Our Pastoral Council through consensus formulated our Mission Statement. With our motto from the Rule of St. Benedict, “Prefer nothing to Christ,” we hope parishioners will have an easily remembered point of reference for who we want to be.
Saint Benedict the Abbot Parish is a vibrant family of
believers, part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh,
whose goal is to foster liturgy, prayer, service and hospitality
in the spirit of our patron. We are committed to receiving
all as Christ—as we strive to grow in faith, hope and charity.
“Prefer Nothing to Christ.”
The beginning of the statement expresses that we are first of all a community of believers, that is, that because of our baptism, we are charged to be “in communion” with one another and the whole Church of which we are part. This means we understand that our parish is part of something larger, namely our Diocese, but even more than that, the Universal Church. Being “in communion” means we want to live as Jesus taught his first followers to live, imitating the virtues, especially faith, hope and charity as the statement enumerates at its end.
The parish goals flow from the spirit of Saint Benedict, the Father of Western Monasticism. Benedictine communities are known for attention to liturgy, and the motto of the saint, “ora et labora,” which means “pray and work,” is expressed in the words “prayer and service.” Our lives are supposed to be drawn to communication with God in prayer and lived out in service to others. Hospitality is a hallmark of the Benedictines. They opened their doors to all who came seeking refuge and they saw every person as Christ.
Finally, the motto, “Prefer nothing to Christ” comes from the Rule of Saint Benedict and is meant to keep us focused on the stated goals which are meant to lead us back to Jesus Christ, and keep our attention on his mission and our responsibility to share in it as we build God’s Kingdom.
