Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

This weekend we celebrate the feast of our patron, Saint Benedict. As we have done in years past this feast, though actually on July 11, can be transferred to the nearest Sunday. We are reminded of the significant role that Benedict played in church history, the development of monasticism and the rules for religious life and, indeed, the progress of European culture and history. Benedict, and the thousands of monks and nuns who have lived the Benedictine rule over the past fifteen hundred years, have been an enormous blessing to the church and to the world. We cannot overlook either the contributions of his greatest collaborator, and his twin sister, Saint Scholastica, whose feast is February 10.

With all of the transition here around July 1, this past week was nice and quiet, allowing Fr. Adam and Mr. Cammarano to settle in, meet many of the staff, and get acclimated to our small, quiet, urban parish. Now that we have them thinking it’s a low keyed summer, things kick off this week with a vengeance! Week two of the Summer Religious Education Academy begins tomorrow, as does St. Benedict’s School six-week Camp Out summer
experience. It’s going to be a busy and productive summer here.

During this year of Eucharistic Revival the Diocese of Trenton has developed a homily series on the Eucharist. One Sunday each month has a dedicated homily that focuses on the Eucharist. A different priest penned the homily for each month and they are available on the diocesan website. This weekend is the first of those homilies, written by Father Michael Kennedy, the administrator of St. Luke Parish in Toms River. You can find the homilies on the Diocese of Trenton Website under the Eucharistic Revival Icon near the Bishop’s picture at the bottom of the front page. I recommend that you read the homily each month -- or as your time allows as they are all to be archived there -- for some enrichment and growth in understanding of this great miracle that Jesus has left to his church.

Sorry for the brief letter, it seems that even though there is much going on, there really isn’t that much to write about right now.
Have a blessed week!

St. Benedict ... pray for us!
Father Garry