Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

We had a very successful Catholic School’s Week. It is good to see so many new families walking through our Open House, with the potential for extended and future growth for the school. Enrollment is, of course, always the biggest challenge. The financial sustainability of the school depends on three things: a) enrollment in excess of 440 students; b) benefactor and legacy gifts; c) fund-raising activities. I prioritized them this way intentionally. While bake sales, walk-a-thons, and various PTA activities are community building and fun, they are not sustainable or dependable streams of income. We cannot survive on cookies and Christmas wrap.

There are some programs we would like to kick off. A three year old pre-school program is one of them. The need for child care services in a safe and educationally stimulating environment is a desire of many working parents, and that we can and do offer. The four year old Pre-K has been successful. We are blessed to have two amazing teachers and good support staff for those classes. We also offer flexibility in scheduling and the before care and after care programs.

We are happy to announce the development of Camp Explorehere at SBS for the summer. Open to all children ages 3,4,5 who have yet to attend Kindergarten, the camp offers nine full weeks of themed activities. Students can enroll for one week, multiple weeks, or for the entire summer program (June 22nd – August 21st). There are brochures around the church. So, if you are the parent or grandparent of a 3-5 year old and looking for something interesting and educational to do with your child for any part of the summer, please consider Camp Explore. Thank you!

This past week we inducted our inaugural class of members in the Junior National Honor Society. According to the mission statement of the NJHS: “The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) elevates a school’s commitment to the values of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship. These five pillars have been associated with membership in the organization since its inception in 1929.” Thirteen members of the SBS school community in grades seven and eight were inducted. This is another way that we serve to recognize our students for their commitment to living these five pillars, and also in assisting them in their application for the competitive high schools they wish to attend.

It is always impressive to see which schools our students are indeed intending as they are graduated from here. It is a testimony to the quality of our educational programs and the work ethic instilled in our students. A full list will be published at graduation.

Once again, please consider SBS for the faith formation and academic preparation of your children.

In other news – welcome to February! Today’s feast of the Presentation of the Lord is the day for the blessing of the candles used at Mass during the year. We will also be blessing throats for the Feast of St. Blasé at the end of all the Masses.

Any blessing – and especially those regarding our health and well-being in light of the Coronavirus which is afflicting the world – provides us with the grace and strength necessary to face the struggles and challenges of life.

Let us continue to pray for one another!
Fr. Garry