The farm house on Bethany Road in Holmdel where St. Benedict parishioners first gathered for worship 50 years ago is long gone, but the sense of community that blossomed in the little building flourishes still.

It was there for all to see when celebrations marking the 50th anniversary – themed “Guided by the Gospel” – came to a festive conclusion Aug. 2. As scores of parishioners filled the newly refurbished church to overflowing for the anniversary Mass presided over by Bishop John M. Smith and squeezed in happily at dozens of tables for the repast that followed, community was the word on everyone’s lips.

Take Kathleen Fitzpatrick for instance. She’s one of the “originals,” the founding members who first worshipped at the farm house. Like so many of the 3,400 families who belong to St. Benedict now, she arrived in Holmdel by way of north Jersey and New York.

In her case it was Brooklyn by way of Sayreville..

As far as she’s concerned, the abiding “sense of community” at St. Benedict which began with just a handful of members has only grown over the years, welcoming and warming, she says, all who seek its spiritual embrace.

From the very beginning to the present day, it is a place where neighbors and friends, meet, worship together, share fellowship and contribute their talents and skills in the name of the Lord, Fitzpatrick said.

Rosemarie Mikson, another one of the “originals” echoed her remarks. In an interview days before the celebration, she said that she and her husband Rudy were among a group of 25 people who worked to found the parish.

In fact, the first actual “get together” for the newly established parish was held in their home more than 50 years ago.

“I was 30 back then, with a six-year-old and a three-year-old. We had just moved from Staten Island to Old Manor Estates, the first developed community in what had been farm land …we saw the house and I wanted to stay.”

It was like that with the parish too, she said. Founding Pastor Edward P. Blaska set the tone from the very beginning which has continued to this day, she said. St. Benedict Parish would be a place, she recalled, where various “church-associated societies and functions” and a school would be fed by the Holy Spirit and fueled with enthusiasm.

Mikson didn’t hesitate to jump on board. “Right from the start I was one of the first officers of the Altar Rosary Society. Father (Blaska) wanted all the societies and organizations and I’m one of those people who join.

“We went into that old farm house where we first met for Mass and got it clean and fresh and bought dishes and silver and made it a place where people were welcome and comfortable. We loved it from the beginning. All the neighbors in the area went to St. Benedict’s.”

It was a parish home right from the beginning, she said.

A Time to Grow

Those sentiments were shared by many people attending the closing celebration including Father Anthony Carotenuto, parochial vicar from 1973 to 1985, Gene Martin and Theresa Cruz who helped write “Guided by the Gospel,” the new parish history and Father Daniel F. Swift who became pastor in 2005.

They talked about how the parish was established in 1959 to meet the needs of a growing number of Catholics settling in the area.

Back then, St. Joseph Church, Keyport, was the principal church of the area meaning, Catholics in this rural section of Monmouth County had a bit of a commute if they wanted to be active in parish life, Martin, Cruz and Mikson noted.

The 25-acres of land purchased from a long-time farming family would be the footing for a base where the spiritual, communal and educational needs of all the Catholic families moving down from North Jersey and New York to North Holmdel, Hazlet and Aberdeen would be met.

It wasn’t long before six weekend Masses were being held at the Indian Hill Elementary school while a bustling capital campaign was underway to build the elementary school that had been part and parcel of the original plan. During this phase of its history, the parish purchased 10 additional acres with an eye toward a busy future.

The plan moved ahead with lightening speed, breaking ground for the church and school April 2, 1961. Records show that the Marianite Sisters of Holy Cross, who would staff the k-8 facility, were on hand for the ceremony.

On Sept. 23, 1962, the dedication and blessing of the new school and what was then considered the “temporary” church building took place.

When school registration opened in May, 1962, 400 children applied and were accepted, paving the way for the scores of youngsters who would follow in their footsteps over the decades.

With the death of Father Blaska in 1969, Father William Anderson became pastor and for the next 34 years, devoted himself to building, as the book committee wrote, the “open, modern community of faith founded on the principles of Vatican II,” that Father Carotenuto and so many others spoke of so warmly as they enjoyed the anniversary celebration.

