Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

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!

The school year officially ended on Friday, and the students dropped off books and computers and picked-up whatever items were left behind when they left here the last day of in-person class, March 13th. I cannot thank our principal Mr. Donahue, vice-principal Mrs. Keeling, our social worker Mrs. Potterton, and the faculty, aides, and office staff of the school for their hard work and attentiveness to the needs of all of the students and their parents during these days of remote learning. We were well-poised to get make the transition as smooth as possible and we are very happy with the way in which it all went. I am happy to report that we are retaining students for next year at a very high rate and that we have been registering new students for the school at a pace right now that we did not anticipate. This is all good news. Our PreK-3 and PreK-4 classes are full. We have some space in most other grades for sure, and the number for kindergarten has room for growth. I am sad and yet happy to announce the retirement of two of our teachers for the up-coming year: Mrs. D’Amore and Mrs. Tagliarini are closing out their careers as teachers here. We are exceedingly grateful for their service and commitment to SBS and to Catholic education. We wish them many happy and healthy years of retirement.

Our eighth grade class has had their “drive-by” drop off of certificates, prizes, and gifts, conducted by Mr. Donahue, Mrs. Keeling, and members of the school faculty. We will hold an in-person graduation ceremony when we can. The Baccalaureate Mass and Awards Ceremonies have been recorded and are both on the school website. Fifty-four students have been graduated from SBS this year. Blessings to each of them as they begin their high school careers.

Speaking of high schools, I want to congratulate parishioner Margaret Kane on her appointment as principal of St. John Vianney HS beginning July 1st. She replaces Mr. Steve DeMezza who has been named president of the school. We wish her well and we are happy to continue to forge a strong partnership with SJV in the years ahead.

Seminarian Bill Clingerman is off to a good start in challenging times for sure. While his experience will be unlike others who have come through the seminary programs I am confident that he will learn a great deal about emergency planning and pastoral adaptations.

Today is the Solemnity of Corpus Christi when we are reminded of the awesome encounter we have with our Lord Jesus Christ as we share in his presence in the Eucharist. Both through our reception of Holy Communion and the occasion to pray and celebrate in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament, we kneel before our Lord in humble adoration. Sadly we are not yet able to open the Blessed Sacrament Chapel – dedicated on this Feast (though on June 7th) five years ago. I am not sure when we can open again, given the size of the chapel we would need to severely restrict the number of adorers at any time, and then the mandates for cleaning would also become cumbersome. For the time being, the M-W-F opening of the church – where Christi is present in the Tabernacle – will be our only option.As restrictions ease further, we will certainly open the chapel again.

Blessings to all this week!
Fr. Garry