Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Today we celebrate the 245th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the very beginnings of our democratic republican form of government. When we consider the monumental global political shift that our founding fathers inaugurated on this continent all those years ago we are reminded of the sacrifice and yet the hope in the midst of struggle that brought those revolutionary ideas to paper. We must be ever-mindful to work towards the protection and advancement of our “inalienable rights” enshrined in those founding documents, remembering that it is foremost God, who in gifting us with free will, insured and defined our existence and the fundamental principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” However you celebrate, a most blessed Independence Day to all.

Next weekend we celebrate our patron, Saint Benedict of Nursia. Born in 480, Benedict and his twin sister, Scholastica, are the reformers and patrons of monasticism, indeed of all religious life. The Rule of St. Benedict stands as the model of the general constitutions of all the religious orders and communities in the church today. We are grateful that Bishop O’Connell will join us next weekend as we celebrate the feast. The Bishop will celebrate the 11:00 a.m. Mass. It is always a great blessing to have our bishop with us.

This weekend we are grateful to welcome Rev. Augusto Lorenzo “AL” Gamalo. From Tacloban City Philippines, he is one of three children of Castor and Fara Gamalo, Sr. He attended elementary school and high school in Tacloban City before receiving his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Nativity of Our Lady College Seminary in Borongan, Philippines.

He came to the Diocese of Trenton as a seminarian in 2009 and studied at St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, there he received his master’s degree in divinity. Father was ordained on June 4, 2016 by Bishop David O'Connell.

He served the Parish of St. Gregory the Great (Hamilton Square) as a parochial vicar from July 2016 until his arrival here this past week. He has also served as the chaplain of Trenton Catholic Academy.

We are grateful to the bishop for sending us a new parochial vicar as, with the shortage of priests now, such are becoming more of a luxury. Father AL is looking forward to his ministry here and the new challenges that this parish affords him.

Last weekend we had a nice send-off for Father JM as he begins his new ministry. He is very thankful for your many words and acts of kindness, and your generosity to him. If you would like to send him a card or note, we have some personalized cards in the Gathering Space and we will send them to him. To reach him directly his address is: Fr. JM Patilla/St. Joan of Arc Parish/100 Willow Bend Rd./Marlton, NJ 08053.

I hope all of you have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. Hopefully we can remain safe from the challenges of the variant of the COVID virus and the worst is behind us.
Fr. Garry