Many Thanks for your contributions of $961 for this year’s Operation Rice Bowl.

As in the case with many pension funds in secular businesses today, the Archdiocese of New Orleans Priests’ Pension Program is underfunded. This is largely due to the growing number of retired priests and the skyrocketing cost of health care. This collection is separate from the annual collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious, which supports religious orders and institutes across the United States. Please show your generosity next weekend, May 7/8.

You will find a book in the back of the church to enroll your mother, godmother, and grandmothers (living or deceased) to be remembered at Masses on Mother’s Day weekend, May 7/8. This is an excellent way to remember your loved ones on this special day.

Congratulations to Jill Richard and Phil Rapp for being selected to receive the Order of Saint Louis Award this year. The Order of St. Louis IX award was established in 1975 to honor those laypersons who have made an extraordinary contribution of their time and talents to local churches in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Since its establishment, more than 10,000 individuals have received the medallion for their Christ-like service. Archbishop Aymond will confer the award on Jill and Phil on Sunday, May 15th.

The crowning of the statue of the Blessed Mother inside the church will occur at the end of the First Communion Mass on Sunday, May 1st at 10:30 a.m. with a reception to follow in the catechetical center.

Now that Lent is over, please bring your Rice Bowls to the Church or the Parish Office.

The Men’s Club will be hosting a parish grounds work party on Saturday, April 23rd starting at 8:00 a.m. and ending at lunch with boiled crawfish. We are inviting all parishioners (regardless of age or gender) to come and help with a variety of cleanup activities. This will be a great opportunity to meet new friends and renew earlier acquaintances; but more importantly, it will be a time to spruce up St. Benedict’s. Please call 892-5202 or email office@stbencov.org the office if you plan to help so we can have a number for the crawfish.

THANK YOU from the MEN’S CLUB The Men’s Club would like to thank everyone who supported the Fish Fry Fundraisers. This year we served 1138 dinners. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Your generosity is very much appreciated!

Next weekend is Palm Sunday. If you have palms that you wish to contribute to be used for our celebrations, please clean them and bring them to the side of the Church by Friday morning. Thank You!

During Lent we will pray the Way of the Cross each Friday at 7 p.m. Immediately after the Way of the Cross we will have Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Sacrament of Reconciliation until 8 p.m. Catholics 14 years of age or older must abstain from eating meat on all the Fridays of Lent and Good Friday. In regards to fasting, Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 (inclusive) are required to fast on Good Friday. There is a limit of one full meal and no food between meals on those days. Two smaller meals are permitted as needed to maintain one’s strength. During Lent we will pray the Way of the Cross each Friday at 7 p.m. Immediately after the Way of the Cross we will have Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Sacrament of Reconciliation until 8 p.m. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is also available every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Thank You for your generous support for the people of Ukraine. To date, we have collected over $19,500 that has already been sent to help feed, shelter, and clothe people in Ukraine. Any donations placed in the “Poor Box” this week will go to support people in Ukraine.

St. Benedict Men’s Club will hold their annual Fish Fry Dinners during Lent on March 25th and April 8th beginning at 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Dinner choices are: Fish or Shrimp Plate. Sides include Potato Salad, Green Beans and a Dinner Roll. The cost is $12 per plate. Tickets will be available after Masses this weekend, April 2/3 or online at the parish website.

Lorell Russell, President Betty Lemoine, Vice President Carol Vickers, Treasurer Earline Murray, Recording Secretary Cindy Guevara, Corresponding Secretary The Altar Society currently meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 9 a.m., but will begin meeting in June on the 3rd Sunday of the month between the two morning Masses. ALL ladies of the parish—of any age—are invited to attend and join this most important ministry in the parish.

Did you know that the annual cost to fund on seminarian is $45,000? This total is one of the largest budgetary items in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Please continue to pray for these men and those who work with them on their priestly formation and please give generously to this very important fund that will provide monetary support to those men who will minister to the people of God in New Orleans for many years to come.

Fr. Charles will have his 10th Annual 39th Birthday on March 12th. We will have a Birthday Celebration for him on Saturday, March 12th, following the 5:30 p.m. Mass. All food will be provided by the parish and Altar Society. Please join us for the celebration!

We are happy to announce that Karleen Pilet has been hired as our new part-time custodian. If you see her while on campus, please introduce yourself and say “hello”!

This Wednesday, March 2nd, is Ash Wednesday. We will have Mass with the distribution of ashes at8a.m.and7p.m. Itisalsoadayof fasting and abstinence. (Please see the Lent and Easter Regulations page for more information.)

Our parish and Catholic Communities throughout the United States do something amazing each Lent. We come together to pray, fast and give alms-and by doing so we help lift families and communities out of poverty and put them on a path toward resilience, prosperity and stability. That’s the CRS Rice Bowl effect. Rice Bowls will be available for pick-up in the back of church beginning this weekend. Inside the bowls are suggested prayers, readings and facts about the work of Catholic Relief Services.

Join us for the Men’s Club annual Fish Frys! Mar. 11, Mar. 25, & Apr. 8 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. CURBSIDE TAKE-OUT ONLY $12 FISH PLATE or SHRIMP PLATE includes: potato salad, green beans, dinner roll Tickets may be purchased from any Men's Club member, at the fish fry, or on the link online.

Thank you for your generous support of the Northlake Crisis Pregnancy Center’s Baby Bottle Drive. This year we raised $11,812, our largest drive ever! Thank you for supporting LIFE!