Please join us on Saturday, May 13th, for a special morning of activities to commemorate the appearance of our Blessed Mother to the children of Fatima 100 years ago. 8:45 AM Mass; 9:25 AM Breakfast Buffet in Teen Center; 10:00 AM Movie “The 13th Day;” 11:00 AM Break/Brief Discussion; 11:20 AM Rosary; 11:50 AM Final Comments/Prayer. The event should end at 12 noon. For more information, please contact Val Hebert at valencemt@aol.com or (504) 427-0327.

A Six-Part marriage enrichment program inspired by St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” will be offered at St. Benilde. “United in Love United in Christ” will meet on six consecutive Thursdays, from April 27th through June 1st, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Teen Center. Please call the Parish Office for more information or visit the parish website.

The Adoration Chapel will be closed from 7:30 AM on Friday, May 5th until 7:00 PM on Sunday, May 7th for carpet cleaning. Thank you in advance for your cooperation as we continue to make improvements to our Chapel.

On Sunday, May 7th, we will have our parish May Crowning at the 11 AM Mass. All are invited to bring flowers to adorn our Blessed Mother. The children of the parish will be invited to join Fr. Cooper in the sanctuary for the homily. Please invite your family and friends for this special Children’s Liturgy.

I extend my personal congratulations to Jeanette Dunn and Val Hebert, the recipients of the 2017 Order of St. Louis IX Medallion, for their outstanding service and commitment to both St. Benilde Catholic Church and to the local Church in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. This award recognizes the lay faithful who, by their loving service to the Church in and of New Orleans, continue to spread the Good News of the Gospel to all whom they encounter. Congratulations to both of you on this most deserved honor and recognition! ~ Fr. Cooper

The annual Parish Picnic scheduled for this Sunday, April 30th, has been CANCELLED due to expected inclement weather. There are no current plans to reschedule at this time.

Congratulations to Michael Monistere, Jr. for being selected as the representative from St. Benilde Catholic Church to receive the 2017 Altar Server Award from Archbishop Aymond. Because of his faithfulness to this important ministry in the Church, our parish community is proud to nominate him for this honor. We extend our personal congratulations to Michael, and we extend our thankfulness to all the boys who are dedicated to serving at the Altar of the Lord.

Sunday, April 23, 2017, is Divine Mercy Sunday. A Mass in honor of Divine Mercy Sunday will be celebrated at 3:00 PM at St. Joseph’s Church, 1802 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered be-ginning at 1:00 PM. The Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration will take place at 1:30 PM and followed by the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Mass at 3:00 PM, with Archbishop Emeritus Alfred C. Hughes, celebrant and homilist. All are invited to join us for the Mass as we ask God’s mercy for the sins of the Church and society.

The Adoration Chapel will close for the Easter Tridiuum on Wednesday, April 12th at 11:59 p.m. and reopen on Monday, April 17th at 7:30 a.m. The Parish Office will be closed Good Friday and Easter Monday. The office will reopen on Tuesday, April 18th at 9 a.m.

Easter Triduum Schedule: Holy Thursday – April 13th: Morning Prayer at 7:00 AM in Church; Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:00 PM followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament till 11:00 PM. The Adoration Chapel will close at 11:59 PM on Wednesday, April 12th and will re-open at 7:30 AM on Monday, April 17th. Good Friday – April 14th: Morning Prayer at 7:00 AM in Church; Good Friday Service of the Passion of the Lord at 3:00 PM; Stations of the Cross at 6:00 PM. Holy Saturday – April 15th: Morning Prayer at 7:00 AM in Church; Solemn Easter Vigil at 8:00 PM. Easter Sunday - April 15th: Easter Masses at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Please Note that there will be no 6:00 PM Mass on Easter Sunday.

The beautiful Easter lilies and spring flowers that adorn our altar and sanctuary are a special part of the celebration of Easter at St. Benilde Catholic Church. We invite all parishioners to share in the experience through a memorial or thanksgiving gift by using the Easter Flowers Memorial Envelopes. Donations toward the cost of Easter flowers in the Church may be made in memory or honor of your family members and friends. This is a wonderful way to remember loved ones, honor friends, and offer thanksgiving to God for prayers answered and blessings received. The suggested donation is $10.00 per remembrance.

