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We made it through the Summer Religious Education Academy, and now under the direction of Deacon Anthony, did so very smoothly. We are, of course, extremely grateful for the work and preparation of Mrs. Nancy Arkin as she had the program well-staffed and in place before her retirement in June. I wish to extend my deepest thanks to the many members of the staff and the scores of volunteers, who offered their time and talent to assist in the formation of our students. Just over 650 children, grades 1-7, made their way through the program this summer. Enrollment for the traditional program this fall is open. Likewise, rising eighth grade students, candidates for Confirmation, should be registered for the Fall Sunday evening program. Please make contact with the Faith Formation Office for more information.

Happy Feast Day! As we observe the patronal feast of our parish we are reminded of the saintly and significant impact of St. Benedict on the life of the church throughout history. Born in 480, Benedict was a young aristocratic scholar when he became disillusioned with the vanity of his peers and escaped the world for a lie of prayer and reflection. He attracted many followers and while he faces opposition (there are three reported assassination attempts on his life) his Rule for Monks endures to the present day. His twin sister, Saint Scholastica, lived the life of a hermit and is the inspiration for many communities of women religious in the church.

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.

At last all of the schools in the area have closed now for vacation, and all of the summer activities can get underway. We were able to conduct the first week of the Summer RE Academy this past week, though the number of students was less than usual due to the extended school year resulting from excessive snow days last winter. Some 650 children will participate in the academy this summer. As this is Fourth of July week, there is no RE this week, but we are reviving the Vacation Bible School for the four days this week.

The summer activities here have been off to a great start and we are now gearing up for Summer Academy this week. As the Academy kicks-off this week we are also undergoing the transition from Mrs. Arkin to Deacon Anthony as Director of Faith Formation. With ample time to prepare, a very capable staff and a bevy of volunteers and summer camp workers, I am confident that this will be a smooth transition, even as the busiest time of their year gets underway. We extend our prayers to Nancy as she moves into the next phase of her life and for Deacon Anthony as he takes the helm here, working along side Diana Saverino, Tim Hoye, Ciro Saverino and Lori McCahill.

The final school bells rang on Wednesday and the students and teachers are on their much needed summer break. It was a very good school year here and we are happy about the projects for the summer and the coming school year. We are anticipating an increased enrollment of about thirty students this fall, bringing us to about 550 students in the school.

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, formally known as Corpus Christi. We are reminded of the mysterious beauty of the presence of Christ with us in the Eucharist. It is a gift and a privilege to share in this sacrifice and receive our Blessed Lord in the Eucharist. As a gift and a privilege, though, we can begin to assume it as a mere right of passage and a guarantee. Instead, we must be mindful of the obligations that come with the privilege. We receive the Eucharist worthily and reverently.

The month of June is upon us and that brings both an end to things and a beginning of things. This weekend we celebrate the baccalaureate Mass for our 8th grade, and then they will have their graduation on Wednesday evening. This is a really positive and resilient group of students, and we are proud of their successes and happy to launch them forward. I will publish a summary of their accomplishments in a future bulletin.

Happy Pentecost! Today we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles empowering them to proclaim the Gospel with singularity and clarity throughout the world. We stand on the shoulders of these apostles which is why today is colloquially referred to as the “birthday of the church.”

Happy Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. Although it has been several years now, it still seems awkward to celebrate this feast on Sunday instead of Thursday, but that is common now in most of the country.

Happy Mother’s Day! This is a special day of the year when we honor and celebrate our Mothers. Of course, for many this day is also tinged with sadness as they remember their Mothers who have passed, especially over the past year. Our prayers and best wishes to all Mothers. I expect to get to see my Mother this afternoon, and I hope many of you do as well -- and that you Mothers and Grandmothers get to see your children and grandchildren.

This weekend at the 11am Mass we will have the May Crowning ceremony, hopefully at the statue in the courtyard, otherwise we will crown a statue in the church. We are reminded of the Queenship of Mary and of her intercession and prayers for us. I encourage everyone to pray the Rosary at least occasionally for your own spiritual edification and for the intentions of our world. These days we should all be praying for peace in the world and within our own nation.

This weekend we observe Good Shepherd Sunday, where the focus of the readings are on Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and his promise to provide good shepherds for his flock. While we do not always get the “good shepherds” we always have the Good Shepherd himself, protecting us and walking the journey of life and faith with us.

Next weekend the diocese observes Called By Name Weekend. We will focus on promoting vocations for the priesthood here in the Diocese of Trenton. Billy Attardi, seminarian from our parish who is in his first (propaedeutic) year at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Ambler, PA, will speak at all of the Masses next weekend. You will find a card in the pews on which you are free to submit the name of anyone whom you believe to be a potential candidate for the seminary. We used this program several years ago and it netted some good results. Please prayerfully consider this initiative and complete the cards next weekend if you are so moved. There is a letter from Bishop O’Connell in the bulletin, and he has produced an introductory video which is also available.

Here at St. Benedict’s we had a blessed and beautiful celebration of the Triduum and Easter. We welcomed two new Catholics to our community with one baptism and then an additional Confirmation. More Confirmations will be celebrated at the Pentecost Vigil (May 23). I would like to thank Deacon Paul and the entire OCIA team for their commitment to mentoring and forming our candidates through their journey. There are more individuals in the process, so we will see additional celebrations on the First Sunday of Advent.

Our long Lenten journey -- characterized by our acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving is at an end and the celebrations of his Blessed Resurrection begin. The next fifty days will draw our focus to the power of life over death, love over hatred, and good over evil.

We begin today, our great journey through Holy Week culminating with the Holy Triduum beginning on Holy Thursday. It is my firm wish and hope that you’ll be able to join us this week for some or all of the services and Masses that will be celebrated.

Holy Week quickly approaches as we celebrate what was traditionally the Passion Sunday, our readings shift the focus from the call to conversion to the mission of Christ in the world for the salvation of souls and the reparation of sins. Next Sunday is Palm Sunday and we begin then the journey into the Triduum.

Please join us this Sunday afternoon (3/15) for the Sacrament of Confession. Our Easter Duty as Catholics requires us to receive the Sacrament during the Lent or Easter Season and this open Confession time provides easy access to multiple priests. If you cannot make this one, St. Mary in Colts Neck will hold their Confessions at the same time and in the same format next Sunday (3/22). We also offer the Sacrament each week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings following the 9am Mass.

If it’s Sunday morning when you are reading this you are probably in a grumpy mood as you lost an hour of sleep last night. I know I am not a fan. Be careful this week as cardiovascular events, strokes, and various work place and car accidents spike the first week of DST.