Angel Tree UNWRAPPED gifts in Gift Bags are due back next weekend. Please make sure the tag(s) are attached to the gift bags. This tag is the only way we have of knowing who the recipients of the gifts are. Gifts need to be returned to the church by Sunday, December 6th. Gifts will besorted on Monday, December 7th in the catechetical center and distribution will be held on December 8th.

December 8th is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Mass will be held at 8 a.m.

Merci! Thank You! To all who contributed to the Men’s Club Gumbo Fundraiser. Your generosity is much appreciated.

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

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.

The Altar Society will be raffling a Nativity Scene on November 1st. Fr. Charles acquired this Nativity Scene last year during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It is hand made from Olive Wood by one of the few Christian artisans still living in Bethlehem. Tickets can be purchased for $5.00 per ticket after Masses the weekends of October 24/25 and October 31/November 1.

With the hurricane/no hurricane excitement of this week, businesses have been disrupted, and orders have been canceled or lost. Our supplier will no longer be able to fulfill our order for this Saturday. As a result, we have to move our Smoked Half-Cornish Hen Fundraiser Dinner to Saturday, September 12. The dinner will still be curbside takeout only, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please hold on to your tickets and join us on September 12th. If you need to buy more tickets, please use the link at the top of the website. We are very sorry for any inconvenience. Please know of our appreciation for your support of the St. Benedict Catholic Church Men's Club. All money we raise is spent to support St. Benedict's and the church's ministries

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

Governor Edwards has announced that we will continue to stay at Phase II Reopening until at least August 7th. Accordingly, we will continue to have sign-up for weekend Masses with the current restrictions we have in place. Masks are also required for anyone over the age of 8 attending Mass. Parents of children between the ages of 2 and 7 are strongly encouraged to have their children wear a mask at Mass Since we are still unable to use our Reconciliation Room (Confessional), Fr. Charles is using the sacristy for confessions. Because of the need to sanitize the church between the 2 p.m. and 5:30 vigil Masses, and the need to enter the sacristy before Mass, we are still unable to offer Confessions on Saturdays. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available on Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Fr. Charles can also make individual appointments for anyone who wishes to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Please call the office or email him for an appointment.

The 2021 Mass Intention book will open on Monday, August 3rd for the upcoming calendar year. Until November 1st we will accept no more than 12 single intention weekday requests from a household for dates in 2021 (unlimited requests for Sunday or Saturday Masses will be accepted). After November 1st, all intentions will be accepted until the schedule is full. Mass requests will be honored on a first-come, first-serve basis in the office. No Mass request will be taken over the telephone. Mass requests must be made in person in the parish office, mailed to the office, or put into an envelope and placed in the collection. Forms for requesting a Mass can be obtained from the parish office, in the back of the church, or online on the parish website. We still have many days available in 2020. People may request unlimited intentions for the remaining days in 2020. The stipend for a Mass is $5.

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.