Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

As the Easter Season moves along we continue to celebrate in a special way the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hope and promise that his resurrection offers to us as disciples. The Easter Season is the baptismal season, drawing much of our liturgical focus to the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism-ConfirmationFirst Eucharist). As you know, Dave and Shirley received the three Sacraments at the Easter Vigil and they continue their journey through the Mystagogia each week of Easter. On most of the Sundays we have the celebration of Baptism after the 12:30 p.m. Mass. We have begun the practice here of not celebrating Baptism during Lent in order to emphasize the Baptismal nature of Easter.

This past Friday we celebrated Confirmation for our eighth graders. We will celebrate Confirmation for adults on Pentecost Sunday, May 20th.

Next weekend we begin the celebration of First Eucharist for our parish and school community. In order to assist families with scheduling, and in recognizing the personal character of the Sacrament, you will notice that children will be receiving First Eucharist at various parish Masses over the next several weeks. While many of the children, mostly those from the school community, are receiving together as a group on Saturday, other families have chosen the more personal option. There are 135 children to receive communion this spring.

The documents of the church encourage the reception of First Eucharist on a Sunday celebration of the parish Mass during the Easter Season. I was hoping to move to this model as our primary way of celebrating this Sacrament, but honoring a long standing practice here took precedence. I would still hope to encourage those who are younger and yet to receive their First Eucharist, to consider a Sunday celebration. Sunday is the day when we as a community are assembled to celebrate the Lord’s Day. It is most fitting that we would receive Communion with the assembled community. For the same reason we celebrate Baptism on Sunday we would celebrate First Communion as well. This is something for us to reflect upon and contemplate for the future.

Tomorrow I am leaving for a bit of a vacation. I am accompanying Sister Margaret Tierney, SC and some other travelers on a two-week excursion to Croatia, with a stop at the Medjugorje shrine in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and then to Italy for a couple of days in Venice and Milan. This is my first vacation in quite a while and I am looking for a bit of rest and relaxation.

I hope Spring is in full force when I return.
Blessings, Father Garry