Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. There are only three birthdays celebrated by the Church in the Liturgical calendar: John the Baptist (June 24th); Mary (September 8th) and Jesus (December 25th). These three, integral to the plan of salvation, were each born without Original Sin. It is for that reason that we celebrate their births as liturgical solemnities. The Nativity of St. John the Baptist is so important to the life of the church that, as with this weekend, it supersedes the Sunday of Ordinary Time.

As a parish we will interrupt Ordinary Time again in two weeks when we celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Benedict, the weekend of July 7th-8th. Although the actual the feast is July 11th, a parish has the right to transfer its patronal feast to the prior or closest Sunday and to celebrate it in lieu of a Sunday of Ordinary Time. We have never done this at St. Benedict, and it is a very nice way to celebrate, honor, and learn more about our patron. There will be more information about him in the bulletin for that weekend.

I would like to thank and acknowledge Betty Martin for her organization and execution of Father Tony Carotenuto’s Fiftieth Anniversary of Ordination celebration last Sunday. It was great to see so many parishioners from his time of service here (1973-1985) return to celebrate with him. Fathers Bill Bausch and Bob Kaeding surprised us with a visit to the reception, though neither of them was able to assist at the Mass. Even though he is now five years retired, Father Tony continues to serve the church throughout Monmouth County, assisting with daily and weekend Masses. We pray for him and all of our retired priests.

The Our Lady of Victory Adoration Chapel is a significant part of our praying and worshipping community. While most of the hourly slots are filled, we are always in need of more adorers. Praying in the presence of our Eucharistic Lord is enriching in the life of a parish, a family, and certainly the individual adorer. Whether or not you can commit to an hour each week, please remember to stop by and to spend a quiet moment in prayer to our Divine Lord.

Some people aren’t sure what to do when they enter the chapel. Seminarian intern Chris, is working on laminated prayer cards to serve as a starting point for prayer. There are some very beautiful prayers for Adoration, so we hope to have some of them in one place to make your prayer time there meaningful.

Let us continue to pray for Father JM and his family. His Grandfather is now in palliative care and returning home to their province from Manila. I am not sure when Father will return.

May you all have a blessed week,
Fr. Garry