Mount Manresa

In 1911, Rev. Terence Shealy purchased the Meyer estate on Staten Island. With magnificent views of the New York Harbor, the estate was a dream come true for Father Shealy. He was at the forefront of the lay retreat movement in the United States, and the Meyer estate was the perfect refuge for men to escape from the stress of everyday life. Judges and bricklayers came together to meditate and enjoy the beauty of this hilltop in rural Staten Island. The lay retreat movement grew and spread across the United States, with thousands coming to Mount Manresa. The house also had a strong relationship with Fordham University. The first retreat took place at Rose Hill campus, and three former Fordham presidents became directors of Mount Manresa after they left their posts in academia. Today Mount Manresa plays host to a multitude of retreats throughout the year, bringing more than 15,000 guests to the campus annually.

Presents a pictorial look at the history of Mount Manresa, the country's first retreat house for the public.

As one of the five boroughs of New York City, Staten Island has a rich and colorful past, and it is full of places where people have shaped the city, state and nation. To commemorate its 350th anniversary, local community leaders and educators have gathered together this unprecedented collection. Walk in the footsteps of Benjamin Franklin, Susan B. Anthony, Langston Hughes, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and the Dalai Lama; visit Revolutionary War sites; relive the entrepreneurial drive and inventiveness of business and medical pioneers; and imagine the lives of Irish, Norwegian, Italian, Sri Lankan and Liberian immigrants. Its shores are awash in history, from Lenape trails to Dutch and French farms, from the Atlantic Terra Cotta Company to legendary sports figures and quaint historic districts. Their struggles, hardships, triumphs and achievements, in spectacular and everyday Staten Island locations, are brought to life.

"This may be the book that changes your life."—Siobhan Fallon, author of You Know When the Men Are Gone “The saint of Staten Island” (People magazine) shares the inspirational story of how she’s changing the world, one child at a time. Over a decade ago, Elissa Montanti was reeling from the loss of several loved ones when she decided to work past her grief by collecting school supplies for Bosnian children. Then a U.N. ambassador showed her a photo of Kenan, a young boy who had lost both arms and one leg to a landmine. Elissa invited Kenan and his mother into her home, arranging free airfare, prosthetics, and medical care. Operating out of her apartment’s walk-in closet, Elissa’s Global Medical Relief Fund has since helped more than one hundred and fifty children from twenty-two countries injured in war zones and natural disasters around the world. I’ll Stand by You recounts Elissa’s remarkable story and how—in helping these children—she healed herself.