Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

As the usual rhythm of the liturgical year is ingrained in our hearts and lives we are all expecting to celebrate the Feast of the Ascension this Thursday (May 26th). However, as I mentioned in an earlier missive, the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey have voted to permanently transfer the holy day to the following Sunday. Therefore, this Thursday is not a holy day of obligation, but rather Thursday of the Sixth Sunday of Easter and the memorial of St. Philip Neri. While not a fan of the decision personally, we must continue to follow the liturgical norms of our place.

As June quickly looms, and the Easter Season comes to a close with the Feast of Pentecost (June 4th-5th) there are some special events that occur. The first of these is the Pentecost Vigil, celebrated on the evening of June 4th at 8:00 p.m. Similar to the Easter Vigil, this tradition in the church is not widely celebrated, though we have been observing this liturgy for the past few years. Please note that there will be NO 5:00 p.m. Mass on
SATURDAY, JUNE 4th.

The next celebration will be observance of Corpus Christi -- the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This celebration -- June 18th-19th -- inaugurates the three-year period of catechesis and celebration of the Eucharist. As many faithful Catholics lack a sufficient understanding of the Eucharist -- the physical presence of Christ in the form of bread and wine -- the Holy Father has called for an intensified time of prayer and catechesis to reinvigorate the faithful and bring a deeper unity to the church. There are events planned for that weekend on the diocesan level. Here, on the parish level, we will hold a Eucharistic Procession at the conclusion of the 11:00 a.m. Mass on June 19th. All who are present for that Mass are invited to participate in the procession. There will be other catechetical and formation programs throughout the two-years of the diocesan phase. Please check the bulletin for information regarding the Diocesan Family Day scheduled for June 18th.

Congratulations are in order for the many members of our parish community who are being graduated from high school, college, and trade or other professional schools this spring. Please join us for a blessing on June 11th-12th weekend. Graduation exercises for the St. Benedict School (40 students) are scheduled for June 1st (Mass and Awards) and June 3rd (Commencement). This means, of course, that the school year is winding down and the summer work can begin.

Next weekend we observe Memorial Day! Blessings to all parishioners who are leaving us for “Sandier” locations for all or part of the summer. Please stay in touch via the on-line bulletin, so that you can keep up to date with initiatives that will be announced during the next few months.

We are still seeking some volunteers for the Food Pantry, and Ministers of Holy Communion for the health care centers served by our parish. Please make contact with Eileen in the main office if interested.

Likewise, volunteers for the Summer Religious Education Academy are also needed. Call the Faith Formation Office for more details.

Due to a small number of available seminarians we are not hosting a seminarian this summer. Let us continue our prayers for vocations!

As we are finally enjoying some warmer weather and summer looms, I pray that we are all kept safe and that we have time to relax this summer.

Blessings and peace,
Father Garry