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Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict and Families of St. Benedict School:
Another busy and exciting summer has come to an end, and the fall looks to be alive with much activity here as well. Over this past year, we have been able to replace the air conditioning units in the church, school gym, the Father Anderson Library, and the parish offices, the split units in the school offices and the adoration chapel. We have also replaced the boiler units that provide heat for the entire complex. A new dishwasher has been installed in the cafeteria. We have new playground equipment and basketball courts. The sidewalks have been replaced, and the back parking lot has been repaved. The master bathrooms were upgraded in each of the priest's residences early in the year. We have replaced the fascia and soffits on the first wing, along with half of the second wing, and we have added rain spouting there as well. Several upgrades have been made to the Gym/Cafeteria, with the replacement of the old curtain with sleeker dividers and additional portable bleachers for additional seating.
Needless to say, much has been done to enhance and replace our aging facilities and more projects are planned.
As previously announced, we are awaiting the approval of Holmdel Township for the addition of a dedicated music room and another classroom. Unfortunately, we are not on the docket for the planning board until the October meeting. All of the architectural and engineering work has been done, and we are prepared to get moving quickly, as soon as we get (hopefully) the green light to move forward with the project. There is another project that we are also working on and, if approved, will present to you later as a further enhancement of both the school and parish facilities. You will also note that we are now launching the brick project to provide opportunities for members of the school and parish community to place memorialized and dedicated bricks along the walkways leading to both the school and the adoration chapel. Not only will this add to the beauty of the walkways, but it will also help to offset some of the construction costs.
Overall, the parish and school are healthy. School enrollment is at 525 as I write this. The Summer Camp Out had 107 attendees this summer, a nice increase from last year, and the summer religious education academy also grew by over 50 students again this summer.
The mailed letter accompanies our annual 50/50 drawing, the proceeds of which go to support various initiatives in the parish. We are setting aside the funds this year to focus on the construction projects planned for the year ahead.
Enclosed in your mailing, you will find the tickets for the Annual Raffle. Extra booklets can be found in the Narthex and Parish Office. Split 50/50 with the winners, the first prize is 25% of the total sales and ten winners each receive equal shares of the remaining 25%. The drawing will be held on Sunday, September 28, 2025. Raffle tickets are $25 each or 5 tickets for $100.
Thank you for your support of our parish and our programs.
Good luck!
Fr. Garry, Pastor
RA#: 2025-19