Spiritual Retreat Offered Nuns at Villa Maria By-the-Sea

STONE HARBOR – Villa Maria By-the-Sea, 111th Street and the beach, Stone Harbor has been a part of the borough since the Great Depression.
Located in the southern end, local surfers have helped answer nuns’ prayers for the past 13 years. In return, nuns welcome surfers and allow general public to their private beach.
When Villa Maria, a retreat home for the Sisters of Immaculate Heart of Mary, needed funds to upgrade plumbing last year, God provided surf and numerous sponsors, donors and volunteers went out to support the 72-year-old building.
Villa Maria was built in 1937 when the southern end looked how the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary does today.
“It’s built like a fortress. It will never be torn down,” Property Manager Sister James Dolores said.
The order paid $2,000 for the 4.5-acre property in 1936.
All IHM Sisters annually make a required weeklong retreat to rejuvenate their spirits and continue in their practice.
Immaculata University in Immaculata, Pa. is the order’s Mother House.
Villa Maria is a three-story U-shape building with the Chapel appropriately at its center.
“It is at the center of our lives,” Sister James said.
“Silence is a tremendous part of the retreat and our way of life,” James said. “We need silence to hear what God has to say to our heart and soul.”
Villa Maria is filled with hand-me-downs.
“Practically everything here has a background somewhere else,” she added.
Sisters have been very creative with making use of what they can. For example, hallway closets were converted into telephone booths.
The dinning room has the original straight back chairs from 1937. It has been renovated to be less “institutional” but still religious, Sister James said.
Many windows still have original wooden Venetian blinds. Some original floor tiles remain and some bathrooms have original sinks.
“We modernize a little but we try to keep the original look,” Sister James said.
In 1996, while installing new electric sockets, a block of wood with a carving that read, “Pray for John ‘37” was discovered inside a wall. “John” is believed to be one of the original workers who built the retreat house during the Great Depression.
“Of all the areas to have been carved out on that wall, we discovered his message. Whoever he was, we have prayed for him, along with all our benefactors,” Sister James said.
In the 1950s a replica statue of Our Lady of Lourdes washed out to sea during a storm. Days later, the Blessed Mother’s statue floated back and was discovered on shore, James said.
These are only a few examples of many “mini-miracles” Sister James has experienced in her time at Villa Maria.
“I believe in the providence of God as it has been proven time and time again,” she said.
Sisters’ retreat home was formerly located near the Sisters of Saint Joseph’s St. Mary’s By-the-Sea in Cape May Point but was washed out to sea totally and now rests underwater.
There are currently about 1,000 sisters in the IHM order who stay at the retreat house between June and August.
Sisters staff the retreat home for 30-day intervals to do cooking, housekeeping, liturgy or communication work.
Community members often volunteer to help with manual labor, which has enabled the sisters to sustain and preserve the retreat house.
A dozen benefactors formed the “Grounds Club,” also jokingly referred to as “Keep Sister James Off the Tractor Club” to pay for professional landscaping.
IHM Sisters now prepare for the 14th annual Nuns’ Beach Surf Invitational Surf Contest Sept. 12.
“One big benefit of the surf contest is that it has helped people to know who we are and what we do,” Sister James said.
“It has opened the minds and hearts of the community to the fact we are here and needy.”
Since 1996, the surfing contest has assisted the retreat house with upkeep funding.
Bill Deger, who has enjoyed surfing “Nuns’ Beach” since he was a child, had the original idea for the surf contest. When the event was a success, the public contest was made an invitational in order to accommodate all participants.
“We were afraid if it got too big it would lose its hometown flavor,” Sister James said.
Deger has served as the event coordinator and enlists a panel of senior surfers to judge the contest, which the public is invited to enter as an alternate or attend as a spectator.
Entry forms are available at Villa Maria and Pete Smith’s Surf Shop, which has been the main sponsor of the event since it began.
“Pete Smith’s has been behind us all the way with innumerable support,” Sister James said.
There are 15 sub-events including all age levels with about 100 participants who may surf in more than one event.
Every year a new design is created for T-shirts and hats sold to benefit the retreat house.
Artist Jim Defradies donated his designs in the early years and artist Dick Ressel has offered his talent since 2002.
Sister James Dolores is featured in all of the drawings, wearing a habit, carrying surfboards or riding high on a crescent wave with slogans like “Pray for Surf” or “Surfing is our Habit.”
“The first few years we weren’t sure if it was kosher to have drawings of nuns surfing,” she said.
Contest day is a long one, starting at about 7 a.m., when the first heat launches out to paddle. Surfing, food vendors and games continue until about 4 p.m., when there is an award ceremony.
Stone Harbor Mayor Suzanne Walters and Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi each give a “Wave of the Day” trophy to the best female and male surfers.
At 6 p.m. that evening, the sisters host their annul fundraiser dinner, in which they cook for and serve 200 donors for a $50 donation that entitles them to a dinner, door prize ticket, three raffle tickets and a 50-50 chance. Reservations are required by Aug. 25.
Without telling too much, James said the evening usually entails sing-a-longs and a few surprises.
“We’re very grateful for the help that’s been given to us over the past 15 years. I don’t know how we would survive without the generous contributions to keep this place up,” Sister James said.
“Donors can consider themselves in the classroom with every sister because they couldn’t remain spiritually, physically, mentally and psychologically fit to perform their duties without retreat, recreation and time apart with God.”
For more information about Nuns’ Beach Invitational Surf Contest visit Pete Smith’s Surf Shop or call Villa Maria By-the-Sea at 609-368-5290.
Contact Truluck at (609) 886-8600 ext. 24 or at: ltruluck@cmcherald.com.