History

Amid the beauty of over 100 acres of spacious lawns, magnificent trees and woodlands, within the hills of Morris County, between the boroughs of Mendham and Bernardsville, lies Villa Pauline Retreat and Spiritual Center!

Initially, the Retreat and Spiritual Center was the Cromwell Mansion, a large 44-room Georgian house dating back to 1892, on the estate of Seymour Cromwell, a president of the New York Stock Exchange (1921-1924), his wife, Agnes and their four children.

After his untimely death in 1925, Agnes providentially sold the mansion and property of 112 acres in 1926 to the Sisters of Christian Charity for $50,000! The Cromwell home was then renamed Mallinckrodt Convent and welcomed the Sisters from the Western Province in Wilmette, Illinois as members of the newly-formed Eastern Province.

In 1932, the Sisters moved into a larger house on the property to meet the needs of its ever-growing community. The Mansion continued to be used for various community purposes until 1937 when it was renovated into a retreat house. Four Sisters came to minister at the re-named Villa Pauline and the first retreat took place in October.

Throughout its history, Villa Pauline has enjoyed continuous growth. In the 1940's, the chapel was enlarged and the bedrooms divided. Further improvements were made in 1980 to modernize it. The Chapel was again renovated and a Liftavator installed in 2000. In February 2018, the Quellen Spiritual Center and Villa Pauline Retreat House merged to become Villa Pauline Retreat and Spiritual Center.