The Altar Society thanks everyone for their support of the Nativity Scene Raffle fundraiser. Your generosity helped to raise $1850. Congratulations to Sharron Naquin, who won the raffle.

The Mass Intention Book will open on November 2nd for all intentions to be accepted throughout 2021. 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 requests will be taken over the telephone. Mass requests 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 Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is how people deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ and enter the Catholic Church. This program includes people who are not baptized (called catechumens) and people who are baptized in another Christian church and now seeking full Communion with the Catholic Church. Each year on Holy Saturday during the Easter Vigil, catechumens are baptized into the Catholic Church. Those already baptized in another Christian church are brought into full communion with the Catholic Church. Because of COVID-19, the RCIA process this year will be different from years past. It will consist of some in-person meetings, along with online instructions, and periodic ZOOM meetings. For more information, please email Eric Johnsen at rcia@stbencov.org

Congratulations to Janie Ellis, who has been selected to receive the Order of St. Louis IX Award this year. The award was established in 1975 to honor those members of the laity who have contributed their time and talents to the church. Archbishop Aymond will confer this honor on her on October 18.

In their statement on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. Catholic bishops remind Catholics about the call to participate in political life. “In the Catholic tradition,” they write, “responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation” (no. 13). Visit FaithfulCitizenship.org today to read the statement, along with a new letter, watch new videos, and access other great resources.