St. Benedict in Benedicta to Hold Feast Day Celebration for Patron Saint on July 10

BENEDICTA---All are welcome to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Benedict (July 11) at a special celebration at St. Benedict Church, located on 1063 Benedicta Road in Benedicta, on Sunday, July 10.

The celebration will begin with a 10 a.m. Mass (usually 8 a.m.) which will be followed by a barbecue including hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, desserts, and more. Games and activities are scheduled for after the barbecue.

St. Benedict Parish in Benedicta was established in 1834 by 45 pioneering families, united in faith, who arrived in a wooded area in northeast Maine. Many were impoverished Irish immigrants who took up an offer from Bishop Benedict Fenwick, the second bishop of Boston, to purchase land at $1.25 per acre. Along with log homes, a dam, and a few small mills, a rugged log church was built and 'Benedicta,' named after the bishop, was born. In 1890, a Gothic-style structure replaced the original log church.

St. Benedict was a sixth-century abbot who gave Christian monasticism its lasting foundation in Western Europe. He is a co-patron of Europe (along with Ss. Cyril and Methodius). Pope Benedict XVI said St. Benedict was a "powerful reminder of the indispensable Christian roots" of Europe. He cited the monk's instruction to "prefer nothing to the love of Christ." St. Benedict was gracious and kind, true to his religious order, and taught us to be sincere and caring, not thinking of ourselves as better than another but rather being concerned for the welfare of others.

For more information, contact the parish at (207) 365-4294.