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Hard to believe it now but July comes to an end this Friday, it is time to think seriously about what the Fall will look like. I had expected that we would be at greater capacity in church now than we are. While last weekend saw an increase in people present, we are not yet reaching the 1/3 allowable capacity for Mass. Disappointing – yes; understandable – yes. However, it is good to see so many returning to the celebration of daily Mass. Likewise, our M-W-F confessions have also been going well. We will continue to phase in as the conditions and the diocese allows. Read more.

As we break through the mid-point of July I guess we have all come to the sad and troubling realization that life is not returning to normal any time soon. I hope that each of you are able to enjoy some downtime and relax from all of the stresses of the past five months. We need to continue our prayers for an end to the pandemic conditions and for a vaccine and a cure for the afflicted. Read more.

As July rolls along and the world around us seems to be more and more unsettled and confusing, meeting the challenges that come our way becomes more difficult. While we are opening up more and we see a progressive increase in cases in other areas of the country we remain prudentially cautious. Not as many of you have returned to regular Mass attendance – either on the weekend or for daily Mass – as we initially expected. We realize that some of you are still uncomfortable coming out or you are not happy about the need to get a ticket for an assigned seat, and we certainly understand that. It is our expectation to be announcing some procedural changes soon. We want to insure that everyone feels safe. It is difficult to do all of these things easily. The demands for the disinfecting of the church after each Mass add a level of limitation to what we can do. We have found it interesting that more people were attending Mass in the school gym than in the church. Read more.

Some quick news before my reflection: the bishop – after consultation with the governor, has expanded the attendance at daily Mass to 100 people, we will no longer require advanced notice of your desire to come to daily Mass. Feel free to come – wearing a mask, maintaining social distance, and entering/exiting through door #6 only. We are also ending the Sunday 8:00 a.m. Mass in the Gym, directing everyone to the church only. Read more.

Take an unforgettable journey to some of the most important places in the life of the Italian saint.

As I get out and speak to more and more of you, to other priests of our diocese and elsewhere, and with other friends and relatives I am becoming increasingly aware of the sense of anger and disappointment that many are feeling – and now able to express – as we have endured this pandemic quarantine for the past four months. Some of this anger is directed at the government – whether the president or the governor, or even both; much of the anger is directed at the “church” whether our diocese, the church as a whole in the USA and the world, and also at us here at St. Benedict’s. Read more.

So many moving pieces – such a challenging time to live in and especially in which to do pastoral ministry. Read more.

The role out of the opening of our state and our churches has been fast and furious, but trying to keep up is like aiming at a moving target. Just when we had a system working for the twenty-five person daily Mass attendance, the number doubled to fifty. We are working out those details for seating, cleaning, etc., and they will be announced probably before you read this letter making this a moot point. Nonetheless, we are doing our best here to plan and implement the directives, keeping in mind everyone’s needs, concerns, and desires. This has not been easy, and we are doing our best. Thank you to the team of Father JM, Lori Ulrich, Margaret Roddy, and Anita Magnan for their diligence in getting this all together. We have learned a great deal in the last three months! Read more.

The good news is that the church can open for Mass beginning Monday, June 8th; the bad news is that the required restrictions place a heavy burden on the church and the parishioners. So let me open by saying that I expect this to be a short-term solution as restrictions are eased gradually over the summer months. Read more.

Celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi with the Universal Church.

An international gathering of marital experts, presented by Joyful Ever After, and crafted to take your relationship to an entirely new level. June 11-13, 2020

Pentecost is upon us, the Easter Season is over as of Evening Prayer on Sunday. Fifty days since Easter – some considerable stretch of time, the entirety of which we have been on “social distancing” and limited movement. While things look like they are breaking forward, there is no news to report (as of this writing) regarding further opening of the churches or the celebration of the Sacraments. As soon as there is noteworthy news I will again issue a general phone call to the parish to inform you of the developments. Read more.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activities, news, developments, and whatever else in the midst of a world-wide pandemic and social distancing. While it looks like we are beginning to emerge from some of this, there seems to be much yet undone. Let me discuss, briefly, some church developments. Read more.

"This epic film follows Karol Wojtyla's journey from his youth in Poland through his late days on the Chair of St. Peter. It explores his life behind the scenes: how he touched millions of people, changed the face of the Church and the world, and how he defended the dignity of mankind. Formed Parish Code: HHNG3M

An Interview with Dr. Holly Ordway Making a "Desert Moment" Fruitful...