MIDDLETOWN — The white and blue letters across the green grass marked a new chapter for Mater Dei Prep's former football field. On the morning of June 25, those letters spelled "Mater Dei Park" to mark what will become Monmouth County's newest preserved open space.
The green fields here — where adults walked the track and children played baseball on that hot Wednesday morning — were at risk of being redeveloped into townhomes, Middletown Mayor Anthony "Tony" Perry said.
"These 25 acres will now forever be preserved," he said. "It will forever hold the memory of all the terrific football games, baseball games, all the athletes (of Mater Dei Prep), all the famous alumni."
Earlier this year, Perry announced the township and county had reached an agreement with St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Middletown to acquire the Mater Dei property for $11.75 million dollars. On Wednesday, he said the county would be funding $8.8 million of that purchase.
St. Mary's Pastor Jeffrey J. Kegley said the money would go into an endowment that will support the parish's school in Middletown that serves preschool through eighth grade students.
"We are committed to Catholic education here at Saint Mary School," he said.
Church leaders announced the closure of Mater Dei Prep, the adjacent high school, in 2022. School leaders at the time cited a severe decline in enrollment as driving the decision.
Even before the school closed, Mater Dei's athletic fields became a popular recreation and exercise spot for the community, Kegley said.
"It essentially became a park during COVID," he said. "People were riding bikes. Parents (were) pushing the carriages. It really had that park feel."
By keeping the Mater Dei name, the new park will honor the school's and parish's histories, Kegley said.
"This would be a travesty if this was not preserved," Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas Arnone said. "We are not only going to keep what we had before (at this site), we're actually going to make it a little better."
While local officials said the grounds and athletic facilities will be preserved or improved, demolition has already started on Mater Dei Prep's building.
"Despite the fact that the school is closed, this is not a shutdown facility," Perry said.
Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers education and the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than 17 years. Reach her at @OglesbyAPP, [email protected] or 732-557-5701.