The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chestnut Hill on Feb. 5 announced the permanent closure of Saint Mary by-the-Sea, a congregationally owned and operated retreat house located in Cape May Point.
The community has owned and operated the retreat house since 1909 and provided retreats for sisters and laity for more than 100 years.
“In October 2016, the congregation announced that Saint Mary by-the-Sea, the large main retreat house located at 101 Lehigh Avenue, would function as a retreat house through at least 2021. However, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of our 2020 and 2021 retreat programming at Saint Mary by-the-Sea. Therefore, we bring our ministry at Saint Mary’s to a close,” the sisters said in announcing the closure.
“The heartbreaking and difficult decision to close the facility was the result of comprehensive planning that clearly identified the need for the divestment of this property. Given its beachfront location and our congregational commitment to care for Earth, our desire is to return this land to nature rather than use it for further development,” they said.
As Sisters of Saint Joseph, we value our mission to “live and work so that all people may be united with God and with one another.”
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