Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

As many of you are aware Deacon Ray Pelkowski has not been on the schedule since February, having experienced some minor yet debilitating health issues. He is anxious to get back to work, but is taking his time recovering, and certainly we are happy to let him wait until he is ready to resume whatever kinds of ministry he feels he can manage. He is grateful for your prayers.

Ordained a deacon in 1985, Deacon Ray has been an active and vital part of this community for a very long time. To my count, he has celebrated 71 weddings in our parish (the first being between Walter Schember and Deborah Merkel on July 27, 1985) and well, frankly, I stopped counting the baptisms when I hit 200 and was still only into the mid-1990’s. His first baptisms were on June 9, 1985 when he baptized Thomas Buccheri, Jr., Matthew Robert Chan, and Jenna Lynn Thomas.

I mention all of this because on August 24th Deacon Ray will turn 90 years old. He has been graced in general with good health, and he is a blessing and has been an inspiration to so many. To celebrate this milestone, Deacon Ray will be present for the 11:00 a.m. Mass on Sunday, August 25th, and we will have birthday cake for him in the narthex after Mass. If you would like to send a birthday card to Deacon Ray, you can send them to or drop them off at the office, and we will have a box for cards in the narthex that weekend.

We pray that the Lord will continue to bless Deacon Ray with health, grace, and peace.

This is a good time to remind everyone that we are happy to celebrate milestones. Significant birthdays and wedding anniversaries are occasions for special blessings, and we are always happy to do so at any of the Masses on a weekend. Couples married 25, 50 and more years are reminded of the Diocesan Anniversary Mass, celebrated by the Bishop. Consult the bulletin for the announcement and details. This is a beautiful celebration, and I am happy to attend and concelebrate the Mass each year.

We also like to extend blessings of farewell to parishioners who are moving away. We also have our new parishioner welcome celebrations every few months as well.

Today we welcome Ciro Saverino, our new youth minister, as we share a meet-and-greet with him after the 9:30 a.m. Mass. Ciro has some exciting ideas, and has been meeting with the core team leaders and the adult volunteers, in order to get the groundswell moving. His infectious faith and lively spirit should serve us well.

I am also pleased to announce that Mary McKelvey has accepted the position of Assistant Director of Faith Formation. She has many years of experience in religious education, and will be a strong support for the Summer Academy and the traditional Wednesday programs. We are happy to have her on board. I am not yet sure when she will be able to start her position, but it should be in the next few weeks.

Life on the school side is progressing along. New students are enrolling in dribs and drabs, and we know there are several more pending. Hopefully we can reach our targeted goals by the time school opens.

Please remember the Holy Day of Obligation this week: The Feast of the Assumption, patroness of the Diocese of Trenton. I hope everyone is enjoying the final weeks of summer.

Have a blessed week!
Father Garry