ABOUT US

St. Martin’s House is a grant-making organization dedicated to encouraging the Christian retreat movement.

Early in the 20th Century, the Rev. Thomas A. Conover, rector of St. Bernard’s Church in Bernardsville, New Jersey, established missions in nearby Gladstone, the Bernardsville Hills and Millington. He also was associated with St. Mark’s Church in Basking Ridge. Those five churches (St. Bernard’s, St. Luke’s, St. John on the Mountain, All Saints’ and St. Mark’s) today are commonly referred to as the Conover churches.

Recognizing the value of a retreat in the Christian’s pilgrimage, the late Rev. Conover in 1931 established a house for retreats in Bernardsville. In 1935, the property was incorporated as St. Martin’s House, honoring St. Martin (c.316-397), patron saint of France and of soldiers. For many years, St. Martin’s House served as a center for parish retreats and other opportunities for spiritual renewal.

In the 1950s, in need of serious repair, the retreat house and property were sold, and proceeds were used to create the St. Martin’s House Fund. Interest from the fund continues to support the retreat movement by underwriting part of the costs of retreats, alleviating the financial burden on a parish or mission and on the individual participants. St. Martin’s House Fund makes grants to parishes in the Dioceses of New Jersey and Newark, and to retreat centers that serve those parishes.

A Board of Managers, which consists of the rectors and lay members from the five Conover churches and two other area parishes, administers the grants. The churches are:

St. John on the Mountain, Bernardsville
St. Bernard’s Episcopal Church, Bernardsville
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Gladstone
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Basking Ridge
All Saints’ Church, Millington
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Morristown
The Church of the Redeemer, Morristown

The office of president of the Board of Managers rotates among Conover church clergy.