Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

School is out for summer! Congratulations to Mr. Donahue, Mrs. Keeling, and the entire faculty and staff of SBS for a successful school year amidst all of the challenges that the year presented. We are all most grateful for their hard work and all of their dedication to our students. They are now on a much deserved and well-earned summer vacation.

We are engaging in several projects for the school this summer. We are in process of obtaining the permits from the township to have a preK-3 year old classroom wing constructed so that we can expand the number of students enrolled in the program. We are poised to be up and running in September. Likewise, we are shifting some internal space for other use so that we can enlarge one of the classrooms in order to accommodate a normal number of students. As we are in the situation now where we have three sections of rising sixth graders, we know that we have to dedicate classroom space for those additional students in the middle school for the next three years. We still have students on waiting lists and once the state lifts the social distancing requirements for the schools, we will be able to invite them to come to the school.

The school bids adieu to two-long term and impactful employees as Mrs. Maria Hoover and Mrs. Cathy Hess retire after many years of service to the students in our school. We are grateful for their commitment and dedication, and wish them well in their respective retirement phases. Mrs. Hoover hopes to be called upon to serve as a substitute teacher as needed.

We are also preparing to say ingat to Father JM on the weekend of June 26th-27th. There will be a reception after the 5:00 p.m. Mass on Saturday, and again after the 11:00 a.m. Mass on Sunday. Details can be found further in the bulletin.

The Bishops of the US are meeting via zoom call this week and are considering a number of important issues on their agenda. One of these proposed documents concerns the Eucharist. While we are aware that many Catholics are incompletely catechized in their understanding of the Eucharist, and therefore do not recognize the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, this document while addressing that issue in a cursory manner, has become more political in nature, hence more controversial than necessary. There is on the one hand a call for a more comprehensive national program of catechesis on the nature of the Eucharist. On the other, there is a demand for clarity on those who ought and ought not to receive communion. Some of you who are following this discussion on Catholic media have expressed disappointment that our bishop is one of the 66 signers of a letter opposing a letter at this time. He feels that while such a document is necessary, that this is going to be rushed and therefore stirring more conflict and controversy than it should. If the document itself becomes more of the discussion than the content of the document and the theological and pastoral underpinnings and applications of the document, then it will not serve the purpose for which it is intended. Let us pray that the bishops will act with wisdom and prudence.

We will soon announce the winners of the paint the houses initiative, but it looks like we are close to a tie, so that each house will be a different color. There is work that needs to be done around the pastor’s house before we can paint, as some of the wood has rotted. We will also be adding a small porch in the back of the house. Thank you for your generosity and interest in the project.

Enjoy the week ahead!
Fr. Garry