The Parish Office will be closed Monday, July 5th in observance of Independence Day. We wish everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July Holiday.

As we continue to progress toward “normalcy,” we will resume passing the collection baskets to collect your offering for the first and any second collections. The ushers will also resume distributing the Bulletin at the end of Mass at each of the doors. This will prevent us from having to pick up after every Mass from Bulletins left in the pews. Please do not go into the usher’s room looking for a Bulletin – they will be available after Mass. Thank you for your cooperation.

The Lunch Ministry will be preparing a pasta salad with fresh vegetables and fruit on Wednesday, June 30th. Please bring any extra vegetables or fruit that you can spare to the Catechetical Center by Tuesday, June 29th. Thank you for your generosity.

All parishioners received a letter explaining some exciting changes to our Religious Education Program here at St. Benedict’s. Next year we will be having Family Faith Formation (Family Catechesis) in place of our PSR. So instead of class once a week, it is class ONCE A MONTH FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. (It will be a one-hour long class.) The program is designed to go back to the basics in a way that is accessible for everyone in a family, giving the parents the tools they need to grow their family faith. If any family was unable to attend one of the two meetings we had to explain the program and register for next year, please use the enclosed Registration Form and return it to the parish office as soon as possible. Also in this Bulletin is next year’s calendar. If you have any questions, please contact Corina Montreuil, our Parish Catechetical Leader. She can be reached in the office (985-892-5202) or via email (psr@stbencov.org).

Some people have inquired about offertory envelopes for this year. If you would like to start using offertory envelopes or did not pick up your envelopes in January or February, please call (985- 892-5202) or email (office@stbencov.org) the office to arrange for your envelopes to be placed in the back of the church. Offertory envelopes are a safe and private way for you to tithe and support St. Benedict Catholic Church and our apostolic mission. It also enables us to give you proper credit for your contributions for IRS tax statements and other purposes. The safest and most secure way to make contributions to St. Benedict’s, however, is to use our online giving, which can be accessed at: https://giving.parishsoft.com/app/giving/stbencov

Spring has sprung and the fun-raising has begun! The ladies of the St. Benedict Altar Society will be selling tickets for their Annual Spring Raffle after all Masses the weekends of June 12/13 and June 19/20. Each ticket is $5 and the drawing will be held on Sunday, June 12th after the 10:30 a.m. Mass.

Please join us in welcoming Fr. Jean-Marie Mvumbi, a Missionhurst-CICM (the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) missionary who will be visiting our parish next weekend to present the annual mission appeal. Fr. Jean-Marie is from the foreign mission Province of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and will be sharing his life and dedication to the people he serves with us. Missionhurst-CICM was originally founded in 1862 for the conversion of China. Today, Missionhurst-CICM serves in some of the most remote places of Mongolia, Indonesia, Africa, Asia and Latin America. Missionhurst-CICM missionaries go into mission prepared to stay, living among the people, sharing in their privations, and participating in the day-to-day effort needed to achieve life-long spiritual and material changes. In response to the people's most urgent need, Missionhurst-CICM missionaries may start a new farming project, build a new chapel or school or lay clean water supply lines. Fr. Jean-Marie is currently the Provincial Treasurer for the US Province of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and resides at the Motherhouse in Arlington, Virginia. He is a missionary priest full of life who continues to shine his light wherever he goes. He speaks Kikongo, Kiyombe, French, English and Spanish. Fr. Jean- Marie will be preaching at all the masses and a second collection will be taken with proceeds going to Missionhurst-CICM. WELCOME, Fr. Jean-Marie!