Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

This week we are privileged to have Father Dave Dwyer, C.S.P. with us for our Lenten parish mission. As he is preaching at all of the Masses this weekend you will get a sense of his enthusiasm and the power of his presentations. I, as I am sure with many of you, like listening to his show The Busted Halo Show and also his Conversations with Cardinal Dolan on the SiriusXM Catholic Radio Channel. Hopefully you will be able to attend the evenings here with him. He will be preaching the morning Masses Monday through Wednesday and also hearing confession after Mass during the week.

Next Wednesday, March 14th is our parish penance service. We are happy to have the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal with us for the evening. The evening will include Eucharistic Adoration along with preaching and penance.

Lent is indeed moving quickly along, so it is a good time to regroup and get prepared for the Triduum ahead.

There were two significant diocesan events in the four weekends of February. On the 10th was the annual Diocesan Youth Conference (DYC) which was held this year at CBA. We managed a small representation there, and it was a good day for those who attended. On the 24th was the Annual Catholic Men for Jesus Christ Conference held this year at St. Gregory the Great in Hamilton Square. They have excellent speakers and it is always a joy filled and moving day for all who attend. I was there for most of the day and spent over three hours hearing confessions. Yet no one from our parish attended. I will confess to being remiss in announcing the day, though it was in the bulletin for several weeks.

When I was at St. Joseph Parish in Toms River they had formed a men’s faith sharing group which they call Veritas (Truth). Eventually, right around the time I was leaving there they also formed a women’s group (I am not sure what they are called). Anyway, my point here is that as an outgrowth of the Christ Life Series in our parish, an on-going faith sharing group would be a great blessing to the parish. I am asking, therefore, if any parishioners would be interested in getting such a group off the ground here. Mull over it this week, pray through the mission, and discern where the Lord might be directing you in the journey of faith.

On another growth in faith experience, our Father JM recently returned from the priest’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land filled with the enthusiasm to return. As you know I led a tour there last February. Father JM has prevailed upon me to run a pilgrimage next year. So he and I, along with whoever is interested, will be taking a pilgrimage to the Holy Land beginning on February 18, 2019. I have been there three times, and spent an academic term there when I was doing my doctoral studies. There are a number of parishioners and others who have already expressed an interest in going. We are awaiting the publishing of the brochures which should be in a few weeks. One cannot help but return from such a pilgrimage changed in some way by the experience.

My prayers this week for all of you as we enter prayerfully into the mission and discern God’s call.
Father Garry