Miracle on High Street. The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, N.J (review)

The story of St. Benedict’s Prep is not only miraculous but also inspired, as author Thomas McCabe so aptly and consistently illustrates throughout the course of this highly detailed volume. What is most evident at first and last within the pages of this retrospective is the diligence and pluck that each generation of administrators, students, alumni, and supporters exhibited to keep St. Benedict’s going through constant challenges and a reprieve from near extinction to re-emerge as a verifiable success story.

At first glance, the chronicle of St. Benedict’s is one that often is shared with other Catholic secondary institutions in varied forms that launched from modest origins and subsisted from semester to semester by a combination of honest toil and force of will. Beyond the parochial nature of this work in a strictly religious sense; the geo-social implications that faced the school are also important to note. Therefore, the telling of St. Benedict’s history with that of New Jersey’s largest city shows a rare and valuable glance into a symbiotic and respectful story of how “The Prep” benefited from and aided its host city in turn. Its reach transcended the Catholic Church, as Newark emerged as one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the nation. The early German monks who administered St. Benedict’s not only taught their fellow ethnic coreligionists but also Irish, Italian, and Eastern European individuals. Most recently, Latino and African American men, among other ethnicities, have contributed to its unique and steadfast character.

In substantive terms, McCabe traces the developmental steps of his subject in chronological form. The contents are broken down by traditional chapter blocks extolling major eras of development over the years. The full scope and resilience of St. Benedict’s history from the “forgotten” anti-Catholic riot of 1854 predating its official founding fourteen years later through the more famed Newark Riots of 1967 that have defined the city and precipitately led in part to the temporary closure of St. Benedict’s in 1972 before re-opening one year later. Aside from these situational “bookends” of aggression that has fostered anxiety and fueled desire, McCabe mentions that everyday concerns remain constant and ever present despite financial issues, fluctuations in enrollment, competition from public schools, and other factors that threatened its stability. Hope remains alive on High Street despite varied obstacles, but McCabe shows how strength of character has carried the day since 1868.

From a stylistic point, this text reads like a drama that is evident from the introductory text onward as this book transcends that of a straight facts-and-figures type of institutional history. McCabe presents a vivid account that combines historical analysis, statistical data, press accounts, archival resources, and anecdotal information among other germane information of note. The arrangement is very well balanced, as curriculum, faculty, student life, athletics, social life, neighborhood, and special milestones that constitute the core parts of any academic study are thoroughly and expertly covered in proper detail. Just like their mascot, the “Gray Bees,” this tome is alive with the vibrancy and virtues that mark the Rule of St. Benedict, “ora et labora” that McCabe ultimately imparts to his audience throughout the course of this opus.

Overall, there is something in this story for everyone, as it is a time-honored tale of modest origins with waves of success and crisis, but is ultimately a tale of passion and success. As McCabe notes, perhaps the miracle of St. Benedict’s has been the long and enduring impact of one venerable institution that remains alive due to industry, endurance, and well-placed faith.