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.

I would like to thank her for all of her hard work, time and dedication here at St. Benedict over the past 10 years. She has done so much to lead and support our faith formation team, adult programs, RCIA, liturgies, baptisms, parishioners and staff. It will be hard to get used to her absence around the Church and in the office, as she is often the first to arrive and the last to leave. She is always willing to help parishioners, staff members, ministries and students in any way she can. Sr. Colleen shares her Catholic faith simply by the way she lives and prays. For all of these reasons and more, she will be dearly missed. We pray for her safety and joy during her upcoming travels visiting family and friends around the country.

Dispensation Lifted July 1, 2021

As I announced to you some weeks ago, Bishop Olmsted has restored the obligation for Sunday and holy day Masses in the Diocese of Phoenix, effective July 1, 2021. With this change, we will now discontinue the live-streaming of Daily Masses beginning on Thursday this week, July 1st. The live-streaming of Saturday 5pm and Sunday 9am weekend Masses will continue until further notice. However, we will discontinue the offering of Holy Communion after all Masses.  Any sick person and caregivers who would like to receive Holy Communion outside of Mass time should call the Parish Office to make a request so we can arrange to have an EM or a priest visit them.

Religious Freedom Week (June 22 to June 29). The U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) invites Catholics to pray, reflect, and act to promote religious freedom. Visit the USCCB Site to see what this involves. (Link here)

Únanse a nosotros, del 22 al 29 de junio, para orar,reflexionar y tomar medidas para promover la libertad religiosa, tanto aquí en este país como en el extranjero. (Link aqui)

Have a wonderful weekend and remain blessed.

Fr James Aboyi, VC
Pastor

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