Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

We have been blessed with many visitors to the Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit, yet there remains plenty of time this week to stop in and take a walk through the presentation. It is very well done and very interesting and spiritually enriching.

We are heading now into the Fifth Week of Lent which means that next Sunday is Palm Sunday. We are making a bit of a modification to the way we celebrate the day, with only the 9:30 Mass on Sunday morning beginning in the gym. All of the other Masses will begin in the Church. Unfortunately, the exhibit in the Hall of Saints does take away some seating for the Masses, so it will be tight.

This means that we need to begin to think about the celebration of the Triduum. Once again I invite everyone to attend the Chrism Mass next Monday, March 25) at the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine in Freehold. This Mass is where the holy oils for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Priesthood Ordination, and the Anointing of the Sick are blessed by the Bishop. At the same Mass the priests recommit themselves to their promises. As we celebrate the Institution of the Priesthood and of the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday, it is a good reminder for all of us about the role of the priest within our community, and to pray for more vocations to Holy Orders.

Thank you to all who were able to attend the Confession Service last Sunday. This Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm a similar service will be held at St. Mary’s in Colts Neck.

On Tuesday this week March 19 we observe the Feast of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary. This is a very significant feast in the life of the church as St. Joseph is the Patron of the Universal Church. We will bless the St. Joseph Table at the 9:00 am Mass on Tuesday and share some conviviality afterwards.

Of course this weekend we observe the Memorial of St. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland and all things Irish. I hope everyone enjoys their green beer and corned beef and cabbage festivities.

Please pay close attention to the bulletin for the times of the events of the Triduum and Easter Sunday.

Let us all take these last two weeks of Lent to strengthen our resolve and commitment to prayer, fasting and alms giving.

Have a Blessed week,
Fr. Garry