During the Holy Season of Lent, Archbishop Aymond is asking all churches in the Archdiocese of New Orleans to have a light on in the confessional on Wednesday, March 22nd; Wednesday, March 29th; and Wednesday, April 5th from 5:00pm - 6:30pm as a sign that Christ is not only the light of the world but one who is eager to forgive and to heal us. If you have been away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we invite you to come back to God’s loving mercy and forgiveness.

The parish will have a Holy Hour from 6:00 PM till 7:00 PM on Monday, April 10th as we prepare our hearts and minds for the Resurrection of our Savior. Both Fr. Cooper and Fr. H.L. will be available for Confessions from 6:00 PM till 7:00 PM.

The family and friends of Cole Barrett (son of Heather and Dax Barrett) are hosting a blood drive with Ochsner Blood Bank on Thursday, April 6, from 5:30 to 9 PM in the St. Benilde School cafeteria/Ochsner Bloodmobile. Please bring picture identification and eat a healthy meal prior to donating. All walk-ins are welcome to donate including individuals taking medication for high blood pressure or cholesterol. For more information please call (504) 842-3375 or visit ochsner.org/bloodbank. Thank you in advance.

Please save your palms to help us supply the congregation with palms for Palm Sunday. To help lessen the work of our volunteers, please bring only fresh, healthy, cleaned palms. Containers will be available in the Church foyer Monday, April 3 through Thursday April 6 to place the palms in. Thanks so much for your help!

The school’s annual Luck of the Irish Spring Gala is on April 8, 2017 at The Landmark Hotel in Metairie starting at 7:30 PM. Proceeds from the event benefit St. Benilde School, allowing the school to complete necessary campus improvements including furnishings, instructional equipment, and campus security. This year’s event will honor long time Prek 4 Aide and 2017 Benilde Medal for Service to Parish and School Mrs. Lynne Pilie, who will be retiring this year after serving the school since 1991. We will also be having a “Diamond Toast” at the end of the night where one lucky person will win a diamond ring valued at $3,600. To purchase your tickets, go to 501auctions.com/sbsgala. You can also stop by the school or parish office and complete a paper order. Tickets must be purchased no later than April 1, 2017!

Don’t miss the Men’s Club last Lenten Fish Fry! It will be held Friday, March 31, from 5:30 to 8 PM (those with Presale tickets may enter at 5 PM). Tickets in the cafeteria. The menu includes soft shell crab plate, fish taco, Thai shrimp taco, fish plate, grilled redfish with shrimp cream sauce, fish and shrimp combo, and more. New on the menu this year is a half or whole seafood muffuletta. Eat-in or take-out available. Members of the Men’s Club will be selling tickets after all the Masses the weekend on March 25th and 26th. Tickets will also be available in the Parish Office during the week before the event.

The St. Benilde School Drama Club will present “Selections from Cats” this coming Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, March 23rd through 25th, starting at 7 PM, in the cafeteria. Tickets are $7 for children and $10 for adults. Hope to see you there!

St. Benilde Parish will be hosting a St. Joseph Altar on Monday, March 20, from 9 AM to 5:30 PM, in the Teen Center. Donations of cakes, breads, cookies, fruits, flowers, and any religious articles are welcome. For your convenience, bags with a list of needed items will be available in the foyer of Church this weekend. Donations may be left on the table provided in the Church foyer the weekend of March 18th & 19th, or in the Parish Office during regular office hours. St. Joseph candles will be available for purchase during viewing. For more information please call Bonnie at 504-628-1642.

On Saturday, March 11, men and women are invited to join the St. Benilde Rosary & Altar Society’s Annual “Morning of Reflection” with Rev. Joseph M. Krafft. The program will start with the Rosary at 8:15 AM, followed by Mass. A coffee and donut breakfast will be provided by the Rosary Altar Society in the Teen Center. Fr. Krafft will start his presentations at 10 AM. The morning will end at approximately 12 noon. Please contact Anita at 874-1210 or Kay at 834-7908 to let us know if you plan to attend or for more information.