Weekly Letter from Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

A Very Merry Christmas to all!
December always seems to fly by -- unless you are five years old and awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus -- and this year is no exception. We had a very busy December here, and I am most grateful for the effort and enthusiasm that went into every single activity and program. Tom and Ellen did extraordinary work with the various concerts and pageants that help to celebrate the festive season. Nancy, Jena and Loretta put together a wonderful Advent series of speakers, prayer experiences, and fun activities for faith formation
on all levels. Bob Cognat and his crew: Peter, Walter, Tom, Sal, and Matt, did a wonderful job preparing the church and the grounds for Christmas. Of course, the Knights of Columbus assisted with the church decoration as well. The office staff: Margaret, Lorrie and Eileen, do extraordinary work in making sure that all is ready for the celebrations. Lori and Patti handled so many different aspects of parish life, I cannot keep up with it. Last Monday we enjoyed the celebration of the Simbang Gabi Mass with the Filipino community. As always, our team did a great job preparing for the evening. On the school side of things, the PTA and the Arts Association put in a lot of extra time and energy to make sure that the school children enjoy all of the fun activities that come with the holiday season. Kevin and Christine, along with the teachers, aides, and other professional staff members of the school, always have a stressful and busy December with all of the activities, the concern for the eventuality of bad weather, and the student’s increased excitement as Christmas approaches. Yet, here we are!

Thank you to the many parishioners who brought or sent in cards and gifts to the parish and school offices, and especially to Father AL and myself. We cannot thank you enough for your thoughtfulness and generosity. I know it is particularly challenging for Father AL, so far (8,000 miles) from his family, whom he has not seen in five years.

We are thankful for the assistance at the Christmas Masses of both Monsignor Jack Carroll and Father Tony Carotenuto. Their help to us throughout the year is greatly appreciated. They offer much to our community.

We are grateful for the support of so many of you to the parish and the school during the year. Certainly we enjoyed celebrating the 60th anniversary of the school back in November, where we were able to raise over $60,000 for the support of the school and its
programs. As we are coming to the last week of the year, it is not too late to think about optimizing your tax deductions by making an end of the year contribution to the parish or the school. While we have been able to do a lot with the monies we received, there are
some major projects facing us in the year ahead. We will be talking more about this in the coming months. It is a difficult time for all of us, and I get the sense that things will be getting worse before they get better.

But it is Christmas -- time to be grateful for the many gifts of the past year -- to celebrate the core of our faith as we again focus on God-with-us: Emmanuel! The Incarnation of God in the person of Jesus carries with it grave implications for our day to day lives. We are ever grateful to God for the gift of our faith and for His presence among us.

Christmas draws us to hearth and home -- whether in our dreams or in reality. For those of you for whom this holiday/Holy Day season is celebrated with a sense of loss and sadness, please be assured of our prayers. Each one of us carries with us memories -- the joy and
sheer madness of Christmas past and we live in the certain hope of Christmas to come.

May your celebration be merry and festive -- and may we all know the living presence of God with us: Jesus Christ!

Blessings,
Father Garry