Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Happy Labor Day weekend! While this has become the unofficial “end of summer” Labor Day is a reminder to us of the important role that the Labor Unions played in our country to protect the rights, safety, and dignity of workers. Pope Saint John Paul II wrote extensively on this topic in his 1981 encyclical Laborem Exercens. There he reminds us that our work -- whatever form of work that may be -- is a dignity given to us by God and that we deserve to work in safe conditions, in solidarity with other workers, and earning a just wage and benefits. It is the worker, and not either the corporation or the state that should benefit most from our labor. This is a polarizing issue in our country these days, and something that impacts the wallets of each of us.

We had our teachers in-service this past week for some training workshops and preparation for the school year which begins when 455 students arrive on our campus on Tuesday morning. The school is primed and ready to go, thanks to the dedicated work of our buildings and grounds crew led by Bob Cognat, along with Robert McGrogan, Walter Flores, and Peter DePerry. It seems no task is too big or insurmountable for them to do a great job. In addition, we are looking for a new full-time member for this crew, so if you know of anyone interested, please have him or her make contact with Pat Tobino in the parish HR Office.

You will note in the bulletin that on September 8th, we are hosting internationally known Father John Baptist Bashobora. Fr. Bashobora is a charismatic priest known for his prayer, healing and deliverance ministry. Many who have attended a Healing Mass have experienced the healing power of the Lord through him. The celebrant invokes God’s healing power over those gathered at the Mass. It is God who is doing the healing: Physical - healing pain, disease, suffering; Spiritual- breaking with sins, addictions, deliverance from temptations, possessions; Emotional - healing a relationship, memories, unforgiveness, fear, anxiety, depression.

Father Bashobora serves as coordinator of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement in the Mbarara Diocese Uganda, East Africa. He earned his doctorate in Theology of Spirituality from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Father was ordained as a priest in 1972. Father will celebrate Mass at 7pm. We are happy to have him with us.

Next weekend we observe the twenty-first anniversary of the infamous attacks on the World Trade Center. I will be present to offer the invocation at the Monmouth County observance of this singular bellicose act against our country and our way of life. We remember the many parishioners and the members of their families who were lost that day, and certainly we are mindful of the many horrible consequences of that day and its aftermath.

Also, next Sunday -- we will celebrate our first Sunday 5pm Mass -- opening a new door of opportunity for you to attend Mass on Sunday. This has been a long-time coming and I am happy to see this finally come to fruition. It is my fervent prayer that this will allow more people to participate in Mass on the weekends here, and will provide a conduit of evangelization for our parish community. In order to assist us with this celebration, Father Tony Carotenuto and Msgr. Jack Carroll will be celebrating weekend Masses here with more frequency.

This weekend we are offering a blessing for all of the students in our parish who are returning to, or beginning, their school terms this fall. Regardless of which school they attend, we invite them to come forward to receive a blessing and a prayer card. We also pray for the safety of all students in schools throughout the world, and pray that the scourge of school violence is at its end.

Have a blessed weekend -- safe travels to all!
Fr. Garry