Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

There is no question that winter has set in! The cold and icy weather has been a great remedy for the cabin fever I am experiencing after my recent surgery. Things have been going well and, by and large, I am feeling pretty well. Other than some discomfort near the incision marks, I feel pretty much like my old self.

Parish life seems to be going well. Fortunately this is a slower time of the year. Along with Father AL, I am grateful for the on-going assistance of Msgr. Jack and Fathers Tony and Ron. We have had quite a number of funerals over the past few weeks, and their assistance has been essential in assuring that we are able to minister to our community.

School returned to normal last week, though there are quite a few students who have been exposed or are themselves positive for the virus. Nonetheless there is no evidence that school is itself a source of the spread of the virus. The students continue to wear masks and, other than on the coldest and wettest days of winter, they are still able to have their outdoor time during the day. Our Open House dates for enrollment for the coming school year are posted on our website and on page 5 of our bulletin. The slots for tours are filling up fast. Of course, we will add more dates as necessary. Thank you for your interest in St. Benedict School.

This week is the annual March for Life in Washington. In light of Gov. Murphy signing into law a bill to codify abortion rights in New Jersey, we are reminded of the tenuous nature of the fundamental right to life in our state. Later in the bulletin you will see directives from our bishop regarding the indulgence associated with participation in the various activities around the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision by the US Supreme Court 49 years ago. The New Jersey March was held on Friday, January 14th. Let us continue our efforts at being safe and doing our best to stem the tide of the virus. It is hard to believe that we are now entering year three of the pandemic, but indeed we are.

We continue our commitment to pray for one another,
Father Garry