Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Our parish last weekend – Easter weekend to be precise – was more alive and abustle than at any time since the lockdown of March 2020. It was awesome seeing so many “old” faces back in the church, many of whom had not been here for a very long time. It almost felt like things were back to normal – almost.

While there are many contradictory signs around us, the spring budding, warmer weather, and longer days, all offer a sign of hope that things will start to look and feel more normal again sometime soon. However, as we around here know more people who have or have had, the covid virus in the past two months than at the same stretch last year, that sense of hope is tempered. More and more of us have the complete vaccination cycle, so hopefully we will feel more confident in coming to Mass on a regular basis again.

I want to thank the parish staff and the many volunteers, especially the ever-trusted Knights of Columbus, for their hard work in preparing the church and the gym for the Sacred Triduum. Our ability to offer the simultaneous Masses has been a huge plus for the parish. It certainly makes us all feel more comfortable attending Mass while being able to social distance.

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. Again, I invite you to the parking lot this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. to pray the Chaplet with us as we broadcast it over the parish outside sound system (as we do every day at 3:00 p.m). The prayer, followed by the chant of the Pater Noster lasts a mere eleven minutes.

We are beginning the period of the year when many events are about to occur. We will be celebrating First Holy Communion at Sunday Masses, and in other ceremonies throughout April and May. Let us pray for these young members of our parish and school communities that they grow in their love of the Lord Jesus as they accept the Body and Blood of Christ into their hearts. Who of us doesn’t remember the joy (and perhaps some trepidation!) as we received our own First Holy Communion!

Wedding season is also quickly upon us, and we are happy to have fifteen weddings on the calendar for this coming summer and fall. We are blessed that so many seek the sacrament of matrimony. There are others who are having their marriages “convalidated” meaning that, having entered into a civil marriage – no matter how long ago – are now seeking the sacrament. If you are in this situation, please reach out to our marriage minister, Lori McCahill, to make arrangements for the ceremony. It is a relatively easy process. Likewise, if you are in a challenging marriage situation and would like to seek an annulment from the church, please make contact with her as well. Lori and Deacon Steve are annulment advocates and will work with you through the process.

Hopefully everyone who is eligible and desires a vaccination for the Covid-19 virus has been able to get one or at least to schedule one. If you are still having a hard time with this, please make contact with the parish office.

Let us also offer our prayers for our Deacon Intern, Paul Remick who is on his canonical retreat with his classmates this weekend. He has received his call to orders and expects to be ordained Deacon on May 15th by Bishop O’Connell. We all look forward to his ordination with great joy. Please remember Paul and his classmates in your prayers.

Blessings on this Mercy Sunday,
Fr. Garry