Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Next weekend we open our Forty Hours Observance here. I have offered some history and insight into what this is and what it means for us. We are doing this in conjunction with the Period of Eucharistic Revival here in the American Church and as we have not had a parish mission since the onset of the pandemic, this is a good way to reinvigorate that time of renewal and revival for our parish.

While we have perpetual adoration in the chapel, this is a more focused and intense period of adoration. We are asking that you consider signing-up for an hour of devotion as a family, a couple, or as a single person, for that period of time. Adoration will be in the church during the day and in the chapel in the overnight hours. We are also offering periods of public prayer (Rosary, Liturgy of the Hours) and there will be times when Confessions are available.

I know we all have busy schedules, but it would be a great blessing to your family, and to our parish, if you were able to attend the Masses and some of the other events of the forty hour period, and especially if you can spend an hour in adoration. There are sign-up sheets in the narthex for the adoration periods.

On Sunday night our celebrant and homilist will be Father Mariusz Eugene Koch, C.F.R. Ordained in 1969 as a priest for the Archdiocese of Newark, he has served the Archdiocese as associate pastor, pastor, Vocations Director, Campus Minister at Seton Hall University, and Rector of St. Andrew's College Seminary. In 1985 he earned an M.A. in Spiritual Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (The Angelicum) in Rome. In 1979, Father Koch completed a two-year training program in "Spiritual Direction and Religious Counseling" from the Archdiocese of New York Office for Spiritual Development. In 1996, Father Koch entered the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal where he has been involved in hands-on work with the poor; post-abortion ministry for men and women; parish missions; retreats for priests, seminarians and religious; spiritual direction; as well as a number of television series on youth evangelization for EWTN.

Father served the community as Community Servant (General Superior) for two terms. He presently serves as spiritual director at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University. (Although we share a last name, Father Mariusz and I are not related).

Our Monday homilist is Father Daniel Kirk, known to many of you from his time here as parochial vicar (2013 - 2016) and he is presently the pastor of St. Charles Borromeo parish in Cinnaminson. Ordained in 2012, he is a graduate of St. Andrew's College Seminary at Seton Hall, where he received a B.A. in Catholic Studies. He went on to study in Rome at the Gregorian University, earning an S.T.B. in Theology as well as an S.T.L. in Spiritual Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (The Angelicum) in Rome.

Our Tuesday homilist is our bishop, David M. O’Connell, C.M. Please mark your calendars for this parish celebration.

Also please check the bulletin for the Mass times for the All Saints Day Holy Day of Obligation October 31-November 1 and the Masses for All Souls Day on November 2.

A most blessed week,

Fr. Garry