Edition No. 49  August 1, 2017 

Saint Mary by-the-Sea

Gratitude for Faithful Volunteers

  By Sharon White SSJ 

Saint Mary by-the-Sea Retreat House is a very special place for sisters, associates and friends. Cape May Point has known the presence of the Sisters of Saint Joseph since 1909. Various forms of retreats are offered: directed, preached and guided. Individuals come each summer from all over the country to rest in the Lord’s love.

Many volunteers tediously serve behind the scenes, to accommodate the retreatants who welcome the solace of their time, spent in the fruitful silence of prayer. We are truly grateful for the many faithful volunteers who cook, work in the pantry, run the dishwasher, serve meals, prepare salad bars, mulch the homegrown garden, cut the grass, restore rocking chairs and ensure the cleanliness of our home by the sea.

These pictures show the joy experienced by the volunteers who worked during the July 4th holiday.     

Photos courtesy Sharon White SSJ

Celebrating the Completion of the
Villa Renovation Project
Saint Joseph Villa Patio
July 26, 2017

Twenty-eight months ago the Villa Renovation Projec began, residents, Sisters of Saint Joseph, Villa staff, families, friends, and volunteers gathered on Wednesday, July 26, 2017, to celebrate the completion of construction.

Sister Dorothy Apprich SSJ, Administrator of Saint Joseph Villa, enthusiastically welcomed all who gathered on the Villa patio. She began by thanking the General Council for their guidance throughout the process and acknowledged the many groups and individuals who provided invaluable experience and expertise.

Sister Dorothy reflected on the journey. “I remember saying that it would be quite a challenge to renovate a fully occupied building. I had no idea what those words would come to mean! What stands out for me is the resilience of our Villa staff who worked in and around construction in order to provide compassionate care and service to our residents and most of all, each of you, our Villa residents, who lived here throughout the project and did so with such grace and graciousness.”

As the celebration was coming to a close Sister Anne Myers SSJ thanked Sister Dorothy. “Through all of this, Sister Dorothy has been like the conductor of the orchestra, who keeps everything going with the daily operation of the Villa, and ultimately overseeing all of this renovation, and we don’t know how she has done this. But she has done so with beauty and grace and an optimistic spirit. I know you join all the members of the General Council and all of us together here this afternoon in giving a major thank you to Sister Dorothy.”

Sister Dorothy then invited everyone to end this journey and begin anew. “The one constant for me has been the support of the residents and staff who live here and work here and I am deeply, overwhelmingly grateful to each and every one of you and I mean that sincerely.

Let us ritualize this moment with which our God has blessed us. To do so, we will release 50 butterflies as symbols of new life and transformation and send them forth in praise and thanks to God, the creator of all.”