site’s founder in 1966.

Then, the non-profit corporation, The Sanctuary of Mary, Our Lady of the Holy Spirit, transferred ownership of the property to the Society of the Divine Vocations, also known as the Vocationists. Also, Bishop Serratelli sent the Vocationists a letter, giving his blessing to the change in leadership of the sanctuary. To ready the facility for the reopening, they did landscaping and repaired the roof of the church, among other improvements, Father Caputo said.

“We hope to serve the spiritual needs of the people of this area and those coming from far away. Father Livolsi wanted this place to be a place of prayer and unity with God,” said Father Caputo after the Mass. He acknowledged the encouragement of Bishop Serratelli, nearby pastors and the faithful through emails. The Vocationists celebrate daily Mass at 6 p.m. and keep the church open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. They also hope to open the site on Saturdays like before. “You are welcome here anytime,” he said.

Originally, Father Livolsi embarked on his “impossible dream” by starting to build the sanctuary with his own hands and help from a growing team of volunteers — 72 “associates,” who worked, ate and prayed together. On Aug. 3, 1975, Bishop Lawrence Casey blessed and dedicated the facility and named Father Livolsi its guardian and custodian. News of the sanctuary spread quickly, causing increased attendance, as well as a need for more buildings, devotional spaces, religious services and staff, according to the website.

After the Sept. 7 Mass, the congregation walked outside to the side of the building for the groundbreaking of the retreat center. Michael Rizzio, Father Livolsi’s nephew, and Joan Berdela, his niece, spoke, reflecting on the priest’s mission, thanking all those involved in the sanctuary’s reopening. Then, Bishop Serratelli blessed the grounds before dignitaries — including the Bishop; Father Michael Reardon, the Vocationists’ provincial; Carlone; and Tom Madsen, the project’s contractor — each dug into the soil with a ceremonial shovel with Father Caputo looking on.

Following the groundbreaking, worshippers walked to an outdoor pavilion for a reception. Linda Space of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Branchville, expressed joy to The Beacon about the reopening of the sanctuary, exclaiming, “It’s wonderful.” In 1999, she was part of a small group of faithful that started attending Mass at the facility celebrated by Father Livolsi. The priest told “great stories” which made people laugh, and gave insightful homilies, said Space, adding, “He really cared for people.”

Sitting next to Space was her husband, Eric, who first made a connection with Father Livolsi by performing work around the property.

“The sanctuary is a quiet place of peace away from all the noise and distractions. It’s a beautiful place,” he said.

[Information: Father Louis Caputo at (973) 722-7142.]