Philadelphia Archdiocese’s Ventnor villa sells for $4.1m at auction

    The former St. Joseph’s Villa by the Sea in Ventnor, New Jersey has played host to vacationing priests for years. But with tough times, come tough choices and the 11-room 21,000 square foot Princeton Avenue mansion was recently sold at auction.

    The sale comes amid mounting legal fees and an ongoing financial crisis for Philadelphia’s Archdiocese.

    According to Philly.com the vacation property cost the church nearly $115,000 in property taxes. It’s sale to a Newtown Square family for $4.125 will help ease the $6 million deficit the church has recently accumulated.

    The new owners have a full renovation planned including a second-story porch and a mezuzah, “the ritual parchment placed on doorposts of Jewish homes. They also plan to keep the long-time caretaker and have the priests over for an annual party.

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