Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

April seems to be flying by, here we are already on the third Sunday of Easter. It has been a rough season with the allergies for everyone I meet -- certainly Father AL and I are both sneezing more than we would like. Yet, the beauty of the spring flowers offsets the inconvenience of a little congestion.

During the Triduum, when the Adoration Chapel closed as the celebrations began, we had the opportunity to deep clean and paint the chapel. The chapel certainly offers a place for rest and quiet prayer with the Lord. We are most blessed to have this chapel in our parish. Please consider visiting the chapel on a regular basis. If you are interested, you can sign-up for a specific day and time during the week which is best for you. In this way it becomes a part of your life routine. As we will soon be inaugurating the parish phase of the three-year focus on the Eucharist, you will be hearing more of these opportunities.

The celebration of the Easter Vigil this year -- which is especially beautiful and unique in its own right -- nonetheless lacked the celebration of initiation for adults, which is an integral aspect of this particular liturgy. While we do have adults desiring the Sacrament of Confirmation -- which they will receive at the Pentecost Vigil on May 27 -- we have not had any full scale initiations: baptism, confirmation, first communion, since the pandemic shut down. We get occasional inquiries but not much follow-up. If there is anyone in your life who desires to receive the sacraments or someone interested in becoming a Catholic, please direct them to the faith formation office.

Likewise, anyone baptized as a Catholic who has not received confirmation should be in preparation for the sacrament. A Catholic needs to be confirmed before they can be married in the church or before they can stand as a sponsor at a baptism or confirmation.

I know I have mentioned this before, but since the lockdowns we are seeing more requests for funerals outside of Mass. A number of parishioners who were regular, sometimes even daily Mass attendees, are deprived of a funeral Mass. It is our right and duty as baptized Catholics to have a proper Christian burial, which includes the celebration of a funeral Mass. Please honor your parents and other family members in this way and make sure that you have made arrangements with the funeral home of your choice for a proper funeral Mass.

On a similar topic, a proper burial is also part of our requirements as Catholics. While cremation is an acceptable option, the immediate burial of the cremains is expected and required. We are well-aware that funerals are not inexpensive, yet we honor those whom we love and who loved us.

I know, talk of funerals and burials is not very uplifting.
We continue our celebration of First Holy Communions through the month of May, and next Sunday at 9:30 and 11 am Masses the students from the school will receive the sacrament. Let us continue our prayers for them and for their families.

Have a most blessed week,
Fr. Garry