SANTA MARIA AUSILIATRICE DI BELMONT. - A Benedictine nullius abbey, popularly known as the "Abbey of Belmont." On August 1, 1875, a property called the "Caldwell plantation," in Gaston County (North Carolina), was offered to the Benedictine abbey of St. Vincent in Pennsylvania by Msgr. J. Gibbons, bishop of Richmond. One of the monks, Fr. H. Wolfe, was sent to take possession on April 21, 1876, naming the place Maria Stein. Other priests and lay brothers followed him.
Construction began at once and the school was opened the following September, with barely 4 students. The first Mass was celebrated in the chapel on September 8, 1877, and at about the same time the name was changed to Mary Help of Christians. Progress was slow and in order to stimulate a greater interest in the new foundation, Abbot Wimmer of St. Vincent decided to make the abbey independent. The Chapter accepted and the Holy See confirmed the decision on November 9, 1884. Rev. O. Moosmuller was appointed abbot, but since he declined the election, L. Haid, a Benedictine, was elected in his place on July 14, 1885 and blessed on November 26 of the same year. Three years later he was appointed apostolic vicar of North Carolina and on July 1, 1888 he was consecrated titular bishop of Messene.
In consideration of the apostolic activity and the work that the monks carried out in the mission fields of North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia, Blessed Pius X on June 8, 1910 erected the abbey "nullius" and assigned to it the 8 counties of Catawba, Cleveland, Burke, Gaston, Lincoln, Polk, McDowell and Rutherford. Owing to the progressive development of the district, the work exceeded the capacity of the community: the Holy See, at the request of the abbey, ceded the entire original territory, except Gaston County, to the diocese of Raleigh, by brief of January 8, 1944. The "nullius" abbey now comprises only Gaston County with an area of 363 square miles and a population of 110,706 souls, of whom 16,000 are Negroes. The number of Catholics is 730, including 140 Negroes. There are several chapels and missions, 3 parishes and 3 parochial schools in the district. The monks direct the abbey College and a military school at Savannah, Georgia and at Richmond, Virginia respectively. Bishop Haid died on July 24, 1924 and was succeeded by Rev. V. Taylor, a Benedictine, still the incumbent. The community now consists of more than 60 priests and clergy and 10 lay brothers.