06/27/2026
We finally took our first visit to a property I've always loved in Cape May County, NJ! It was a great stop during our week-long visit to nearby Dreams Come True Cottage
For more than a century, it was the 138-bed summer retreat house of the Sisters of St. Joseph. I spent much of my career in Healthcare IT, most of it at nearly a dozen Catholic hospitals, so I knew some nuns! Between work and my church/faith life, I was fortunate to meet and learn from some amazing nuns (and even a former nun). I remember hearing some nuns discussing "going on retreat". For the SSJ, that often meant going "down the shore" to this old, wooden, beautiful, sparsely furnished, unair-conditioned retreat house - St. Mary-By-The-Sea, Cape May Point, NJ
Time and circumstances necessitated a new use for this historic treasure. Alas, as the Sisters aged and grew smaller in number, the decision was made to sell the property in 2020 to a non–profit with a plan for good. In 2022, the Cape May Point Science Center was welcomed to the Point.
It is open to the public for tours and serves as a vital base for studying the migratory patterns of birds, monarch butterflies, horseshoe crabs, and marine life.
On Sunday, we visited, took their semi-self-guided tour, and got a feel for why the nuns loved this place so much. It is such a gift to the region that this building was saved, and an even more important gift to nature.
I wish I had taken more photos. Stop by (maybe while staying nearby at Dreams Come True Cottage). Beyond the nuns and the nature, you will hear a bit about Captain Mey, the Underground Railroad, protecting our coast during the war, and why you should never again release a balloon into the air. Now this historic property is doing some of the good we need more of in the world right now. You will enjoy giving them your support!
