Friday, December 8th, is a Holy Day of Obligation. We will have a Vigil Mass on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Mass Friday Morning at 8 a.m.

Angel Tree gifts are due back next weekend, Sunday, December 3rd. 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 Sunday, December 3rd and distributed Tuesday, December 5th.

Anyone interested in becoming a Lector, please contact Channon at the Parish Office 985-892-5202.

A collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious Appeal will be held December 9/10. 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.

Starting next weekend, December 2/3 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 13th. The Card will be distributed on Friday, December 15th and Saturday, December 16th by the Deacons.

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

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 22nd through Friday, November 24th. We would like to wish everyone a very Blessed Thanksgiving, and for those who are traveling a safe trip to and from their destinations.

A second collection will be held next weekend for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Over 43 million people in the United States live in poverty. This collection supports programs to empower people to identify and address the obstacles they face as they work to bring permanent and positive change to their communities. Learn more about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development at www.usccb.org/cchd/collection.

Our Annual Angel Tree will be set up in church Saturday, November 18th. Please take one or more Angels and complete the attached light green tag with your name and phone number and turn in the tag(s) 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 and return to church by Sunday, December 3rd. The gift(s) should be unwrapped and placed in a gift bag with your Angel securely attached. We look forward to your generous support of this Christmas tradition.

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 20th.

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 18/19 with a little lagniappe (rice).

Wednesday, November 1st is the Solemnity of All Saints. We will have Mass at 8 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Thursday, 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 7:00 p.m.

The Mass Intention Book will open on November 1st for all intentions to be accepted throughout 2024. 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.

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.

Our annual blessing of pets and animals will be on Sunday, October 15th at 2pm. See you there!

Next weekend (October 21/22) 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.

Sunday, October 22nd 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 22nd 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.

The 2023 workbooks are now available in the usher’s room for all Lectors.

The St. Benedict Ladies Altar Society will be selling stained glass ornaments after all Masses the weekend of October 14th and 15th.

Anyone interested in becoming a Lector, please contact Channon at the Parish Office 985-892-5202.