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I trust that everyone had a safe, enjoyable, relaxing, and “thankful” Thanksgiving. There are so many things in our lives that we have to be thankful for, that setting aside one day to do so seems terribly inadequate. Fortunately, we have the great gift of being able to offer Thanksgiving each and every day as we celebrate and receive the Eucharist. The word itself means “thanksgiving.” Read more.

A most blessed Thanksgiving week to everyone. I pray that each and every one of us has the opportunity to spend time with our family -- biological or choice -- over this coming week. I will be heading to PA to spend some time with my Mother this week, and anyone else who is coming to her house for the day. Read more.

The opportunity to attend the Forty Hours devotions was an inspiration and encouragement in faith for those who were able to attend some or all of the services, or to just spend that quiet time with the Lord. Read more.

This is our Forty Hours week, and I hope that you will be able to join us for some of the celebrations we have planned for the next three days. A complete schedule is posted in the bulletin and can also be found on line. Bishop O’Connell will be here on Tuesday for the closing Mass and Father Dan Kirk is here Monday for the evening service. On Sunday we open with Franciscan Friar of the Renewal Father Mariusz Eugene Koch. Read more.

Next weekend we open our Forty Hours Observance here. I have offered some history and insight into what this is and what it means for us. We are doing this in conjunction with the Period of Eucharistic Revival here in the American Church and as we have not had a parish mission since the onset of the pandemic, this is a good way to reinvigorate that time of renewal and revival for our parish. Read more.

In two weeks we will celebrate the Forty Hours devotion. This long-standing tradition in the life of the church was popularized here in the US by Saint John Neumann when he was the Bishop of Philadelphia. Forty Hours is a focused period of Eucharistic adoration, serving as a time of retreat and reflection for a parish. This is a tradition that I grew up with in Pennsylvania and am happy to bring it here for this time of the Eucharistic Revival. There is a complete list of parish focused prayer times and other events for the Forty Hours devotion available in the bulletin. Periods of parish public prayer is punctuated with the extended times of adoration. Read more.

On 17 April 2003, Pope (now Saint) John Paul II wrote an encyclical letter entitled: ECCLESIA DE EUCHARISTIA (“The Church draws her life from the Eucharist”). As we continue our preparation for forty hours, I offer the following reflection from the sainted pope on the importance of adoration. Read more.

A blessed holiday weekend to everyone. It is nice to take a respite once in a while from our busy schedules. Certainly the students and teachers in all of the schools need a little break to regroup and catch-up. Read more.

We had a nice weekend last weekend, too bad the rain took out the Saturday evening entertainment. We will have to reschedule the band and the activities for another time. Congratulations to the winners of the parish 50/50 raffle. Thank you to all who participated.

We are celebrating our Family Fun Weekend this weekend, sadly the weather does not appear to be cooperating with the full activities, but hopefully we are able to generate some fun (and raise some money for the school) out of the process. Read more.

This weekend we observe Catechetical Sunday. This is an opportunity to say “thank you” and to bless and acknowledge the many catechists who serve our parish community. Because of the structure of our faith formation program: the summer sessions; the all-year session; the Confirmation year program; the school religion classes; adult programs and the other sacramental preparation sessions, we have many volunteers and professional staff involved in faith formation. This weekend we will celebrate and bless them in their work and ministry. We owe much to the hard work and deep commitment of Nancy Arkin (Director of Faith Formation), Ciro Saverino (Confirmation Program and Youth and Young Adult Ministry) Lori McCahill (School Religion Coordinator and Marriage Minister) Loretta Assini (Administrative Assistant) and Margaret Roddy (Sacrament Coordinator). We are still looking for a part-time assistant to Nancy in the Faith Formation Office. See the bulletin for more details. Read more.

School is off to a banner start this week, and seems to be running smoothly. Our new administration team (Nicholas Camarrano and Meghan Gallagher) is making its impact on the school and it looks like we are poised for a strong year ahead. There are still families calling to express interest in attending, and we are fortunate to have openings in some of the grades. Read more.

I hope everyone has an enjoyable Labor Day Weekend. It looks like we should have some nice weather, and it is a great time to be able to get together for that end-of-summer bbq. Our teachers were back last week and the students arrive on Wednesday for the opening of another school year -- the sixty-second school year -- at St. Benedict School. Enrollment is strong --- somewhere over 450 --- and we are poised and ready to go. Read more.

While our parish and school family was rocked and devastated by the passing of Lauren Hewski in May, her parents Dennis and Kim, have channeled their grief into an opportunity to honor her legacy and promote the gifts and talents of students both here at SBS and St. John Vianney HS, where Lauren was a senior. Read more.

It sure seems that summer is flying by, and we are entering those fateful last two weeks of August when somehow we seem to have to scramble to do all of those things that we swore we would do this summer. Good luck! Read more.

This week we observe the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass times are in the bulletin. Friday we celebrate the Mass of Anointing of the Sick. Anyone who has a serious medical condition should consider attending for the sacrament. Read more.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Transfiguration, one of the few events on the calendar of the church that is so important that it supersedes a Sunday celebration. Tradition holds that the Transfiguration happened forty days before the crucifixion of Jesus, so that the two paramount and defining moments in the life of Jesus point back and forward to each other. This is the second time this year that we will have heard this account, as the Transfiguration Gospel is always proclaimed on the Second Sunday of Lent. Read more.

Thank you for your generous support of the Annual Catholic Appeal. We have surpassed our goal, which means that 50% of all monies contributed above the goal return now to the parish. Certainly the bishop is grateful for your support. If you have yet to make a contribution to the appeal, pledge cards are available in the narthex and the tables in the church. Read more.

We have now completed the religious education Summer Academy. We are all most grateful to Nancy, Jen, Loretta, Ciro and a host of teachers and volunteers who made the past three weeks as positive, fun, and effective as they have been. We are now gearing up with dates and activities for the fall programs. Read more.

July is certainly flying by, and life here at the parish continues to be busy and productive. We have completed two weeks of the religious education Summer Academy and begin the third and final week this coming Monday. It has been a good two weeks so far -- Nancy Arkin and her team have been very busy, and thanks to their efforts it has all gone extremely well. For this we are very grateful. Of course summer is also a time for planning the coming school year. It looks like we are in good shape for the opening of the year, but I do need to look into some internal remodeling and renovations. I am looking now for an architect who can put some fresh eyes on the facilities. If you know of anyone, please let me know. Thanks. Read more.