Pastor’s Message – Church of Saint Benedict

June 12, 2026

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

O God, strength of those who hope in you, graciously hear our pleas, and, since without you, mortal frailty can do nothing, grant us always the help of your grace, that in following your commands we may please you by our resolve and our deeds. 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 Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Brothers and Sisters,

Following the Forty Days of Lent, the Great Fifty Days of Easter, the Solemnities of Pentecost, the Holy Trinity and Corpus Christi, we now return to the regular Sundays in Ordinary Time. From now until late November we will hear at Sunday Mass from the Gospel of Matthew.

We will hear of miracles and healings, of parables and of teachings. They will conclude on Christ the King Sunday with an image of the Great Judgement in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matthew 25: 31-46).

It is then fitting that we begin this journey in Matthew’s Gospel this Sunday with the Call of the Apostles (Matthew 9:36-10:8). Jesus our Lord looks upon the crowds who act like sheep without a shepherd. Moved with pity, He says that the “harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few”.  He then calls twelve of the disciples by name to be “apostles” meaning those who are sent on mission to proclaim that the “Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”. The Divine Mercy and Love of God are embodied in the Person of Jesus, our salvation.

Lent, the Easter Season, and the solemnities that have revealed to us once again that we as the Church are the Body of Christ on earth. We too have been called by name and sent on the same mission as those original twelve apostles. We are to give witness to others of the Divine Mercy who is Jesus.

In recent years, both our parish and diocese have seen a wonderful increase in those seeking to be received into the Church or to return to an active living of the faith. Your lived witness as modern-day apostles have had much to do with this growth. Keep up the good work.

May our prayerful listening in the coming months, to the miracles and healings, parables and teachings in the Gospel of Matthew, renew in us the mission of proclaim by word and deed that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Our Parish

This weekend a representative of the Go Life Mobile Ministries will speak at all the Masses. Go Life is a lay lead organization in our diocese that assists families with crisis pregnancies.

Thank you to all who participated in our Corpus Christi Procession on Sunday. The rain stopped just in time.

Thank you to all those who participated in Vacation Bible School that ends today. A special thanks to all the volunteers. Many hands, large, small and in between, lift the heavy load.

Thank you to all who have been participating in the Consecration of the United States to theSacred Heart of Jesus taking place this month. This included the Novena, the Rosary, and the Mass on June 11.

Our 250 Hours of Adoration to mark the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the United States is continuing until July 4. You are invited to make a commitment to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the St. Scholastica Chapel. The chapel is open Monday through Friday from 6:00am to Midnight and Saturday from 8:00am to 12:00pm. You are welcome to scan the QR code in the parish bulletin or sign up in the church commons to commit to an hour.

Additional outdoor lighting is being placed in the northside parking lot. Thank you for your patience as this project is completed.

The Becoming Catholic Inquiry Meeting will be on Tuesday, June 16 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. All those interesting in learning more about the Catholic faith are welcome to meet in Room 101.

Deacon Stephen Matthew McClain is to be ordained to the priesthood on Friday, June 26, 2026, at Holy Family Cathedral at 6:00pm. As a seminarian he was assigned to our parish during the summer of 2019. All are welcome to attend the ordination. Please keep him in your prayers.

July 4^th – 250 Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

First Saturday Mass on July 4^th will be at 9:00am. In addition to picnics, concerts and fireworks, celebrate this Independence Day with prayer and thanksgiving in the Sacrifice of the Mass. There will also be a special ringing of the church bells in unison with other churches across the country that day. All are welcome!

Parish Feast Day

We will celebrate our parish feast day of our patron, St. Benedict, on Saturday, July 11, beginning with Mass at 8:30am. Bishop Konderla will be the celebrant. The annual parish picnic will be after our 5:00pm Vigil Mass that same day. All are welcome at this family friendly event.

Banns of Marriage

Gary O’Mealey and Kesley Deal will enter the Sacrament of Marriage on Saturday, June 13 at the Church of Saint Benedict.

John Paul Sartorius and Audrey Marie Daniels will enter the Sacrament of Marriage on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at Holy Family Cathedral.

Please keep these couples in your prayers.

God bless and keep you safe.

Fr. Bryan