“I have to say that I was here for the 12 happiest years of my life,” said Father Carotenuto, now Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Red Bank. For a young priest and for the community, he said, Father Anderson was a “model pastor, leading, enabling and empowering the laity.”

He talked about how Father Anderson and Father William Bausch, who served as parochial vicar, and indeed the entire parish community, rose to meet the challenge of a large demographic “born literally overnight with the housing developments that came in.”

Father Carotenuto praised those who made the move down to this part of the shore. “The families, including many large families, came from North Jersey and New York with formidable gifts and a willingness to share them,” he said.

So Many Gifts to Share

Over the decades, the school and the religious education program flourished as did social outreach programs, such as the homeless shelter Father Carotenuto set up in the basement of his house which often provided safe harbor to between 15 and 20 overnight guests.

Members of the parish spent the night with them helping in whatever way they could and at about 7 a.m. the next morning, parish volunteers drove their guests to Red Bank, where they connected to the Lunch Break Program.

Volunteers also contributed their time to Manna House, a residence in Cliffwood for homeless women and their children.

Over the years, the physical plant grew with additions to the school and the church where seating was arranged to bring the people closer to the celebrant and space for the choir and musicians was integrated with the congregation.

A gathering space with a focus on the baptismal font and a separate place for private prayer were included in this project as was the construction of a parish hall/gym.

As the anniversary celebrations unfolded, the sanctuary was enhanced with new flooring, new Stations of the Cross, nine glorious stained glass windows and a new crucifix.

“Guided by the Gospel”

The theme of this anniversary celebration was “Guided by the Gospel.”

Attend Mass at St. Benedict, pick up the weekly bulletin and it becomes clear why it was chosen.

From the Merciful Savior Prayer Group, to the 9 O’Clockers who meet every morning for Mass at that time followed by fellowship, to the prayer shawl ministry to the First Friday Holy Hour, opportunities to engage in the spiritual life abound.

So do educational and volunteer programs. Check out the pages and find information on everything from how to show your appreciation to the military to looking in on shut-ins to the Respect Life Committee, Knights of Columbus to the retired and senior volunteer “Reading Buddies” program.

There are active high school and junior CYO’s and a booming St. Vincent de Paul Society which Father Swift described as one of the largest in Monmouth County. “We do outreach well into the Bayshore – as far as the Highlands, Keyport and Union Beach. Where there is economic stress, we are very glad to help.

“The ministry is going strong with a high number of Vincentians making home visits and helping people financially with rent and food.”

Most recently, with the help of an Eagle Scout, a plan got underway to grow a large vegetable garden that, by next year, will be supplementing the food pantry, Father Swift said.

“With the economy tanking, the requests for food from the pantry have increased. We are doing the best we can in that regard,” Father Swift said. “People bring food (to Mass) every week and we have a food drive weekend each month.”

The Sign-up sheet is in the back

That’s a saying often heard around St. Benedict Parish since Father Swift became pastor in 2005.

“Oh, he’s done wonders around this place,” said Mikson, one of the original members. “First of all, he’s a wonderful homilist and very energetic and when he wants something, he gets up and asks.”

Mikson said he always ends such requests by noting that the sign-up sheet is in the back of the church. The sheet fills up with amazing speed, she said.

“He wanted all new shrubs and he said, ‘bring your shovels and we’ll do it Monday,’ and everyone came on Monday and it was done.”

Parishioners are enthusiastic about the Bible classes he’s given and his focus on seeing that the religious education program and the school get the attention they deserve. “He’s wonderful with kids,” Mikson said.

Catherine Warshaw-Garguilo, parish administrator for the past year, said the energy level under Father Swift’s leadership is high. Plans for the future include focusing in more on the environment by way of a grant for solar power and increasing programs aimed at helping the large number of older adults as they age in place in the community.

“It’s going to be an exciting time,” Warshaw-Garguilo said.

As Father Swift looks to the future, he envisions St. Benedict Parish as “flourishing in every way,” much, he said, as it does now. “When I write my Christmas cards every year, I write that I continue to be blessed as a pastor.”

As the celebration Mass concluded, he told parishioners that “this is the finest day” of the 20 years of his priesthood. “To be pastor of this parish celebrating 50 years guided by the Gospel…I can’t think of anything to match it.”