Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

This Sunday and next stand in the liturgical year as special solemnities within Ordinary Time. Last week at Pentecost we saw the end of the Easter Season. Yet, instead of returning to the green vestments of the season, this week and next week we again wear the celebratory white vestments, signifying something special is going on.

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. Having celebrated Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the church, the full revelation of the Trinity is now complete. Hence, the church celebrates this feast as a reminder that we know God as Father-Son-Holy Spirit as One God through three persons -- distinct but not separate. Next Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi: The Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus -- truly and physically present to us, through the mystery of transubstantiation, in the form of bread and wine. The church in the United States begins a three year Eucharistic Revival to reinvigorate our awareness of the Eucharistic presence and our reverence for the same. Our 11:00 a.m. Mass next week will conclude with a Eucharistic Procession and benediction. There will be programs and events planned both from our Faith Formation office and from the diocese that will help us along this journey of faith. You will be hearing much more about this as the year goes on.

This is also a good time to think about becoming a regular adorer in our Perpetual Adoration Chapel. The chapel -- Our Lady of Victory -- opened on the Feast of Corpus Christi in 2015 and remains open 24/7. Please consider spending time with our Blessed Lord in adoration for an hour each week.

Last Sunday at the 9:30 Mass we reinstituted the Children’s Liturgy of the Word. We had been holding this activity for children ages 4-6 prior to the pandemic protocols and have decided to bring it back to the parish. The children are “dismissed” after the Collect (Opening Prayer) and return for the Creed. During that time they hear the Gospel for the Mass read to them from the children's Bible and then they discuss and conduct an age-appropriate activity related to the Sunday readings. They are in the care of well-trained catechists with ample supervision. This is a very good way to prepare your children to be more active in understanding and participating in the Mass.

This past Friday -- June 10th -- marked the end of the school year here at St. Benedict. I am most grateful to our principal, Kevin Donahue, vice-principal Christine Keeling, and the entire faculty and staff of our parish school for their hard work in teaching and caring for the 423 students in our school this year. While the year had its challenges -- as do all school years -- the school year was marked with the uncertainty surrounding all of the protocols for the pandemic and, most assuredly, concerns over safety in all of the schools in our country. Our students and faculty are on a much needed recess and we wish them all well as they enjoy the adventures, opportunities, and rest that the summer affords each of them. We still have openings in some of the grades for the coming school year, so make contact with the school office if you are interested in placing your children in our school.

I have received a few inquiries about serving on either the Pastoral Council, Finance Council, or the School Board here. If you are interested, please send a CV to me either in hardcopy or via email. Thank you.

Next Monday, June 13th we celebrate the feast of St. Anthony. Although we have ceased the practice over the past few years because of Covid we will once again prominently place the statue of St. Anthony close to the sanctuary. We encourage you to bring donations of bread or other food items to be given to our food pantry. A basket for monetary donations for the benefit of the food pantry will also be available.

We have decided to move the new candle stand to a more visible location next to the prayer intention book in the Gathering Space. As I mentioned in a previous letter the practice of burning candles in church goes back to the Old Testament and is a common sight in Catholic churches. A lighted candle signifies our reverence and our desire to remain present in prayer. It symbolizes a prayer offering where we present our petitions to the Lord and ask the saints to pray with us and to pray for us during our most urgent needs. This light, when kept burning, represents our longing to remain in the company of our Lord as we go about our day.

Blessings and peace,
Fr. Garry