Easter Letter from our Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

The Holy Church rejoices at the resurrection of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: Resurrexit Sicut Dixit! Alleluia!

This is our most solemn, our most holy feast. The resurrection of Jesus reminds us of the frailty of death, the power of God over creation, and the hope and promise of eternal life. This is no small matter. Indeed, as Saint Paul reminds us: If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty [too] is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. Then we are also false witnesses to God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all, if Jesus is not raised from the dead (I Cor. 15:13-19).”

While Easter Bunnies, dyed eggs, and chocolate are all nice things, they mean nothing as compared to the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

For us, in the Northern Hemisphere, this is a spring celebration, and the word Easter itself is of Germanic origin relating to the coming of spring. However, given that this is a moveable feast -- related to the full moon and the vernal equinox -- it is probably not going to feel much like spring for most of the day.

It was a very busy and powerful Lent here. There were many graces and blessings. The diocesan presentation of the Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit brought a lot of interest and visitors to the parish. May the blessings of our Eucharistic Lord continue to be abundant in our parish.

Many parts go into making our celebrations the rich tapestry of Liturgy that they are. Father Adam and I are especially grateful for the deacons (Steve and Paul) and our Acolyte (Anthony) and prospective seminarian (Billy); the parish office staff (Margaret, Lorrie, Lori and Eileen); our buildings and grounds crew (Tom, Walter, and Paul); the musicians (Ellen, Tom and the choir); our Faith Formation Office (Nancy, Nicole, Ciro, and Loretta); the RCIA Team (Deacon Paul, Jack, Norys, Anthony, Rae, Suzanne, and Tim); the many readers, lectors, altar servers, screen operators, and ushers who assisted along the way. Everyone adds a dimension to the celebrations and our ability to enter into them fully and in a way that is undistracted.

Next Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday -- events begin at 3:00 pm and conclude with the 5:00 pm Mass. Then, on Tuesday, April 9, Bishop O’Connell will administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to the students in the eighth grade programs in the school and religious education.

Beginning on April 10 (Wednesday) we will have the Stations of the Resurrection (5:30 pm) which will be followed by pasta and Scripture reflection. This newer devotion will assist us in deepening our faith, and our understanding of the resurrection appearances of Jesus.

I pray that everyone has a blessed Easter and safe travels for all who will be away this week,
Father Garry