Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Our parish celebrates this week with Anthony Cullen, who was formally accepted as a Candidate for Ordination as a Deacon by Bishop O’Connell last Saturday. Anthony is in his second year of preparation for ordination. Let us continue our prayers for him on his journey. 

Thank you for your generous response to the collection for World Mission Sunday. We raised $1,400 last weekend. This does not include those who contribute via WeShare each week.

As we begin November we are mindful that this is the Month of the Holy Souls. Although the first day of November is the Solemnity of All Saints, where we remember all the saints in the heavenly kingdom, most of whom are unknown to us, our focus is on those who have died and are still in need of God’s mercy. There is a dedicated envelope to remember all the faithful departed of our own families and friends, which will be placed in front of the altar for the entire month. This envelope can be offered at any time during the month.

Tuesday is, of course, a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass is offered at 7pm Monday, 9am and 5pm on Tuesday. The students in the school will attend Mass at 1pm.

Wednesday is the Commemoration of All Souls. Mass is offered at 9am and also at 7pm. Here we remember all of the faithful departed, but in a special way we remember all who were buried from our parish since last November. The members of the Grief Support team will be here on Wednesday to offer some assistance to any in need. Those of you who have recently lost a loved one are invited to join the grief support group. This provides an opportunity to process the challenges that come with grief, and to do so in the context of prayer and with others who are similarly suffering. Carol DeMuria heads up that group.

This coming weekend we are celebrating the 60th Anniversary Gala for St. Benedict’s School. So many people, members of the various parent groups of the school, and Patti Dickens and Lori Ulrich of the parish/school office have put in a great deal of time and much energy in planning and organizing this event.

The night is a total sell-out and the auction baskets are indeed amazing. This should prove to be an extraordinary fund-raiser for the school. We are all looking forward to a wonderful
evening. A lot of hard work has gone into this evening and we are looking forward to reaping the benefits of the labor. We are happy to recognize Mrs. Mary Ellen Harris at this event. Her support for our school over the past several years has been a game-changer for us, and we are honored to be able to thank her for contributions, support, and enthusiasm for our school.

The role of usher is being reinstituted here under the direction of Frank Calvosa, past Grand Knight in our parish. As part of our discipleship and evangelization efforts we invite all to consider joining the Knights in this ministry. The role of the gatekeeper or greeter is the oldest lay ministry in the church, dating from the first century.

They invite all parishioners: men, women, young adults, to join in this ministry. In addition to greeting people attending Mass, the usher assists those who need to receive Communion in their pew, and to inform the deacon if they need a low gluten host. They also respond to any emergencies that may arise. In this capacity, CPR and first-aid crisis handling training will be provided. Ideally we are hoping to form teams of five who would rotate along with the Knight Coordinator at their Masses each weekend. If you are interested, make contact with Frank at facconsultants@yahoo.com.

This Friday, November 4, is the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo, the patron saint of seminarians. Each month we highlight some of our seminarians in the bulletin for our prayers. We will be holding our adopt-a-seminarian event in a few weeks. This is also a good time to remember to pray for our seminarians, and in a special way to focus our prayers on those who are discerning a call to serve the church either as a priest or as a member of a religious community. It is difficult enough at any time in life to understand this vocation, and it seems even more challenging now than at any time in recent memory.

The beginning of November is also a reminder to us that Advent begins before the month ends, so it is a good time to focus on readying ourselves to prepare for Christmas. While many usual things will be happening, it is also good to be able to bring back some activities that were lost during the pandemic. Please be sure to pick up a copy and read the bulletin as it will be the best way to keep on top of everything since much will be happening.

Have a blessed week -- don’t eat too much candy corn this week and keep your dentist happy. Oh, and the World Series begins on Friday night, so don’t be too surprised if I am wearing red for no other apparent reason!
Fr. Garry