Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

08-30-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

At St. Benedict the first Friday of every month is usually marked by a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I invite you to join us during our monthly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 9am to 7pm this Friday, September 3. We will hold our weekly Friday Confessions from 5pm-6pm and conclude Adoration with a Benediction at 7pm. In addition to your personal prayer intentions during the Adoration, I invite you to offer a special intention for the success of our Church building plan. The months of September and October are a very critical period in the planning process for the building as we anticipate some significant permissions from the City of Phoenix and the Diocese of Phoenix within this time frame to enable us to move closer to the construction stage. I also ask that you include in your prayers an intention for an end to the pandemic.

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Wills and Trust Seminar

08-23-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

Are you one of those who have no Will or Trust, or have not updated your plan over several years? Or are you one of those who say to themselves, “Estate planning is not for me because I do not have enough to worry about it?” If so, I invite you to come and join us at the Wills and Trust Seminar to be held here in our St. Benedict Parish this week on Wednesday, August 25th at 6pm, and on Saturday, August 28th at 9am. The seminar will be sponsored by the Catholic Community Foundation (CCF).

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Back to School

08-16-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

I was so glad to welcome back all of our St. John Bosco students and school community to campus Wednesday of last week. Watching the students arrive on the first day of school and walk on the Red Carpet through the main gate was very special. Later in the day, the entire school processed from the campus to the church with the Blessed Sacrament and celebrated the first Mass of the school year at St. Benedict. All of this was so beautiful to behold.

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Thank you for Bingo Night

08-09-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

A very big Thank You to Lani Gore and members of the Event Committee for a very enjoyable and successful In-Person Bingo Raffle. My special thanks to the families that donated the gift items and everyone who participated in the event. Over 100 gift items were donated and we made $1,500 net from the event. The funds will be used to support our Gift Shop in the new Church. It was a very wonderful and memorable night and I look forward to the next Bingo Night which will be announced later on in the year.

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Welcome to Jennifer Sentz

08-02-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

Join me in welcoming Jennifer Sentz to our Parish Staff team as our Coordinator of Stewardship and Development. Her first day in the office was Tuesday last  week, July 27th. Jen comes with several years of experience in Donor Relations, Business and Office Management, Data Analysis and Campus Ministry among others. I assure Jen of my prayers and support in her new responsibility and ask for your prayers and support for her too.

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Join us for our Parish Bingo Raffle and Bake Sale!

07-27-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

I invite you to come join us at our first In-Person Bingo Raffle and Bake Sale this Friday, July 30th from 5-7pm. This event is sponsored by the St. Benedict Events Committee and will be held at the St. John Bosco Multipurpose Room. The raffle tickets (bingo cards) will be 3 for $10, or $5 each and we will use Smartie candies as the bingo markers. Pizza and bake sale items (individually wrapped) will be available for purchase. Please mark your calendar to come to this fun event where you can win prizes playing Bingo with your friends! RSVP Today to hold your spot for this super fun event!  (RSVP HERE)

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Welcome to Clare Gisla!

07-19-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

I welcome Clare Gisla to our St. Benedict staff and community as the new Youth Ministry Coordinator. Along with her deep commitment to sharing the Catholic faith with others, Clare brings a wealth of experience in youth ministry, teaching and music. Her first day at work will be Monday, July 19. I assure Clare of my prayers and support in her new role and also ask for your prayers and support for her. Let us show her our St. Benedict welcoming spirit as she joins our community next week.

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Happy Feast Day!

07-12-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

I wish you all a Happy Feast Day as we celebrate the feast of our patron saint, Benedict, on Sunday, July 11. We are blessed to have our parish named after St. Benedict, one of the greatest saints in the history of the Church. The personal life, holiness and vision of St. Benedict has had a great impact on the world order as it is today. His Monastic Rule became the norm for monastic living throughout Europe and a guide for the evangelization and civilization of many European countries in the Middle Ages.

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Congratulations to Nikki Garza

07-06-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

Congratulations to Nikki Garza for being hired as our new Liturgy Coordinator. Nikki is well-known to everyone in our parish as the “Lady with the Golden Voice” in our choir. Her first day at work is July 6th. Nikki will be responsible for planning our Liturgical services and coordinating the Sacristans, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, Lectors, Art and Environment Ministers, Hospitality Ministers and all ministries and individuals involved in Liturgy. I assure Nikki of my prayers and support in her new responsibility, and I ask for your prayers and support for her too.

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Farewell to Sister Colleen

06-28-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

This weekend, our St. Benedict community will say a fond farewell to Sr. Colleen as she begins her well-deserved retirement on July 1st. In addition to this being the beginning of Sr. Colleen’s retirement, this year also marks her special Jubilee Year - her 50th anniversary since making her First Profession with the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes in 1971. For the past fifty years, Sister has faithfully served as an elementary school teacher, college campus minister and faith formation director in her home state of Wisconsin, as well as New York, Indiana and here in Arizona.

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Happy Father's Day

06-21-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

I wish all fathers and father-figures in our parish community a Happy Father's Day and God’s blessings! We are thankful for the sacrificial love our fathers share with us throughout our lives. On Father's Day, we honor and celebrate the indispensable role fathers play in our families and society. The joy of fatherhood is facing unprecedented challenges in our time. One can hardly talk about fathers these days without sounding “old fashioned” or offending someone. Someone once said that it is easier these days for fathers to have children than for children to have fathers. Studies have shown that the absence of fathers, or father-figures, in a family has a significant negative impact on the emotional, social, spiritual, and psychological development of many children leading to increasing stress, drug abuse, suicide ideation and crime among young people.

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Update: Charity and Development Appeal

06-15-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

Congratulations! I am so excited to inform you that we made our first goal (pledge amount) for the Charity and Development Appeal (CDA) this week. The recent update for our parish participation in the CDA shows that 233 families from our parish community have participated in the CDA so far with a total pledge of $85,339. This represents 103% of our total goal of $85,000. I am so glad we made our first goal for this year. We are getting very close to making our second goal, as well, which is to have up to 300 families from our parish participate in the CDA this year. I thank everyone who has participated so far. I encourage those who have not yet participated to consider sending their pledge or payment this week. Remember, no amount is too small or too large! Thank you so much.

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Lifting of Dispensation & Daily Mass Changes

06-08-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

Welcome to the last month of our fiscal year. The month of June is one of the busiest months for us in the parish office as we try to close the books, balance the budget, and plan for another fiscal year. This is also a time for exchange of “relay batons” in the parish councils.

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Happy Memorial Day Weekend

06-01-2021Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

I wish everyone a Happy Memorial weekend. As we observe the Memorial weekend, let us remember to pray for all those who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty to protect us. Let us pray especially for the families of all our fallen heroes as we mourn with them the loss of their loved ones in the Armed Forces. We also pray for the safety and protection of  first responders and all those who are currently serving in the line of duty within and outside the country.

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