Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

World Marriage Sunday is a time for us all to reflect on the uniquely sacramental nature of marriage. While our parish seems to be bucking the national trends on marriages -- we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of marriages and convalidations over the past five years -- we all know that there is still some serious work to do. This weekend we offer a blessing to all of our married couples. For those of you who are celebrating special anniversaries this year, the bishop will celebrate a Mass for married couples sometime in the fall, usually October. Stay tuned for further details.

Lent is right around the corner, so there are a few things to keep in mind as we prepare for Lent. The regulations for Lent are found here in the bulletin. We will have several Lenten programs this year, so keep those in mind. As we are about to enter the Year of the Eucharist, you will note that there is an underlying Eucharistic theme that will be running through many of these programs.

Although it is only February, it is not too early to think about the summer. We will be conducting the three-weeks of Religious Education Academy again this summer. We are in need of teachers and other volunteers to assist with the program. Please make contact with Nancy Arkin in the faith formation office for details.

Anyone with a child or grandchild between the ages of 4 and 7 can also look into the Summer Camp being offered by SBS this summer. This six-week program will provide both fun and educational opportunities to all campers. We are keeping it small -- no more than 80 campers per week -- so it should be a good experience and a great way to enrich our children over the summer.

I also have to confess -- not that many do not already know this - - but I am a life-long Eagles fan, so I am looking forward to today’s Super Bowl. This has become a de facto holiday, and there is a movement afoot to make the following Monday a national holiday. Perhaps that seems extreme, but it would be nice. Although we do have President’s Day next week, and this serves as a reminder that the parish office will close at noon on Friday.

The school will conduct an Open House Friday afternoon for prospective students. If you are still looking, please make contact with the school office to set up a tour.

I feel like the doldrums of mid-winter are taking over. It is a week and a half until Lent starts --- then we will be in full action mode again.

Start working on those soup recipes for Soup and Scripture!

Have a blessed week!

Fr. Garry