Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

Happy Solemnity of Saint Benedict! As we have transferred the feast to Sunday, we are able to honor our patron with the dignity that are his due. He rescued monasticism, and through his followers, the faith in Europe, through a programmatic system of reform and renewal. The church was then, is now, and always is, in need of reform and renewal. Please accept the challenge to be an agent of such reform and renewal in your own homes, neighborhoods, our parish, and in the church in the world. Please visit the Narthex, and accept the challenge for your own renewal as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Finally summer has arrived. These 90o days provide a sense that life is normal here at the Shore. While the “dog days” are on, they are not slowing us down here. Our first week of the Summer Academy is in the books, and it has gone well as expected. Our teachers and wonderful high school and college volunteers provided a welcoming, creative, informative, prayerful, and playful atmosphere for the students – and they get to do it all again both this week and next.

I am also excited to announce that next week a member of the Department of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Baltimore will be here to look at and experience our program. They have heard about the programs here in our diocese and are interested in seeing what we do so that they can adopt it there. This is a great testimony to our programs and initiatives here. I am grateful that Mrs. Dayton is willing to take on this additional responsibility. It is exciting and I am very happy to see it in progress.

We were fortunate this past week to have Father Dan Kirk present the Christ Life Retreat. His work and insights are always powerful and significant. Thank you to the team for inviting him to present that evening.

This coming Tuesday night the Faith Formation Committee is sponsoring “Come to the Table.” Please check the bulletin for details, and bring a friend.

Father JM asks prayers for the eternal rest of his Grandfather, Manuel Patilla, who passed away on July 3rd. As you might remember, Mr. Patilla had been suffering from lung cancer for over a year, and Father was fortunate to be able to get home to see him in May. Father returned there for the funeral, and will be back at the end of the week. Please keep Mr. Patilla, Father JM, and his family, in your prayers.

I also wish to mention that this past Tuesday the diocese buried a wonderful priest of 57 years in Father Jay Bowden. Father was enjoying a busy retirement until being stricken with illness earlier this year. He is well-known as being on the forefront of the Cursillo movement in our diocese, serving as chaplain to Cursillo for over forty years. While his priestly service never brought him to our neck of the woods, many parishioners here knew him for his work in Cursillo, the charismatic movement, and other spirituality programs in the diocese. May he rest in peace.

Please check out the SBS website and page in the bulletin for more information on the Amazon Wish List. Our teachers have completed various wish lists for their classrooms and we have developed a wish list on Amazon. By logging into AmazonSmile (make sure SBS is your designated charity) you can assist theschool by making even a relatively small purchase for donation to the school. We can’t all do big things, but if we all do small things consistently, then we can together make a difference. If you are really ambitious, you can purchase an Amazon SCRIP card from the office, so the school can benefit three ways from your generosity!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful week – a chance to relax and enjoy the summer!

Blessings,
Fr. Garry