Please take note of the following Parish activities that are cancelled for now. Stay tuned for rescheduled dates and times. *The parish potluck in honor of Father Charles's birthday scheduled for Saturday night has been canceled. *All Religious Education classes in the Parish School of Religion have been canceled until after Easter. *The Tuesday night Youth Ministry meetings are canceled until after Easter. *The Way of the Cross on Friday evenings has been canceled. The Church will remain open daily, and I will place in the back of the Church booklets for individually completing the Way of the Cross. I encourage you to consider spending some time alone in the Church during the day in private prayer while we are in this time of “social distancing.” *The parish Scripture (Bible) Study on Thursday mornings has been canceled until after Easter. *The Bereavement/Grief Support Group meetings on Friday mornings have been canceled until after Easter. * The two remaining Men’s Club Fish Fries will be rescheduled after Easter when we resume a regular schedule of parish activities. *The Parish Ministry Fair scheduled for the weekend of March 28/29 will be rescheduled at a later date.

The distribution of ashes will be at 8 am and 7 pm Masses on Wednesday, February 26th. We will also have a collection for our Social Assistance account. This fund is used to assist those in need of help to cover food and/or utility bills. During Lent, the Way of the Cross will be offered each Friday at 7 pm. Immediately after the Way of the Cross, there will be Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament and an opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation until 8 pm. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will continue to be available on Wednesday nights from 5 pm to 6 pm as well as Saturday evenings from 4 pm to 5 pm. This year, we will offer a Lenten Lecture Series on Wednesdays at 6:10 pm in the Church beginning on March 4th. Fasting is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday by all Catholics who are 18 to 58 years of age. Those who are bound to fast may take only one full meal, and two smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength according to each one's needs; eating solid foods between meals is not permitted. Abstinence from meat is to be observed by all Catholics 14 years or older on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent.

Ray Kelly, with Diocesan, will be here this week to sign up or renew anyone interested in placing an ad or a memorial on the back of the bulletin. If interested, please call Ray Kelly at 504-338-3058.

Each year the Archdiocese of New Orleans honors Catholics who will be celebrating their 50th, 60th, and 70th Anniversary in 2020. The Archdiocesan Golden Anniversary celebration, which is a Prayer Service, will take place on Sunday, 7th at 3 pm at St. Philip Neri in Metairie. To register, please call the parish office at 985-892-5202 before Friday, March 20th.

The Archdiocese will honor those celebrating a Silver Wedding Anniversary on Sunday, March 22, 2020, at 3 pm at St. Joseph's Church in New Orleans. This event is for couples married in the year 1995 and celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversary. Please register no later than Monday, February 3rd by contacting the Parish Office or www.nolacatholic.org/weddinganniversary

The Parish Office will be closed in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday, January 20th. We will return to regular hours on Tuesday, January 21st.

Our next Baptism Seminar for first-time parents and godparents will be held on Monday, January 27th at 7 pm in the Catechetical Center.

Our annual Baby Bottle Campaign will be held on the weekend of January 18/19 to benefit the Northlake Crisis Pregnancy Center. The Crisis center is a Christian ministry dedicated to helping mothers and fathers in crisis by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, upholding the sanctity of human life, providing material and emotional support beyond the pregnancy, promoting sexual purity through education and self-worth, and offering compassion to those who have had an abortion in the past. Please help us to support and promote human life from the moment of conception. Thank you!

Bring your baby Jesus figurines from your Nativity Set to Mass the weekend of December 14th and 15th for a special blessing! Please place your baby Jesus in front of the altar before Mass.

Mail bins are at the entrance to the Church! Please add your Christmas cards for those in our community who are in Long Term Care, Nursing, and Rehabilitation Homes. Add as many cards as you like, please include the phrase "thoughts and prayers from the Parishioners of St. Benedict Parish" in your greeting/signature. For the outside envelope, please write "Merry Christmas" or simply leave it blank. The Deacons will distribute on the 20th and 21st - please turn cards in no later than the 18th. Thank you for your continued support of this wonderful ministry!

The 2019 Angel Tree will be set up on Saturday, November 30th. Please take one or more angels and sign them out. Please purchase one or more gifts for the angel from the list on the tag. Angel Team members will be available to help with signing out the angels at all weekend Masses. Wrapped gifts with angel tags attached are due back to church no later than December 14th, so that we may distribute on December 17th. Thank you so much for your continued generosity in supporting this program!

Military addresses are needed for men and women stationed away from their families during the Christmas holidays! Please contact Bertha Daigle at 985-809-1246.

We are pleased to announce that starting in 2020, the Archdiocese of New Orleans will host an annual wedding anniversary celebration for those couples celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. The 2020 Silver Anniversary Celebration will take place on Sunday, March 22, 2020, at 3 pm at St. Joseph Church in New Orleans. This event is only for couples married in the year 1995 in honor of their 25th wedding anniversary. If you are interested in attending, please contact the Parish Office to register.

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 Lunch Ministry and The Parish School of Religion are collecting canned vegetables, instant mashed potatoes, easy macaroni and cheese, and stuffing to make the Annual Holiday Baskets. Please drop your non-perishable items off at the Catechetical Center before November 23rd. Thank You!

Save the date for the fall Theology on Tap series! If you are aged 18 -35 and are interested, meet at the Chimes Restaurant in Covington Thursday nights at 6:30 pm beginning on Thursday, October 10th. See you there!

As a Church, the month of November is dedicated to remembering and praying for all of the faithfully departed. The Book of Remembrance is in the back of the Church for anyone who wishes to inscribe the names of all deceased family and friends. We will honor the departed in our prayers throughout the entire month of November.

Most Holy Trinity Church in Covington will host a seminar on the challenges of social media on October 28th. David Dawson Jr., the Director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life, is the speaker for the evening. For more information or to register, please call 985-892-0642.

RCIA is the process through which participants learn about the Catholic Faith and deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church as they journey toward full initiation in the life of the Church. RCIA will begin on September 16th at 7 pm. For more information, please contact Eric Johnsen at psr@stbencov.org

If you would like to help deliver meals on Wednesdays to 2 - 3 recipients in the Covington area, as a substitute for our regular drivers, please contact Bertha Daigle at 985-809-1246.