Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict’s:

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend. It is a time for a much needed break for sure. Hopefully we all took time to pause and reflect on the heritage and legacy handed on to us by our forefathers (and mothers) two-hundred and fifty years ago. Let us continue our prayers, that through the intercession of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (patroness of the USA) and under the consecration of our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that we may remain a beacon of peace, justice, and human rights to the world. 

Please remember next Saturday, July 11 th , the feast of St. Benedict, we will have solemn Lauds (Morning Prayer) at 9:00 am followed by a light breakfast. 

On Wednesday, July 16 th Deacon Paul and I will hold a discussion and reflection on the recent encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, and its application for us going forward.  

This week we begin week two of the Religious Education Academy and the Summer Camp-Out kicks off this week as well. There will be plenty of students in the building this summer. We are grateful to the Holmdel Police Department for their attention and presence while we have students on campus. 

In the meantime, we are preparing for some construction projects as well. The new modular classroom unit to house the PreK-4 students should arrive shortly and be ready for the start of school. The paver project leading up to the school entrance will be completed once the summer school sessions are completed. We are also in the process of a total replacement of the electronic sign on Bethany Road. As always we are grateful to Rich Romero and his crew for the coordination of all of these projects with various contractors and to Patti Dickens for her diligent work on funding efforts for these various projects. 

Just a note that we are still about $10,000 short of the goal for the Annual Catholic Appeal, so if you have yet to make a donation, please consider doing so. Thank you. 

Have a safe, blessed, and enjoyable week ahead,
Fr. Garry