165 Bethany Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733
School Office Hours 7:30 am - 2:45 pm
732.264.5578
The Diocese of Trenton, aware of the ever-increasing growth of population in the Matawan-Keyport area of Monmouth County, purchased twenty-five acres of land from a family in Holmdel Township to be used as the site of a church and school to meet the spiritual needs of the Catholic families moving to this rural community.
In March 1960, Parish Counselors were hired to organize a Building Fund Campaign to obtain pledges from the members of the Community of St. Benedict. On April 12, 1961, Father Edward P. Blaska, the first pastor, broke ground for the new church and school.
A dedication ceremony presided over by Reverend George W. Ahr, the Ordinary of Trenton, was held on September 22, 1962, to celebrate the opening of St. Benedict School.
The original faculty was comprised of three Sisters of the Marianites of the Holy Cross of Princeton, and five lay teachers. Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart was the first principal.
Presently, the administrative and instructional staff consists entirely of lay people. Two wings of the school opened to accommodate 400 students in grades one through three. Every year a grade was added until the elementary school of eight grades was completed.
The first class of students graduated in June 1968. As the student body grew, an additional wing was added to house classrooms, a library, and a faculty room. In 1976, to keep pace with future needs of a changing society, a half-day kindergarten program was established. By 1986, the program expanded to full day.
In recent years, St. Benedict School has experienced unprecedented growth. Our campus has expanded to house an outdoor classroom to provide hands-on science instruction. St. Benedict has also built two state of the art mobile classrooms for our newly formed PreK3 program. Our instructional technology is comparable to any school, public or private, in the area. We have also hired a full- time armed guard to ensure student safety. Enrollment at St. Benedict continues to rise which insures our sustainability for decades to come. St. Benedict School is a model for Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Trenton and New Jersey.
Today, our parish continues to serve as the spiritual home to our many parishioners, as well as an institution of learning for our children who attend St. Benedict School. Students from pre-kindergarten 3 through 8th grade are provided with a strong faith foundation and develop as individuals of character—spiritually, academically, emotionally, and socially.
As we reflect on our parish and school's blessed past, we remember the previous generations of parishioners whose generosity and dedication toward their faith have inspired our legacy of faith, love, and gratitude. We must continue to strengthen our Church so that future generations may continue to benefit, as we have, from previous efforts of support. Thank you to everyone for celebrating and continuing the legacy that St. Benedict Catholic Church and School has built over the past sixty years. Here's to the future!