Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Happy Labor Day! I guess this is the official “end of summer” as the students in our school and the neighboring schools will be happily heading off to school this week. We are opening school at 396 students (or there about). As I write this the phone is still ringing, so who knows how many will actually be here on Friday for the opening school Mass). We are in good shape for the opening day. Bob and his crew (Robert, Scott, Peter, and Jack) have been hard at work on the maintenance end, while Anita and her summer intern Chris have been knee deep in technology upgrades all summer. Mr. Donahue (principal) and Mrs. Keeling (vice-principal) and the staff of the school had some orientation days this past week and everyone seems anxious to get started. Let us pray that our school – and all of the schools in which the children of our parish are enrolled – will have a safe, healthy, and successful year of learning and growth.

You might notice a beautiful new piece of furniture in church this weekend, and if you didn’t see it, you definitely heard it. Our thanks go out to parishionerEmilia De Meowho donated a Baldwin Baby Grand Piano to the church. Ellen, Glen, and Tom fell in love with the instrument when they went to see it, and so it quickly arrived in the church. So far I have only heard some tinkering around on it, but it is certainly a powerful and beautiful instrument.

Speaking of music, over the past couple of months Sunday Mass goers (as opposed to Saturday evening attendees) have noticed that we are using a new Mass setting for the Mass parts (Sanctus, Mysterium Fidei, Agnus Dei). They were composed by our own Tom O’Brien! I would like to thank him, on behalf of all of us, for his work and dedication to the music program here. Later this month the choir will return to enhance our Liturgy at 11am Mass, and we are always in need of additional voices. If you have any interest in joining the choir, please make contact with Tom after any of the Masses this weekend. The Children’s Choir and the Teen Choir, both under the direction of Ellen, will also need additional voices as well. So please see her if you are interested.

As several of the wonderful people who have regularly offered various ministries, especially at weekend Masses are now heading off to college, we are in need of others to take their places. We will need more lectors for Sunday Masses and also some additional screen operators. Please prayerfully consider your ability to serve in either of these ministries, and make contact with Eileen in the main office. We would also like to develop, as I have mentioned before, the ministry of weekend sacristans who would assist the deacons in the set-up and break-down of the sacred vessels and elements for the Masses on the weekends. Again, if interested, please see Eileen.

Thank you to all who enhance our Liturgy and our parish life through various forms of ministerial service. We owe all of you a great debt of gratitude.

Let us keep in prayer this week all the seminarians of our diocese who begin their class work this week. Also remember our own Paul Remick and the other men who are in formation for the Diaconate in the diocese. Paul begins his fourth year in the program now, and is on track for ordination in May 2021.

The final stages of Carnival planning are underway, and I am excited about the ways in which the committee has again made adjustments to the carnival so as to keep it fresh and even more inviting. While sign-up for the various volunteer opportunities has been strong, there are still openings available. Please check out the website for details.

Blessings,
Fr. Garry