Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

The First Sunday of Lent draws our attention to the temptations of Jesus in the desert following his baptism. Our Lenten journey can be easily distracted through many small temptations that come our way, and even from lack of attentiveness. While the journey has just begun, much like the New Year’s resolutions that we make each year, we can fall into old habits very easily. Fortunately, Lent is a time when we can pick back up and go forward.

To assist us with the journey our parish-wide penance service will be held on Sunday, March 23rd beginning at 2:30 pm. It is an easy way to come together with your family and to receive the Sacrament at the same time, and also to best prepare for the coming Easter Season. The church does still hold to the completion of the Easter Duty -- the obligation to receive Confession and Communion at least once between Ash Wednesday and Pentecost Sunday.

The weekly Soup and Scripture series begins on Wednesday evening following the Stations of the Cross. Please note that Stations, held every Wednesday and Friday in Lent, will be at 5:30 pm this year. This is a change from the past, and will hopefully make them easier to attend.

The Knights of Columbus are busy with their plans for a family pizza night. More details on that are coming soon. Plan to pray the Stations with us and then stay for pizza afterwards.

Last weekend the school held a Gala celebration, Note Worthy, an evening to celebrate the music program and to raise money for the dedication of a classroom just for the music curriculum and the individual music lessons. It was a very successful evening, and we are all most grateful for the leadership of the school parent associations in this endeavor. Of course the parish and school staff: Megan Gallagher, Patti Dickens, Lori Ulrich, Nick Cammarano, Fran DeMuria (and her husband, Rob) did an excellent job in managing the organization and execution of the gala itself.

I hope everyone has a blessed Lenten season,
Father Garry