Our house finds its origins in the life and work of St. Frances Cabrini. Pope Leo XIII sent her to the United States to look after the spiritual and physical needs of the Italian immigrants who came to the Americas at the turn of the 20th century. She began her work in New Jersey in 1898 when she founded a parochial school on Ferry Street in Newark, serving the children of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish. After having been informed of the needs of the many orphans that were living in the area, in 1903 Mother Cabrini purchased on credit the Ludlow Mansion on Passaic Avenue (then known as Arlington), which became St. Anthony’s Villa Orphan Asylum. Fifty young girls were welcomed in this house, which in time became too small for them. Therefore, in 1912 a new dormitory was erected, able to house 125 orphan girls. In 1913 a Chapel and a School were added to the existing structure.

In September 1967 the orphanage was converted into an elementary day school using the Montessori System and started to enroll private students whose parents had difficulties raising their children. This institution remained as such until the late 80’s when the school closed and the Sisters put the property up for sale.

In 1990, few days had passed after St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was chosen as patron of the seminary when this very building was offered to us. Within a few days a benefactress, Dr. Helen Sirola, appeared wishing to buy the building having heard that it was going to be sold to a religious sect and donated it to the Archdiocese of Newark.

In 1990 the first 13 seminarians arrived followed by 40 more in September. The seminarians lived as guests in the houses of various brothers and sisters of the Neocatechumenal communities of the area. They would commute every day first to the Parish of St. Columba, Manhattan, New York diocese, where Father Vincent Resta was pastor.