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We are approaching now the last week of October and the liturgical year is quickly coming to a close, as Advent looms quick on the horizon. We are grateful for the many of you who responded with generosity in enrolling for the various ministries of the parish at our Ministry Fair. If you missed the opportunity and are still interested, please make contact with the parish office. We are still especially in need of Ministers of Holy Communion to serve the nursing homes in our area. We would also like to be able to open the food pantry more than just three hours on a Wednesday. If you have any time to volunteer please let us know. Over the past year we have done some significant remodeling of the pantry so that both volunteers and clients feel safe given the protocols for the pandemic. Read more.

This weekend marks two particularly poignant moments in the life of the church. One of them is an historical reflection on a past experience with on-going importance for us, and the other is the genesis of a process yet to unfold. Read more.

I have finished my tour of local parishes where I preached about the need to foster a culture of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, so I will be around this weekend. After giving the same basic homily at three to four Masses each weekend for three weekends in a row I am happy to be able to get back into a more normal routine. I have no idea how professional presenters and politicians, or even stand-up comedians can give the same speech or routine day in and day out. I know of course, that I will have to do it again. I will make this presentation here later this fall. Overall at the three parishes that Father Dayton and I visited these past three weeks (St. Joseph, Toms River; St. Dominic, Brick Town; and St. Thomas More, Manalapan/ Our Lady of Mercy, Englishtown) the vibe and our reception was very positive and encouraging. Let us continue our prayers for vocations (as well as prayers for our seminarians and priests) but also know that we have much work to do in this regard. Read more.

Last weekend we had a very positive and exciting beginning to the faith formation year with the families of our Summer Academy students and our eighth grade Confirmation candidates. Thank you to the host of volunteers, our staff, and all of the families that make the commitment to the growth-in-faith of the students in our parish. May the Lord bless all of us with his bounteous love. Read more.

THANK YOU! We had a wonderful Welcome Back event last weekend and came out of it feeling excited and ready for an exciting year ahead. The 50/50 Raffle did extremely well this year, surpassed only by last year’s in terms of total money raised and distributed. Thanks to all who participated and congratulations to the winners. Likewise, the BINGO on Sunday was very successful. Read more.

Hard as it might be to believe this week we say farewell to summer and begin the autumn season. Of course, there doesn’t seem to be any fall weather in the forecast, but with the rapidly diminishing number of daylight hours it is easy to tell that the seasons are changing. Read more.

There weren’t too many tears this week as school opened, and it certainly feels and sounds good to have the students back on campus. We opened with 432 students in grades PreK-3 through 8. Our mobile classroom was delivered and installed this past week, so the PreK-3 students now have their own home. Congratulations and blessings to Mr. Donahue, Mrs. Keeling and all of our teachers, aides, and staff members of SBS. Read more.

Happy Labor Day weekend! I know we call it the unofficial end of summer, but realistically there is still plenty of nice weather ahead. We are excited to welcome the students back to school this week. We seem to be in pretty good shape for the opening of school and, even with all of the protocols in place for the protection of our children it feels much more open and easier than last year. We know there will be challenges going forward, but we are poised to address them as needed. Congratulations to Kevin Donahue our principal, Christine Keeling, our vice-principal and Bob Cognat and his buildings and grounds crew for getting us ready for the school year.

In a world of uncertainties and challenges we can either seize opportunities or rage against the prevailing tide. There are certainly times when either response is appropriate - this is true when we are able to step outside of the prevailing zeitgeist and gain a broader perspective. Read more.

Sometimes we have to take the bad with the good. The announcement from the Governor, then restated by the diocesan office of Catholic Schools, that students are required to wear masks in school again this fall, has had the expected mixed reaction. Nonetheless, due to the easing of other restrictions – e.g. social distancing – this coming school year will look more “normal” than last year. We will be able to have the students eat in the cafeteria instead of the classrooms, for example. Last year we utilized the outdoor spaces, and certainly the outdoor learning center, we will be doing that again this year. Overall, and masks aside, we are feeling fairly confident on the year ahead. Read more.

