The second collection next weekend is for the support of our seminarians in formation for the priesthood. Your generosity is greatly appreciated to help form the future ministers in our Church to become good and holy men of prayer, dedicated to our service. Our quota for the second collection is $8,930.

Please bring your Rice Bowls to the Church or Parish Office.

Throughout the weekend of April 27th and 28th, we will take up the Catholic Home Missions Appeal. Right now, over 40% of dioceses in the United States are considered mission territory because they are unable to fund essential pastoral work in their communities. Your support of this appeal eases the struggle of these dioceses. Please prayerfully consider how you can support this appeal. Find more information at www.usccb.org/home-missions.

Our new Bulletin will begin the first weekend of April. We will begin to publish a prayer list for those who are homebound and sick in the parish. If you know of a parishioner who is sick and/or homebound and would like to be placed on the list, please call the office.

Congratulations to Betty Lemoine and Richard Thomas who have been selected to receive the Order of St. Louis IX Award. 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 them at a special ceremony in New Orleans on May 19th.

Registration for the 2019-2020 Religious Education School Year has begun. The fee per student in grades 1-6 will be $40 for the school year, and the fee per student in grades 7-10 will be $45 for the school year. Parishioners will be capped at $100 per family per year. Please be mindful that at these rates St. Benedict Parish still subsidizes approximately $45 per each student in the PSR program, and that our fees are on the lower end of the scale of fees charged by other parishes in our deanery. If anyone is incapable of covering the cost of religious education, please see Father Charles— fees should never be a hindrance for children receiving religious education.

We would like to congratulate Jeremy Surkand as the recipient of this year’s Altar Server Award. In addition to the recognition from our Parish and our Knights of Columbus Council, we have submitted Jeremy's name as our parish's Serra Club Award recipient. A heartfelt thank you goes to Jeremy and his family for enriching our parish with their witness to Christ by their family's faith and service.

Father Charles will have a special blessing the weekend of March 30/31 for couples celebrating their wedding anniversary during the month of March.

Our parish and Catholic communities throughout the United States do something amazing each Lent. We come together to pray, fast and give alms—and by doing so, we help lift families and communities out of poverty and put them on a path toward resilience, prosperity, and stability. That’s the CRS Rice Bowl effect. Rice Bowls will be available for pick- up in the back of church beginning this weekend. Inside the bowls are suggested prayers, readings, and facts about the work of Catholic Relief Services. Through this tradition, we have helped families around the world and in our Archdiocese by raising our voices and our prayers, and by making sacrificial gifts. 25% of all funds raised by the Rice Bowl Campaign stay right here in our Archdiocese.

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.

Mass with the distribution of ashes will be at 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Ash Wednesday. On Ash Wednesday we will have a collection for our Social Assistance account. These monies are used to assist people who are in need to help cover utility bills and food bills. Also, during Lent we will pray the Way of the Cross each Friday at 7:00 p.m. 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 8:00 p.m. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is also available every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

For anyone mourning the loss of a loved one, feelings of sadness, despair, anger, hopelessness, and loneliness can seem impossible to manage. But many find comfort in the support they receive from others who have traveled or are traveling a similar journey. To help people navigate through the journey of grieving a loved one who has died, Saint Benedict Catholic Church will be offering a bereavement/grief support group for parishioners. The group will meet for eight weeks on Thursday at 10 a.m., beginning on Thursday, February 7th. There is no cost for the group (the church will cover the cost of all materials needed for the group), but we ask that you, please pre-register by calling the parish office at 985-892-5202 or emailing the office at office@stbencov.org so that we may have enough materials for everyone in the group.

Do you know a high school senior graduating in May 2019 who is active in service to the Church, school, and community? Please urge that student to apply for the Knights of Colombus Catholic Youth Leadership Award. Information and application packets are available at St. Benedict Church, Covington High School, Archbishop Hannan High School, St. Scholastica High School, St. Paul's High School, and from Grand Knight John Scholl (985-246-6714). Applications are due by January 25, 2019.

Sunday, January 27th, Mrs. Lisa Johnsen was commissioned as a Lay Ecclesial Minister at St. Louis Cathedral by Archbishop Aymond. Lisa has recently completed the certification process at Notre Dame Seminary. Please join us in congratulating her on this incredible achievement!

Each year the Archdiocese of New Orleans honors Catholics who will be celebrating their 50th, 60th and 70th Anniversary in 2019. The Archdiocesan Golden Anniversary celebration, which is a Prayer Service will take place on Sunday, June 2nd at 3:00 p.m. in St. Philip Neri Church in Metairie. To register, please call the parish office at 985-892-5202 before March 1st.

In His Image is a father-son program for young men, ages 11-13, and their fathers. The purpose of this program is to allow fathers and sons to grow together in the knowledge of God's gift of fertility and becoming a man in His image. Presentations include "the gift of sexuality" and "the virtue of chastity." This program is based on the teachings of Pope St. John Paul II's "Theology of the Body," and is meant to foster the relationship between father and son. The program will take place on Saturday, February 2nd from 6 to 8 pm at St. Peter's Catholic Church in St. Mary's Hall. To register, please visit www.stpeterparish.com.

Thank you to everyone for the hard work that made our Christmas liturgies beautiful and inspiring. From the music ministry to the ushers, altar servers, deacons, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, an everyone else who assisted, your commitment to the liturgy and the liturgical environment is very much appreciated. Thanks to the members of the Altar Society and Men's Club who helped decorate the Church last Sunday afternoon. A special thanks to Betty Lemoine, who coordinated the poinsettias and who coordinates the flowers on the altar every week of the year. THANK YOU!

Our heartfelt thanks to all parishioners who so generously gave to the families on our Angel Tree! The response was overwhelming. This year, because of your generosity, we brought joy to 245 angels! Our parish has helped families through Caritas, Fairhaven Orphanage, the Saint Benedict's Parish, and Home-bound individuals through our Lunch Ministry. Thank you again for making Christmas so wonderful for those in need. Thank you also to Lila Salvatore for coordinating our Angel Tree!

If you signed up for annual offering envelopes, please remember to pick them up in the back of the Church. If you have not asked for envelopes in the past and wish to receive them, please sign the clipboard in the Catechetical Center or contact the office at (985) 892-5202. Thank you for your continued support!