Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

It feels like October is just flying by, at least to me. I am not sure why, other than the desire to get through the election season and to be rid of the vitriol on the internet, the news broadcasts, and the like, is the thing to look forward to. I just realize that no matter what happens, it is probably going to get worse and not better. Let us continue our ardent prayers for our country and the world, so that we might find some peace and healing.

As states and even counties around us report upticks in the Corona virus, we are reminded of our need to stay vigilant and safe. I would like to thank you all for being careful and following the directives regarding masks, social distancing, etc., while coming to the office and in attending Mass and other services here at the parish. With the holidays and holy days swiftly coming upon us such diligence is necessary for our continued success.

Even though it feels afar off, Thanksgiving, Advent, and then Christmas will be here before you know it. We will soon be announcing the schedules for the holy days. The bishop has already announced that the dispensation from regular Mass attendance continues through the end of the year.

We are also planning on alternative ways to continue our generous support of the Raine Foundation and other charities in the area for the holiday season. Some form of a virtual giving tree will appear on the parish website. Likewise, we are continuing with the support of the food pantry, and the collection of food continues with boxes located outside of the entrance to the Adoration Chapel. Thank you for your continued support and generosity.

The fall religious education programs have gone live now, with the students all having their log-in information and access to the programs from home. Although it was a lot of work, I want to thank Mrs. Dayton and Mr. Saverino in the faith formation office, along with Mrs. Magnan and Mr. Hurni in the parish/ school IT Department for their diligence in getting this up and running. We are also grateful to the many volunteers who are making this work and stepping out of their own comfort-zones to attend the classes and sessions virtually. We are all becoming masters at internet meetings and virtual classrooms.

We have completed yet another good and successful week in the school. We are most grateful to Mr. Donahue and the entire school staff and the families for their attention and diligence in making this work.

As a reminder, as we prepare to cast our ballots for this election cycle please take the time to study the USCCB voting guide and to carefully consider our priorities in this election. In some ways all of us, unfortunately, need to “hold our noses” as we color in the circles on the ballot, but we cannot just vote absent a careful consideration of all of the consequences.

The Knights of Columbus would like to thank the more than 40 people who showed up last Sunday to donate blood. While the need for blood is always critical, this time with the pandemic, shortages have been critical. This was an amazing turn out, proving once again, the unparalleled generosity and charity of our community.

Let us continue to pray for one another and for our nation,
Fr. Garry