News - January 2020 RSS Feed

This week we are showcasing Saint Benedict’s Catholic School as we celebrate Catholic Schools Week. An integral ministry of our parish, the school has been a mainstay here since its founding in 1962. With a current enrollment of 397 students in grades PreK-4 to 8, our students and their families stand as an integral component of the entire life of the parish. Certainly all families of the parish, regardless of their constituent make-up, where they work, or where they attend school, are essential to our life as the Body of Christ and the People of God. Yet, in a unique way, the Catholic School is an aspect of the ministry of this parish and, sadly, a diminishing number of parishes in our diocese. Read more.

Read the March for Life Plenary Indulgence from Pope Francis.

Last weekend Deacon Rich introduced us to the initiative Novena For Life which is the initiative of the Knights of Columbus Councils in the northern Bay Shore area: Our Lady of Fatima (Keyport), Holy Family (Union Beach) and St. Clement (Matawan). We are happy to host two of the evenings of prayer here this week on Monday, January 20th and Tuesday, January 21st beginning at 7:30 p.m. Read more.

Finally it feels like we are back to normal. Typically I write these letters early in the week – the deadline for the printer is noon on Wednesday – but the early deadlines for the holidays meant that even last week’s letter was written before Christmas. Now, at least, I feel like we are current. Read more.

“Little Christmas” – the celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord, stands as a highlight of the Christmas Season. Unlike the rest of the world that begins decorating and celebrating Christmas long before, but then ends Christmas on December 25th, the Church begins Christmas then and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism (Sunday, January 12th). This means we get the time to celebrate this great mystery. In what is now called the Extra Ordinary Form of the Mass – the old Latin calendar which was revised fifty years ago – Christmas lasted until February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Read more.