One of the distinct blessings of a Catholic school is that we enjoy the freedom to openly acknowledge the true origin of all wisdom – God the Father, His Word through Whom He made all things, and the sanctifying Holy Spirit. At St. Benedict’s, divine realities are seamlessly woven into all aspects of daily life. Christ truly is for us the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

As humans, we are called not only to know the truth but to love it. And so, we not only teach the truths of faith but also provide opportunities to grow in love with “the author and perfecter of our faith,” Jesus Christ. One of the means by which we nurture our love for Christ is through eucharistic adoration. The Real Presence of Christ, exposed in the monstrance, is enthroned upon the altar. Students have the opportunity, class by class, to make a visit with Jesus. During these brief moments, each one speaks with the Lord from the heart – in praise, petition, adoration, and thanksgiving. Perhaps most fruitful of all is the chance to be still and silent in the presence of God, laying aside the cares of the day to listen to His voice, which penetrates to the deepest part of our souls.

This year, St. Benedict Classical Academy is pleased to inaugurate our first in-school chapel. Having received permission from Cardinal O’Malley to reserve the Blessed Sacrament at the school, I offered Mass in our new chapel on September 20, and left the Eucharist in our new tabernacle for the first time. It is in this chapel that students will be able to spend time in prayer during our monthly Adoration. There is now also the possibility that students can make a daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament in their free time.

Jesus has always been at the center of St. Benedict Classical Academy. Now, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, He is sacramentally present to our school community all day, every day.

Author: Fr. Peter L. Stamm, Chaplain