Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Happy Labor Day! Here we are at the “official end of summer” while many of us are probably feeling that summer never really began. We are entering our seventh month of uncertainty given the pandemic and, although you can go into your favorite restaurant beginning this weekend, things really do remain uncertain for sure.

School opens on Tuesday and we are ready. We had a very successful period of orientation this past week. All sorts of new protocols regarding virtually every aspect of school are in place and being tested. Yet, the students seemed happy to be back and the teachers – new and old – are ready to go. We said “adieu” to Mrs. Tuttle, Mrs. Tagliarini, Mrs. D’Amore, Mrs. Wintjen, Mr. Isaacs, and Mrs. Hickman over the summer. Mrs. Sollecito is taking over the physical education program, and Mrs. Cannizzo is taking over the STEM curriculum. We welcome to the faculty: In addition, Ms. Ciccone has left the EDP position and is being replaced by Mrs. Mauro, and the school nurse Mrs. Conroy has moved on and we welcome: Marisa Campasano (5th grade), Rebecca Deliman (3rd grade), Nicole Doherty (5th grade) Nicholas Fourniadis (8th grade), Leolaine Jensen (1st grade aide), Jennifer Keane (1st grade) Lorraine Miccoli (PreK-3), and Jeannine Susi (PreK aide).

Again, and I can’t do this too often, special thanks to our principal, Mr. Donahue and our vice-principal, Mrs. Keeling, and the school office , Mrs. Hurni and Mrs. Tobino, for all of their work this summer in getting us ready. On the very practical and physical end it is left to Mr. Cognat and his buildings and grounds crew: Mr. McGrogan, Mr. DePerry, and Mr. Zisko for all of their work and energy in getting things ready. Likewise, Mrs. Magnan and her summer assistant Chris Hurni put in long days getting all of the technology set and ready to go.

We are opening with an enrollment of 418 students, and due to social distancing requirements, have added a third homeroom to both the fifth and eighth grades. Over 30 students and their families have opted for virtual learning, so we have students taking classes live at home as well. We are also inaugurating the PreK-3 year old program, and we welcome 15 students to that classroom as well.

Blessings to all!

Otherwise, Labor Day should normally suggest returning to life as normal after the summer sun and fun – but that seems hardly the case this year. Many of you are still working from home and, sadly some are hardly or not working at all. Labor Day is a time when we are challenged to think of the contributions of the workers who built our country, contributing to the expansion of the American Dream. Now, with 40 million unemployed and countless others underemployed, life is far more challenging for all of us. We pray this weekend that an end to the pandemic, the launching of a vaccine, and the success of contact tracing and the lockdowns, will allow for a return to work and a boost for the economy.

Parish life is good. More and more are returning to Mass each weekend and we continue to pray for each other.

Be well,
Fr. Garry