Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Finally some wonderful spring weather! We have come to the final weekend of the First Holy Communions for our parish. I am, as ever, grateful to Mrs. Contino, Mr. Santucci, Mrs. Cesario, and a host of catechists who work so hard and diligently to prepare our students for the reception of this great Sacrament. Let us pray now that they continue to grow in their regular reception of the Eucharist.

As mentioned earlier, next weekend is the Feast of Pentecost. Please remember that there is no regular 5:00 p.m. Mass next Saturday. Instead at 5:00 p.m. we will celebrate Praise and Worship, followed by a presentation by Monsignor Rebeck, pastor emeritus of St. Catharine in Holmdel, and then Confessions and Mass at 7:00 p.m. We anticipate the celebration of Pentecost with the Vigil Mass, following an ancient formula. I am grateful to Father JM and his committee who have worked hard to plan and implement this celebration in our parish. May the Lord, in His mercy, bless us as we prepare for Pentecost.

Ours is still one of the few dioceses in the US that celebrated Ascension this past Thursday. Most of the dioceses are celebrating Ascension today, transferring the celebration to the Sunday before Pentecost. Although many people seem to miss the requirement of “Holy Day of Obligation”, I for one am happy that we maintain the integrity of the liturgical calendar and year in our diocese. Having the ten days between Ascension and Pentecost is not only true to the account in the Acts of the Apostles, but is also reflected in the rhythm of the readings and prayers for the Masses. Today is, as it ought to be, the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

While I will speak more of this in subsequent weeks, on Saturday June 2, the Reverend Mr. Michael DeSaye, the seminarian who calls St. Benedict’s home, will be ordained priest by Bishop O’Connell at the Cathedral in Trenton. This is a great moment for our diocese, our parish, and for me personally. I taught Michael when he was a student at CBA, and now to be with him as he is ordained priest is awesome and humbling.

Soon-to-be Father Michael DeSaye has chosen to celebrate his First Mass (Mass of Thanksgiving) here at the regularly scheduled 9:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, June 3. It is, quite appropriately, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (Corpus Christi). All of the parish is invited to attend this Mass (as usual) but be aware that it is this great celebration as well. So, when you arrive and you see a host of concelebrating clergy, deacons, and seminarians, don’t get too scared. I will outline the spiritual benefits of participating in a First Mass in a subsequent bulletin letter.

Everything else seems to be coming along well. Parish is good!

Blessings and peace,
Fr. Garry