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 23rd through Friday, November 25th. We would like to wish everyone a very Blessed Thanksgiving, and for those who are traveling a safe trip to and from their destinations.

Angels are available this weekend. This year, there are about 175 adults and children Angels from a number of sources. Please complete the light green tag(s) attached to the Angel(s) and deposit in designated baskets at the church. Unwrapped gift(s) with Angel(s) attached must be returned to church by noon on Sunday, December 4th. Please remember many families depend on your generosity. These may be the only gifts they receive. If for any reason you are unable to purchase gifts for the Angel you selected, please contact Claire Hayden at (504)- 799-5487 so other arrangements can be made in this case. As always, thank you for your continued support of this wonderful program

Come get a taste of what St. Benedict Men’s Club can do. Smoked turkey and sausage gumbo will be sold after all Masses the weekend of November 19/20 for just $12 a quart or $40 for 4 quarts with a little lagniappe (rice).

The Altar Society thanks everyone who made the Advent Wreath Fundraiser such a success. All the wreaths were sold in one weekend.

As of January 1st, your 2023 offering envelopes will be sent via mail every other month by Church Budget Envelope Co. If you are not currently receiving envelopes and would like to, please contact Channon at the Parish Office (892-5202).

The Lunch Ministry will be 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 at the Catechetical Center before November 22nd.

Our Annual Parish Picnic and Trunk or Treat was hugely successful! A big thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy the day! An ENORMOUS THANK YOU to our Men's Club and Volunteers for providing lunch and festivities!

November is the month that we, as a Church, remember and pray for all of the faithful departed. The Book of Remembrance has been placed in the back of the church for you to inscribe the names of your deceased family and friends to be prayed for throughout the month.

The Mass Intention Book will open on November 1st for all intentions to be accepted throughout 2023. 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.

As of January 1st, your 2023 offering envelopes will be sent via mail every other month by Church Budget Envelope Co. If you are not currently receiving envelopes and would like to, please contact Channon at the Parish Office (892-5202).

Next weekend (October 22/23) is designated World Mission Sunday. Through mission efforts, World Missions encounters various groups of people and communities in need of your help. Without the faith and generosity of donors, that help would not be possible. Please show your support and as always, we thank you for your generosity

One the biggest traditions of the Advent season is the Advent Wreath. The wreath and candles help us to anticipates and prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ! The Ladies Altar Society will be selling advent wreaths as a fundraiser on November 5/6 and November 12/13. Wreaths will be sold for $25.00 each, providing an excellent way to prepare your mind and heart for Christmas. Please show your support and Christmas spirit.

We will have our annual blessing of pets and animals on Sunday, October 16th at 2:00 pm. All pets and animals are welcome!

Sunday, October 30th will be our annual Parish Picnic after the 10:30 Mass. Food, Family, and Fun is guaranteed. The parish will supply lunch for everyone – we are asking each family to bring drinks for their own family. Our Youth Ministry will be coordinating games and other activities. As a special addition to the Parish Picnic we will also have Trunk or Treat - a family friendly Halloween event in which children and their families get to enjoy dressing up and receive candy from each of the family friendly themed vehicles that participate. All youth are invited to dress up as their favorite saint or biblical figure on Sunday, October 30th for the 10:30 a.m. Mass. During the picnic we will have our trunk or treat. Everyone is encouraged to decorate their trunks and to bring candy or other goodies to give to those who participate. All are welcome to join in the fun.

ARE YOU SOMEONE OR DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO… • Has expressed an interest in becoming Catholic? • Was baptized Catholic as a child, but has not celebrated the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist? • Has you been sitting in the pew next to your Catholic spouse for years wondering what you have to do to become Catholic? Father Charles will be leading those interested in becoming Catholic through a small group to learn more about our faith. Sessions focus on the teachings and experience of Church and prepare individuals to celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist during the Easter season. There will be an inquiry session on Sunday, October 9th at 9:15 a.m. (between the morning Masses) for those who are interested.

The Men’s Club would like to thank everyone who supported their recent Cornish Hen Fundraiser – your generosity is very much appreciated… THANK YOU!

A Second Collection will be held the weekend of September 17/18 for Catholic Communication Campaign. The Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC) is a marvelous way to share the gospel message of God’s mercy and love. Pope Francis asked us last year, “to offer the people of our time storylines that are, at heart, ’good news.”’ By supporting this collection, you help to spread the Good News to people around the country and around the world. Your gift also makes a local impact because half of your donation stays in your diocese to support local communications projects.

Registration is underway for Family Faith Formation for this school year. Registration forms are available in the back of church, online, or from the parish office. Please remember that First Communion is a 2-year prep., with children beginning in the first grade. Confirmation is a 1-year prep that occurs in the 10th grade. Even if your child attends Catholic High School, he/she must register and participate in the Confirmation Prep. Program at a parish—the Archdiocese requires Confirmation Prep. at the parish level and the Catholic High Schools do not prepare students for Confirmation.

Even when everything goes well, bringing home a new baby is difficult. Between the physical exhaustion, emotional stress, and sleep deprivation, parents can often feel overwhelmed. That’s where our church family can come in. Wouldn’t it be great if we could deliver meals to families of new babies during the difficult newborn baby phase. Any parishioner parents are eligible, including birth parents, foster parents, and adopting parents of an infant (under 1-year-old) and this applies to all children (first, second, third…etc.). Volunteers are needed to help us start our New Baby Meal Ministry. We will have a sign-up genius sent out to our volunteer list every time a new baby is born in the parish. Volunteers can sign up for a night to cook/order and deliver a meal to the family. Our goal is to have a meal sent to the family for every other night for 2 weeks so they can enjoy their time with their new baby without needing to worry about dinner. If you are interested in signing up as a volunteer or have any questions, please contact: Debra Dwight at 985-966-0437 or DebraDwight07@gmail.com

Would you like to honor a loved one, an anniversary, or birthday by donating flowers for the Altar? Please contact: Betty Lemoine at 985-886-9883 for more information on sponsorship opportunities.