Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of Saint Benedict:

We have begun our Lenten journey. Many of us, myself included, have a lot of “work” to do this Lent. I am not speaking about my busy schedule, but authentically responding to the call of God in my life, setting aside those sins that disrupt my life, and in seeking healing, wholeness, and reconciliation in my relationship with Lord and with the people in my life. That work is never easy, but it is the most important work that we do. My prayers are with each of you as we journey to the cross and hope in the resurrection. Do the hard work now. It pays off in dividends as the Lord pours his grace into our hearts.

Of course, the work of the parish is also busier during Lent. This bulletin is filled with opportunities for enrichment in faith, participation in the Sacraments and sacramentals, and of course, the sacrifice of time, talent and treasure.

As I mentioned last weekend this weekend we kick-off the ACA. Please be as generous as possible. It is important to give, even if you cannot give much. When looking for a charity where the proceeds do the work and not pay for fancy tv ads or expensive salaries, this is a great place to go: 100% of all the money collected by the ACA funds the work. The salaries and ad work comes from the ordinary income of the diocese.

I would like to thank the Faith Formation Committee for the “Fat Tuesday” celebration this past week. Matt Santucci did a great job in getting sponsors, over a hundred people attended, bringing a great variety of great food, with great entertainment provided by The Ambassadors, a Filipino priest band comprised of Father Gregg Abadilla (St. Clement) Father Al Gamalo (St. Gregory) and our own Father JM Patilla. Thank you for a wonderful evening. We will put that on the calendar again for next year.

While Lent seems like a long time, it can go by really quickly, so let’s get it off to a good start.

May the Lord in His goodness bless all of you and your families,
Fr. Garry