Pastor’s Message – Church of Saint Benedict

September 11, 2026

Look upon us, O God, Creator and ruler of all things, so that we may feel the working of your mercy, grant that we may serve you with all our heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

Collect for the Mass on the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Brothers and Sisters,

On this twenty-fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our nation may we commemorate this day with prayer and fasting. We pray for the souls of those whose lives were taken through unjustifiable acts of violence. We pray for their families and friends as they continue to mourn. We pray for the first responders who then, as well as today, risk their lives to save others. We pray for the men and women of our country’s armed forces, and for their families, for their safety.

On this day, may we pray that God’s Divine Mercy, made flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ, be poured upon the wounds of that day. As a nation, we suffer from them still. May this Divine Mercy heal our souls, keep us from falling into hatred, and protect us from the violence of others. May God’s Divine Mercy bring about the conversion of hearts of those filled with hatred.

Adoration Campaign

This weekend, we launch our Adoratio (Latin: Adoration) Campaign to increase Eucharistic Adoration in our parish. We currently have some 230 people committed to praying in the St. Scholastica Chapel before the Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. At present, the chapel is open for adoration Monday through Friday from 6:00am to Midnight and Saturday from 8:00am to 1:00pm.

The goal of the campaign is to have Eucharistic Adoration 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To do so, we need to expand the current number of adorers to 500 by the start of 2027. You should have already received a letter from me about the Adoration Campaign by regular mail. Additional mailings are going out to our current adorers.

The Adoration Campaign is not a single weekend appeal. It will continue until the end of the year. It will include the focus of much of the Sunday homilies, personal testimonies, bulletin articles, a parish mission, and a personal contact call to every parish household.

As part of this effort, beginning this weekend Mass will conclude with the Spiritual Campaign Prayer. This prayer is in the hymnals. It will temporarily replace the St. Michael the Archangel Prayer that we are accustomed to offering at the end of Mass.

During the campaign, I ask that all current adorers dedicate their Friday fasting and prayers to the success of the Adoration Campaign.

Our Parish

Additional modifications are being made to the temporary sound system in the church. Hopefully, this will improve the quality of sound during Mass, especially on Sundays. Thank you to the parish staff, choir members, and volunteers for their work so far. Thank you to all for your patience as this matter is resolved.

Congratulations to Jonathan Fairchild & Nichole Swane, who will be married tomorrow at St. Anne Parish.

There will be Exposition & Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament to conclude all Masses this weekend.

There will be a brief pulpit announcement at all Masses this weekend concerning the Women’s ACTS Retreat in October.

Our parish Faith Formation gatherings for children and youth begin this coming week. There is a Sunday option after the 9:00am Mass and a Wednesday option starting at 6:30pm. More information is available in the church commons.

Members of our parish’s Peace, Justice & Charity Committee will be in the church commons offering information on the Box of Joy initiative to support children in other countries.

The Parish Council will meet on Wednesday at 6:00pm.

Beatification of Venerable Fulton Sheen Watch Party

On Thursday, September 24, the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen (1895 – 1979) will be beatified, the first U.S. born bishop to be so honored. As with Blessed Stanley Rother, he can then be revered as a saint in his native country. Fr. Williams and several of our parishioners will be participating in the Beatification Mass in St. Louis, Missouri.

For those not able to attend in person, our parish is hosting a Watch Party that same day. We will begin with daily Mass at 8:30am, followed by a Rosary and light refreshments. From 10:00am to 2:00pm there will be presentations about Fulton Sheen in McGuire Hall. The Beatification Mass will begin at 2:00pm, which will be shown on the screen in McGuire Hall. All are welcome!

Banns of Marriage

Bryan Jimenez and Victoria Zambrano are to enter the Sacrament of Marriage at the Church of Saint Benedict on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

Please keep them in your prayers.

God bless and keep safe.

Fr. Bryan