Philadelphia, Pa., Sep 19, 2012 / 15:15 pm
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has sold at auction a South Jersey shore vacation villa for elderly priests at a price of $4.5 million, continuing its efforts to meet a major budget shortfall.
"An auction like this is certainly a new experience of the archdiocese," Donna Farrell, the director of communications for the archdiocese, told CNA Sept. 19. "We went in this direction because the villa is such a unique property."
The Villa Saint Joseph by the Sea, located in Ventnor, N.J. minutes from Atlantic City, was built in 1905. The 9,800-square-foot mansion is on a half-acre property with 17 feet of beach. It has 11 bedrooms, each with its own private bath.
Since 1963, it has served as a summer vacation home for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's retired priests.