Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Happy Memorial Day weekend -- the “unofficial” beginning of the summer -- and all of that. Of course, and with far greater importance, this weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost -- the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and the birth of the church.

That is not to diminish, however, the cultural significance of Memorial Day. We remember in a solemn and special way on Monday those who died in service to our country and the ideals and principles as laid down in our founding documents. Many of us mark this day visiting cemeteries and decorating the graves of the deceased. May those of you for whom this observance is particularly poignant know the Lord’s peace and the gratitude of our nation.

We are marching quickly now to the end of the school year. Like every school year it seems to have gone too fast and, at the same time, has lasted for ever! The students from St. John Vianney HS are graduating next Saturday, and the SBS eighth grade class is to be graduated on June 9.

I ask your prayers for Deacon Kevin Hrycenko who will be ordained as a priest for our diocese next Saturday at St. Joseph Church in Toms River. Kevin is the only priest to be ordained here this year. The future Father Hrycenko has been assigned as parochial vicar at St. Mary of the Lakes in Medford, where Father Dan Swift is pastor. Two men -- Brian Meinders and Wynne Kerridge -- were ordained as deacons last weekend, hoping to be advanced to the priesthood next year. We pray for them on their journey.

You will soon be noticing a young man assisting at some of the daily Masses, at funerals, and at some of the Masses on the weekend. He is Billy Attardi, a 2022 graduate of CBA who is discerning a call to priesthood. He will be assisting here, and holding another job as well, as he discerns in what direction the Lord is calling him.

Let us continue our prayers for all of the above, for our seminarians, and for more men to respond to the call of God in their lives.

The weekend of June 10 -11 is Corpus Christi Weekend -- the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. This year we will celebrate with greater solemnity as we formally kick-off the parish phase of the Year of the Eucharist here in our diocese and throughout the US. After the 11am Mass on that Sunday we will hold a Eucharistic procession. Please join us not only for Mass that weekend, but be present with us as we bear witness to Christ present with us throughout the day. We have a number of events planned throughout the year, and I will speak more about this in the future.

Have a safe and happy summer -- farewell to those of you who are heading down the shore for the rest of the summer -- we hope to see you back in September, Remember to follow us on line!

Blessings,

Father Garry