Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

We are fortunate this year to have four full weeks of Advent to prepare for Christmas. This might be true for us as we shop, decorate, and get ready for the festivities, but it is definitely true for us as we prepare for the spiritual connection to the Nativity of our Lord and the presence of God with us.

We have had a very active Advent Season, and this coming week is no exception.

Today (Sunday 18th) is the annual parish celebration of Penance. We do not have a traditional service where everyone arrives at the same time, but offer the opportunity for Confession over a period of two hours We have a dozen priests coming for the afternoon. The children in the religious education program who are to receive First Holy Communion in May are receiving First Penance at the service. We invite all families of the parish to take advantage of the opportunity for Confession. This is the best way to make ready for the celebration of Christmas.

Monday night we host one of the Simbang Gabi Novena Masses at 7pm. The evening begins with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Confessions at 6:30. This annual celebration of a Filipino traditional morning novena leading to Christmas, certainly adds much to our preparation for the festivities. Join our Father AL and members of the Filipino community for the celebration. All are invited to attend.

Thank you for your support of our seminarians. This week I am attending the annual Christmas gathering of the seminarians with our bishop. I will present each with a gift from our parish at that time. Your support of them is deeply appreciated.

Next weekend we celebrate the Nativity of our Lord. Please note that we are following the usual Christmas schedule and not the weekly Sunday schedule. Mass will be celebrated in the Gym following the Christmas Pageant at 3:30pm; Mass on Christmas Eve at 4pm in the church, at 6 and 8pm; Mass at Midnight; on Christmas morning Mass at 9 and at 11am . If you are attending the Midnight Mass, please join our Adult Choir for their performance beginning at 11:30pm. Thanks to Tom O’Brien and the choir for their dedication to enhancing our liturgical celebrations.

Masses for the weekend of December 31 - January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, will follow the normal Sunday schedule.

Thank you for your generosity to the annual giving trees, which support the good works of the RAINE Foundation. This weekend, and through January 8, the youth group are holding
their annual winter coat/gloves/hats/scarves drive.

This past week the students in the school had their annual Christmas concerts and pageants. This was the first since 2019.

It was great to see all this come back after the hiatus. Thanks to Ellen Remick for all her hard work with the students.

Join us on Tuesday for our final Advent faith formation program as Father AL speaks to us about Emmanuel.

Have a blessed fourth week of Advent,
Fr. Garry