Monks at a Catholic college in New Hampshire faced off in court Monday against the school's board of trustees in a dispute over an effort to limit the the monks' power — a move some worry could lead to increased secularization.

A judge heard motions in Hillsborough Superior Court related to a lawsuit filed against the Saint Anselm College board last year.
The unusual clash was set in motion when the board moved to take away the monks' ability to amend the school's bylaws.