Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of Saint Benedict:

So, it’s the last full week of summer for our school students. I know that there are very mixed reactions to that statement. There are only a few final touches left to be made the school building before things get underway. The science lab looks great and, thanks to a generous donation from the SBS Art’s Association, the Art Room is also in the midst of some renovations with new furniture and cabinetry. Things are looking really good. We have also developed a middle school concept here.

We are moving the sixth grade to the first wing and putting them on the same rotational schedule as the seventh and eighth grades. All of the public schools in our region are middle school specific and it is good to separate the sixth graders from the younger students anyway. We have the space to accommodate the two additional homerooms in the first wing, so I believe that it is a good move.

You will notice during the Carnival (September 15 – 17) that Frank Radics’ Eagle Scout project has been completed. As you might remember he constructed a permanent pavilion on the property in the area where the carnival takes place. This will not only provide additional cover space during the carnival, but is useful for the students who use the area during the school year. Thank you to Frank, his family, and fellow Scouts, who worked hard to accomplish this project. If there are any other scouts out there looking for a project, we have some ideas for our property, so please do not hesitate to make contact with me.

Speaking of the Carnival, we are approaching the crunch time. The Committee and parish staff are working hard to make this year’s carnival even more successful than previous years. Please take the time to sign up to volunteer (details in the bulletin) for one of the days. We have some interesting entertainment lined up as well.

Several years ago when I was visiting my Mother in Pennsylvania we went to an evening concert in the park that featured a steel drum band. They were so much fun and their music really livened up the evening. I am happy to say that they will be performing here on Saturday evening. Please come on out after Mass on that Saturday and listen to the lively entertainment of Caribbean Steel Drums fresh from Easton, PA. I am also looking forward to a new variety in the food, enhanced games and rides, and a soon-to-be-announced new feature that all football fans will be most excited about.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago Father JM leaves this week for a well-earned vacation at home in the Philippines with his family. We wish him a safe journey and hope he gets the chance for some good family time. He will be meeting his niece for the first time as she was born shortly after he came here last summer. As you may have heard when he comes back, Father JM will also be assuming duties as the chaplain at St. John Vianney HS. This is a very good opportunity for him, and I am sure that he will do well in that position. While it will make him busier a couple of days a week, it will have little impact on his work here.

I hope everyone had a good view of the solar eclipse this past week. It certainly looked spectacular.

Blessings and peace,
Fr. Garry