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As I write this letter I am on a bus making the short journey from Rome to Assisi. Of course, by the time you read this letter, I will be back in Holmdel. First, let me apologize for the absence of a letter in last week’s bulletin. I was remiss and did not get it submitted on time. Read more.

Prayer for Priests

On Monday evening I am departing for a 10-day pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi with Father JM Patilla and about two dozen pilgrims. We will remember you all at the many churches and shrines that we will be visiting.

It feels like Autumn wants to come early this year, yet we know that Summer will still keep its grip on us. Read more.

Happy Labor Day weekend -- the official “end of summer” at the Jersey Shore. We had to take the long stretch to get to where we are, but school is set and ready to open. Last Tuesday we welcomed our faculty and school staff back to the building, and they are now ready to embark on the new school year. We have 524 students this year, up from the 445 of last year’s opening. Read more.

It is always with mixed feelings that we talk about the proverbial “last week of summer” but, here we are. The teachers will report on Tuesday morning for Mass and their first round of meetings. With gratitude to Megan Gallagher, vice-principal, Facilities manager Rich Romero, maintenance director Tom McGowan and the crew, the construction projects in the school are complete and we are ready to take the reins for the new school year. Principal Nick Cammarano has focused on staffing, and in developing the schedules to ensure that we are ready for the arrival of some 520 students after Labor Day for the start of the 2024-2025 academic year. Read more.

This weekend we welcome Father Joseph Mary Kavuma from the Diocese of Kasana-Luweero, Uganda for the annual mission appeal. Please use the collection box in the Narthex for your contribution to the work of his diocese. Read more.

The month of August comes with a few important celebrations and events, even as things are relatively quiet with no programs or classes going on. Yet, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t planning for the future. Read more.

It is hard to believe that we are already in the last week of July/first week of August, but here we are. It won’t be long and we will all be back in school again. Here we are in the process of refitting the school to accommodate an influx of students for the coming school year. At some point we will have an open house for those who are interested in seeing what we have done and talk more about what we plan to do in the future. Read more.

This summer seems to be flying by, but I also think that the constant heat waves we have endured so far have also added to a sense of malaise with it all. At any rate, we are now shifting gears a bit here. Read more.

Happy Feast of St. Benedict! Well, while the universal church celebrated his feast on Thursday, we have transferred the celebration to this weekend so that as a parish we can reflect on and celebrate our patron, one of the seminal figures in the life of the church. Co-Patron of Europe -- along with St. Bridget of Sweden, St. Cyril, St. Methodius, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross -- St. Benedict has a notable twin sister, Saint Scholastica, who made significant contributions to the church in her own right. Read more.

I hope everyone had a nice Independence Day and I expect we are all still enjoying a long weekend. It was a nice week to be off for sure. Read more.

We have reached the proverbial “midpoint of summer,”though that is certainly far from the case. This week we have the opportunity to reflect on our national identity, to give thanks to God for the liberty secured for us by the blood of so many hundreds of thousands of our citizens, and envisioned by independent-minded and forward thinking enlightened thinkers of the eighteenth century. I hope that July 4 is more than just a day of fireworks, beach, and picnics, but also a time to reflect on what makes our country the inspiration it is to the world. Read more.

We ask your blessings and prayers for the children from our parish who will be attending the Summer Religious Education Academy, their families, the teachers, volunteers, and the staff members of St. Benedict Parish. This is a tremendous undertaking, involving hundreds of people and many moving parts. Mrs. Nancy Arkin, Director of Faith Formation, does an amazing job organizing and getting this all together, along with her associates, Mr. Ciro Saverino, Naomi Atherley, and Loretta Assini. Read more.

Summer officially begins on Thursday at 4:51pm, though for our students summer began at 2:10pm on Tuesday the 11th , and for denizens of the Jersey Shore it began on Thursday, May 23 with the Memorial Day weekend. Whenever the summer season begins I hope it’s a joyful, relaxing, and refreshing one. Read more.

Well, the school year is just about over. On Wednesday we graduated 58 students from St. Benedict School. We are grateful to their families for entrusting them to our care for their academic and faith formation. Most of the graduates -- 34 in fact -- are continuing their education at St. John Vianney HS. Congratulations! Read more.

Welcome to June -- the month when we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We reflect on this beautiful image, recognizing the incomprehensible love of God for us. Let us take this month to celebrate this love not only in our love for God but especially in our expression of love for one another. Read more.

Happy Memorial Day weekend. We remember now those who lost their lives in service to our country. Given the long and rich history of New Jersey, we can reflect on the struggle here for independence as many died in that cause just a few miles from here, and continuing through the many wars, conflicts, and military actions up and until the present. Remembering the past also brings challenges for the present and future as we pray that peace will prevail in our times, and that the conflicts presently raging in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Sudan, Burundi and elsewhere come to quick, peaceful, and sustainable resolutions. I am sure that many of your families, like my own, have lost relatives to war over the years. Read more.

May seems to be speeding along at a rapid rate with Memorial Day already next weekend. I know the weather hasn’t felt much like Spring, yet, but we are now closer to the Summer Solstice than to the Spring Equinox. Read more.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. This feast, commemorating the moment when Jesus, forty days after his resurrection, delivered his final instructions to the disciples and ascended to the Right Hand of the Father, propels us to Pentecost Sunday. We are reminded of the commission from Jesus to preach the Gospel and to baptize all nations. Read more.