Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

We made it through the Christmas Holy Day/Holiday and now the New Year’s celebrations commence; funny to think that 2020 looms upon us. Does it seem that long ago that we were caught up in the Y2K furor and all of the excitement related to the new millennium? Now we stand on the cusp of the third decade of the century (although, technically the new decade doesn’t start until 2021).

I am sure that each of you has given some thought to a New Year’s Resolution, or perhaps resolved as I did many years ago to not do that anymore. Whatever the case is, may 2020 find you all blessed with health, happiness, and an increased gift of faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Thank you, again, for your generosity to the staff, to Father JM and I personally, and most certainly to our parish and school during the past month – and certainly over the past year. We are all humbled and blessed by your thoughtfulness, well-wishes, prayers, and the many gifts that you share with us. We are indeed grateful to you and to the Lord for all he does for us.

Of course, the work continues, and 2020 should prove to be an exciting and forward moving year for us here at St. Benedict. Through the faith formation committee, we are working on some new programs and initiatives for the year on the parish side. The school is hard at work on developing new programs and opportunities for our students. With the coming Catholic School’s Week celebrations you will hear more about some of these programs. Hopefully more and more students will be able to avail themselves of our excellent school.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. We all know the importance of family as the fundamental structure of society. While families all look different – and certainly at least on the surface look different than a hundred years ago – let us all continue to pray for our families, and especially for those who are in need.

Both Father JM and I were struck by the response of so many of you to our family-themed homilies for the Advent Season. A number of you even shared with us that the emphasis brought healing and reconciliation within your own families! This is awesome. All it takes is a push and a challenge, and we are so grateful that you were able to take this to heart. With all the divisiveness in our own country, and the stress that such puts on families and other personal relationships, we are called to be healers and bringers of peace. If we hope and pray for nothing else for 2020 let it be that we might see more of this – and less screaming and vitriol – within our country. Sadly, I am well-aware that this is a tall order.

A most blessed and Happy New Year to all of you from myself,Father JM, our deacons, Mr. Donahue, and the entire staff of Saint Benedict Catholic Church and School. 
–Fr. Garry