About St. Agnes · Cape May Point, New Jersey
St. Agnes is a small Roman Catholic mission church located at 501 Cape Avenue in the borough of Cape May Point, Cape May County, New Jersey. It is a mission of Our Lady Star of the Sea parish in Cape May and is administered by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (OSFS) as part of the Diocese of Camden. The picturesque Carpenter Gothic-style chapel, built in 1885 at the corner of Cape and Pavilion Avenues, operates on a seasonal summer schedule — Mass is celebrated on Sunday mornings at 8:30 AM (Memorial Day Sunday through the last Sunday in October) and on Wednesdays at 8:30 AM (first Wednesday in July through the last Wednesday in September). During the off-season, parishioners attend Mass at the main parish church of Our Lady Star of the Sea on Washington Street in Cape May.
- Established
- 1885
- Patron
- St. Agnes of Rome — a 3rd/4th-century virgin martyr venerated as patron saint of chastity, virgins, and young girls.
- Rector
- Rev. John J. Dolan, OSFS (Pastor of parent parish Our Lady Star of the Sea, which administers St. Agnes Mission)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Camden
Why belong here
St. Agnes offers something many churches cannot: a quiet, intimate summer-season Catholic chapel in the heart of Cape May Point where worshippers gather at 8:30 AM each Sunday amid a cluster of historic seaside churches. As a mission of Our Lady Star of the Sea, it is staffed by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and benefits from the full sacramental life of the parent parish — including faith formation, music ministry, daily Mass in Cape May, Eucharistic Adoration on the first Friday of the month, and regular confession — while preserving the smaller, neighborhood feel of a 19th-century Carpenter Gothic chapel just a short walk from the Point's beaches and Lake Lily.
Mass times at St. Agnes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confession at St. Agnes itself is not separately scheduled; confessions for the parish family are heard Tuesday and Thursday after the 11:00 AM Mass, and Saturday 3:00–3:30 PM, at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 525 Washington Street, Cape May.
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is offered at the parent parish (Our Lady Star of the Sea) on the 1st Friday of the month, 9:00–11:00 AM; no Adoration times are listed specifically for St. Agnes Mission.
St. Agnes Mission Church
St. Agnes is a Roman Catholic mission chapel at 501 Cape Avenue in Cape May Point, New Jersey, administered by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales through the parent parish of Our Lady Star of the Sea in Cape May. It falls within the Diocese of Camden. As a mission — not an independent parish — its sacramental and administrative life is woven into the wider parish family of Our Lady Star of the Sea.
- Status: Mission of Our Lady Star of the Sea
- Diocese: Camden
- Administered by: Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (OSFS)
- Rite: Roman-Latin
History of St. Agnes and Cape May Point
Cape May Point was founded in 1875–76 as 'Sea Grove' by Alexander Whilldin, John Wanamaker, and J.C. Sidney — a 'moral and religious home' where amusements and alcohol were prohibited. Early worshippers gathered under a large central pavilion designed by Sidney; once the various Christian denominations began building their own churches around 1880, St. Agnes rose in 1885 in the Carpenter Gothic style. Today the small chapel remains a quiet seasonal presence in the borough's distinctive cluster of seaside churches.
- 1875–76: Cape May Point (then 'Sea Grove') founded as a religious retreat
- c. 1880: Denominations begin building separate churches
- 1885: St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church built in Carpenter Gothic style
- Today: Mission of Our Lady Star of the Sea parish
Architecture and Building
St. Agnes is a modest Carpenter Gothic-style wooden chapel notable for its steep gabled roof topped by a large wooden cross — there is no bell tower or steeple. Visitors have remarked on its interior stained-glass windows and its village-scale charm. The building sits at the corner of Cape and Pavilion Avenues, directly across from the Cape May Point General Store, in the heart of the Point's historic district.
- Style: Carpenter Gothic
- Features: Steep gabled roof, large cross atop, stained-glass windows
- Setting: Corner of Cape Avenue and Pavilion Avenue
Parish Staff (Our Lady Star of the Sea / St. Agnes Mission)
Clergy and staff serving the parish family that includes St. Agnes Mission are all members (Oblates of St. Francis de Sales) or employees of Our Lady Star of the Sea. The parish office is located at 520 Lafayette Street, Cape May (with the church at 525 Washington Street), and is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 – 4:00 PM.
- Pastor: Rev. John J. Dolan, OSFS
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. John George, OSFS
- Priest in Residence: Rev. James T. Dever, OSFS
- Pastoral Associate for Lifelong Faith Formation: Joan Dollinger
- Parish Administrator: Terence C. McGarvey
- Business Assistant: Denise Mount
- Parish Secretary: Marie Turco
- Music Director: Art Ciancaglini
- Leader of Song: Jil Ciancaglini
- Ministry Coordinator: Martine Simonis
- Bulletin Contact: Regina Alulis
Parish Pastoral Council
The Parish Pastoral Council oversees the Parish Pastoral Plan, evaluates and recommends new goals each year, and meets with the Core Parish Staff on the second Tuesday of every month from September through June. Membership includes the pastor and elected parishioners.
- Chairperson: Michael McGovern
- Vice-Chairperson: Donna Wicker
- Members: Father John Dolan OSFS, Janet Kerney, Jeanne McFadden, Jim McHugh, Danielle Rechner, Susan Tarrant, Joe Bogle, Richard Turco
Contact, Office, and Location
Sacramental and administrative matters for St. Agnes Mission are handled through Our Lady Star of the Sea's parish office. The parish office is in the Parish Center (former school building) at 520 Lafayette Street, Cape May. The mailing address for the parish family — and the telephone number shared by St. Agnes Mission — is the OLSS office.
- St. Agnes Mission Address: 501 Cape Avenue, Cape May Point, NJ 08204
- Parent Church (OLSS): 525 Washington Street, Cape May, NJ 08204
- Parish Office / Mailing: 520 Lafayette Street, Cape May, NJ 08204
- Phone: (609) 884-5312
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: https://www.ladystarofthesea.org/olss/
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 – 4:00 PM
Visiting Cape May Point and 'Church Row'
St. Agnes sits in the heart of Cape May Point's historic 'church row,' a short walk from the Cape May Point General Store, the borough's birding-famous beaches, and Lake Lily. Nearby houses of worship include Beadle Memorial Presbyterian Church (1882, Stick style, moved twice to escape beach erosion), St. Peter's-by-the-Sea (a Stick-style chapel relocated from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia), Union Chapel (c. 1900, interdenominational), and St. Mary's-by-the-Sea (the former Shoreham Hotel purchased c. 1900 for the Sisters of St. Joseph).
- 501 Cape Avenue — St. Agnes, Carpenter Gothic, 1885
- Beadle Memorial Presbyterian — 1882
- St. Peter's-by-the-Sea — relocated from the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition
- Union Chapel — c. 1900
- St. Mary's-by-the-Sea — former Shoreham Hotel, c. 1900