Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

The summer season is well underway and each of us has settled into the routines that we enjoy this time of the year. For some that might mean an extended vacation, for others an opportunity to get to the shore, and for others the many outdoor activities that living here affords. Whatever your routine, some element of fun and relaxation are, hopefully, a part of the mix.

Of course parish life is always looking forward. The children have just begun their summer break. The Summer Academy for religious education runs for three weeks in July, and then the school needs to be reset for the summer. This summer there are no major projects planned in the school, though we have taken some steps to increase security. Each year we need to make additional steps in keeping our technology programs and offerings on par with the latest advancements, especially as we strengthen our commitment to STREAM (Science-Technology-Religion-English-Arts-Music) education.

To assist us with the additional programs and increasing demands in technology and security, which really go hand-in-hand, supplemental funding is necessary. While the state does provide assistance to such programs, the Governor has reduced the per student dollar allocation to non-public schools. There are also some more restrictions placed on how money from the state can be spent in the school. Nonetheless, we still need to provide services, programs, security, technology, and books, to our students at increasing costs. Even as enrollment in the school dips, our fixed costs (insurance, salaries, and benefits) continue to increase. This requires – indeed demands – that we do more and more supplemental income sourcing. To that end, we are looking for some assistance at advancement work. Gone are the days when bake sales, magazine drives, and other fund-raisers, can adequately make a dent in school deficit spending. While those are nice to have, and in some ways are also community- building experiences, they cannot approach the projected budget gap for the coming school year.

I have formed a school board – more on that at some other time – that is now in compliance with the diocesan standards, which has not been the case here for a very long time. Among the roles of the board is to oversee the school’s financial health and future. We need to develop some long-term planning strategies, seek grants as available, and look towards other alternate ways of funding.

If you have any expertise or background in development, advancement, or long term project planning – especially in areas of education – please consider how you might get involved in our school. We cannot just rely solely on the goodness of our parents who do a wonderful job, but could use some professional guidance, and perhaps, think “outside of the box” when it comes to supplementing the revenue stream for our school. Please let me know if and how you might want to be involved in insuring the success of SBS for the future of our children.

Our principal, Mr. Donahue, has a background and expertise in enrollment management, and this is a great first start for our school. Each of us should be invested in the success of the school, and letting our neighbors and friends know that a good Catholic School is in our neighborhood.

On a lighter note – look who is back this weekend from his time with family in Philippines – welcome home Father JM!

Blessings and peace,
Fr. Garry