With the news of the Delta variant of the covid virus being as threatening sounding as it is. It is best for us to be safe and prudent in our decision making regarding the further opening of the parish and activities. Confident that we can maintain safe social distance, and with the air ionizing system that we have installed throughout the complex seeming to be effective, we do still feel safe with the current and projected capacities in school and the church. While there is no current mandate on wearing masks to attend Mass, certainly I do want to encourage you to do so to the extent that you are comfortable with them. Obviously the school will have to follow the state and diocesan mandates on this regard. Hopefully round-four of the pandemic will be easier to deal with than the previous ones. For the most part all we can do is be careful and make wise decisions. We are all tired of the restrictions, but dropping our guard may just cause more problems than it will solve. Read more.

I don’t know about you, but I am starting to get that sense of déjà vu as we see the covid variant spreading in our area. While there is no immediate change in protocols for church or school as of yet, due and proper precaution is necessary to keep us all safe and well. I have noticed that more people are wearing masks in church and in day to day encounters and that is probably a good thing. If and when the bishop mandates any changes I will communicate that immediately through a phone call and social media. In the meantime we need to do what makes us all feel comfortable. Read more.

As we enter the so-called “Dog Days of August” we are ramping up for the beginning of a new school year here at SBS. We have received approval from Holmdel Township to install modular classrooms to house two classes of PreK-3 students. This will be located between the first and second wings of the school. We still have spots available in all of the grades 1 – 8 if you, or anyone you know, is still considering Catholic education. Please make contact with the school office to schedule a tour. Read more.

This weekend we celebrate the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. I must confess that I found this to be a bit of an unusual arrangement. I discovered, after speaking with several other people and a few priests, that I am not alone in this quandary. I appreciate what Pope Francis is trying to do. I just wonder about the optics and reality of it all. I understand Grandparents, - I had four wonderful Grandparents myself and after my paternal Grandfather passed away my Grandmother married another generous and wonderful man. As a celibate male I also know that I will never be a grandparent, and I am perfectly okay with that. I freely acknowledge that I am even a rather mediocre uncle and even less than mediocre great-uncle. I am all good with celebrating Grandparents. Likewise, I am happy to celebrate the elderly. I just don’t know who they are or how to define it. Read more.

At the Mass last weekend Bishop O’Connell blessed and dedicated the icon of St. Benedict that hangs prominently in the front of the church. The Bishop was very happy to be with us and commented on how friendly and welcoming that you all were after Mass. Read more.

Today we celebrate the 245th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the very beginnings of our democratic republican form of government. When we consider the monumental global political shift that our founding fathers inaugurated on this continent all those years ago we are reminded of the sacrifice and yet the hope in the midst of struggle that brought those revolutionary ideas to paper. We must be ever-mindful to work towards the protection and advancement of our “inalienable rights” enshrined in those founding documents, remembering that it is foremost God, who in gifting us with free will, insured and defined our existence and the fundamental principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” However you celebrate, a most blessed Independence Day to all. Read more.

Saying “good-bye” is certainly not easy, but it stands as a necessary part of life, and certainly a routine in the life of priests. This week Father JM takes his leave from us and embarks on his ministry as parochial vicar of St. Joan of Arc Parish in Marlton. He arrived here five years ago as a newly ordained priest, and has certainly made a positive impact on our parish community and, in a special way, with the students in our school as well as at St. John Vianney High School. I have enjoyed our collaboration and will certainly miss working with him. Read more.

Beginning this week the Bishops of the US have asked us to observe Religious Freedom Solidarity Week. In short, the issue at hand is stated thus by the USCCB: “Solidarity means much more than engaging in sporadic acts of generosity. It means thinking and acting in terms of community” (Fratelli tutti, 116). Read more.

School is out for summer! Congratulations to Mr. Donahue, Mrs. Keeling, and the entire faculty and staff of SBS for a successful school year amidst all of the challenges that the year presented. We are all most grateful for their hard work and all of their dedication to our students. They are now on a much deserved and well-earned summer vacation. Read more.

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi – the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. We are reminded of the centrality of the Eucharist in our lives, making this the perfect weekend for the bishops to have removed the dispensation to attend Mass on Sunday and Holy days of Obligation. We welcome back those of you whom we haven’t seen in a long while, and for those of you still unable to come out for one reason or another, we continue our prayer with and for you during these challenging times. Read more.