Thank you to everyone who made our Christmas liturgies beautiful and inspiring. From the music ministry to the ushers, deacons to the lectors, and everyone else who assisted, your commitment to the liturgy is very much appreciated. Thanks also to the members of the Altar Society and Men’s Club who helped decorate the Church, and the Knights of Columbus who helped sponsor the books that were given out as gifts.

The Parish Office closed at noon on Friday, December 20th and will re-open Thursday, January 2nd, in observance of Christmas and New Year’s. We would like to wish everyone a very Blessed and Merry Christmas, and for those who will be traveling a safe trip to and from their destinations.

The Lunch Ministry collected enough items for numerous Christmas Baskets. Baskets were delivered and greatly appreciated by all who received them. THANK YOU for your support.

There will be a second collection at Mass on Christmas to help cover the salaries and expenses of priests serving as Hospital and Hospice Chaplains, Chaplains at Nursing Homes and High Schools, and those involved in retreat ministries. We have already been assessed $11,395 for this. Please be generous.

The Lunch Ministry is collecting canned vegetables, instant mashed potatoes, easy mac and cheese, and stuffing to place in our Annual Christmas Baskets. Please drop your non-perishables off at the Catechetical Center before December 16th.

There will be a Deanery Penance Service this Wednesday, Dec. 18th at 6 p.m. at Most Holy Trinity Church in Covington.

Thank you to all parishioners who so generously gave gifts to families, seniors and children on our Angel Tree. This year we brought joy to approximately 200 Angels. St. Benedict’s helped families through the St. Tammany Project Christmas, Fairhaven Orphanage, Trace Senior Living Center, our own church parish and homebound individuals through our own Lunch Ministry. A special thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who make this program work so beautifully each year. Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Angel Tree gifts are due back next weekend, Sunday, December 8th. Gifts need to be unwrapped and placed in gift bags. Please make sure the Angels are securely attached to the gift bags. The Angels are the only way we have of identifying the recipients of the gifts. Gifts will be sorted on Monday, December 9th and distributed on Tuesday, December 10th.

A collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious Appeal will be held next weekend, December 7/8. Elderly religious need your help. More than 32,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests live in the United States. Through prayer, love, and sacrifice, they established Catholic schools, hospitals, and more. Yet years of serving for little or no pay have left a shortage in retirement funding. Your gift helps their religious communities furnish necessities such as medications and nursing care. It also helps ensure younger members can continue the good works of their elders. Please be generous.

We will celebrate Mass on Thanksgiving Day at 8:00 a.m. which will include the blessing of bread for use at meals that day—a gift from the Men’s Club to all who attend Mass. The parish office will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving, beginning Wednesday, November 27th through Friday, November 29th. We would like to wish everyone a very Blessed Thanksgiving, and for those who are traveling a safe trip to and from their destinations.

Starting next weekend, November 30/December 1 mail bins will be placed at the entrance of the church to begin collecting your Christmas Cards for those in our community in Long Term Care, Nursing, and Rehabilitation Homes. Place as many Christmas Cards as you like… Please include the “thoughts and prayers from the Parishioners of St. Benedict Parish” in your Christmas greeting/signature. The outside of the envelope can be left blank or you may write, “Merry Christmas”. Please place your Christmas cards in the mail bins no later than Wednesday, December 11th. The Card will be distributed on Friday, December 13th and Saturday, December 14th by the Deacons.

Our Annual Angel Tree will be set up in church Saturday, November 23rd. Please take one or more Angels and complete the attached light green tag with your name and phone number and turn in the tag before leaving church. Team members will be available to assist you and collect your light green tag(s). Purchase one or more gifts from the wish list on the Angel Tree and return to church by Sunday, December 8th. The gift(s) should be unwrapped and placed in a gift bag with your Angel securely attached. Again, we look forward to your generous support of this Christmas tradition.

Come get a taste of what St. Benedict Men’s Club can do. Chicken and sausage gumbo tickets will be sold after all Masses next weekend and the gumbo can be picked up the weekend of November 23/24.

If you are grieving a loved one’s death, our parish GriefShare Ministry invites you to a holiday outreach event, Surviving the Holidays on November 26, 2024, 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm, in the Parish Hall. This holiday ministry program is a 2-hour, video-based event to help you face common challenges that come up during the holiday season. Included in the program are small group sharing, practical exercises, and encouraging devotions/rituals. In addition, A Survival Guide will be provided by St. Benedict’s for registered participants to use during the event and to take home. Sister Kateri Battaglia, MSC will facilitate the program. To register, call Sister Kateri at 504-453-0618 or go online to register at griefshare.org

The Lunch Ministry is collecting canned vegetables, instant mashed potatoes, easy mac and cheese, and stuffing for them to put in the Annual Holiday Baskets for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Please drop your non-perishables off in the Catechetical Center.

Saturday, November 2nd is the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls). We will have a special Mass to pray for all the faithful departed, especially all the members of the parish who have died during the past year at 5:30 p.m.

Friday, November 1st is the Solemnity of All Saints and a Holy Day of Obligation. We will have Mass at 8 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Saturday, November 2nd is the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls). We will have a special Mass to pray for all the faithful departed, especially all the members of the parish who have died during the past year at 5:30 p.m.

The Mass Intention Book will open on November 1st for all intentions to be accepted throughout 2025. Mass requests will be honored on a first- come, first-serve basis in the order in which the request is received at the parish office. No Mass request will be taken over the telephone. Mass request must be made in person in the parish office, or in writing and placed in the collection basket or mailed to the office. Forms for requesting a Mass can be obtained from the parish office, in the back of the church, or available online on the parish website.

The 2025 workbooks are now available in the usher’s room for all Lectors.

Please pick up your books in the hallway of the Catechetical Center