Our Easter Triduum schedule is as follows: Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday will be at 7 p.m. On Good Friday, reading of the Passion at 3 p.m. and Stations of the Cross at 6 p.m. The Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday will be at 8 p.m. Masses on Easter Sunday will be at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. We will NOT have 6 p.m. Mass. Flyers with the Easter Triduum schedule are available in the back of church. The Adoration Chapel will close for the Easter Triduum on Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. and reopen on Monday, March 28th at 7:30 a.m. The Parish Office will be closed Good Friday and Easter Monday. The office will reopen on Tuesday, March 29th at 9 a.m.

On Good Friday we will take up the Pontifical Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land. This annual collection helps the Franciscans care for the people and places of this sacred place. Thank you for your generosity.

Dear Friends: With all of you, I have been following the news of the record-breaking floods in communities north of Lake Pontchartrain and throughout the entire state of Louisiana. It is frightening to see waters rising at such rapid rates and to see rivers overflowing their banks at such a pace. Many people have been traumatized by these events. In this difficult time, let us assure our brothers and sisters who have been affected by massive rainfall and flooding of our prayers and spiritual solidarity. With you, I thank God for emergency responders, and I pray for their safety. I have no doubt that some people are living in fear and are paralyzed with a sense of hopelessness. As we hold them in prayer, let us also remember those who seek to provide support and counsel. I pray as well for the clergy who will be drawing communities together, praying for the waters to recede and for the success of recovery operations and the labors of city and state officials and public servants who are working tirelessly to restore the flooded areas. Please know that my heart, along with the hearts of all of the parishioners of St. Benilde Parish, pours out to all those who have been affected in recent days. May God give all of us the strength to meet the days ahead and the hope to see beyond them!

PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN DATE: The Men's Club will be hosting a Fish Fry on Friday, March 18, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria. Don't miss the new, expanded menu that now includes a soft shell crab plate, fish taco, and Thai Shrimp taco! Pre-sale tickets for adult fish plate - $10 ($11 at the door), child fish plate - $6 ($7 at the door), soft shell crab plate - $11 ($12 at the door) and grilled redfish with shrimp cream sauce - $11 ($12 at the door). Corn and crab bisque, seafood gumbo, pizza, drinks and more will be sold. Hope to see you there!

The third annual “Luck of the Irish Spring Gala” will take place on Saturday April 9 from 7:30 - 10:30 at the Landmark Hotel in Metairie! At the Gala, you will enjoy an open bar (including house and call brands of liquor), finger foods, buffet dinner, dancing to the tunes of DJ Ice, and the silent auction. We also will award the annual Benilde Medals for Alumni Achievement and Service to Parish and School. It is the party of the year for St. Benilde School! We have several new additions to this year’s Gala we hope you will enjoy!

Please save your palms for Palm Sunday. To help lessen the work of our volunteers, please bring only fresh, healthy, cleaned palms. Containers will be in the foyer of church from Saturday, March 12th until the deadline of Thursday, March 16th. As always, thank you very much for your assistance.

During this Year of Mercy, Archbishop Aymond is asking all churches in the Archdiocese of New Orleans to have a light on in the confessional on Wednesday, March 2nd; Wednesday, March 9th; and Wednesday, March 16th 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 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. Please place your envelopes in the collection basket, the Poor Box or bring them to the Parish Office before March 27th. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Memorial Envelopes will be placed on the altar throughout the Easter Season. The names of all those for whom our Easter flowers are in memory of will be printed in the parish bulletin in the weeks following Easter Sunday.

During the 50 days of the Easter Season the Paschal Candle (Easter Candle) will burn at all Masses celebrated at St. Benilde Church. The Paschal Candle represents Christ, the Light of the World. The pure beeswax of which the candle is made represents the sinless Christ who was formed in the womb of His Mother. The wick signifies His humanity, the flame, His Divine Nature, both soul and body. Five grains of incense inserted into the candle in the form of a cross recall the aromatic spices with which His Sacred Body was prepared for the tomb, and of the five wounds in His hands, feet, and side. During the Easter Vigil, the deacon carries the candle in procession into the dark church. The candle, representing Christ himself, is blessed by the priest who then inscribes in it a cross, the first letters and last of the Greek alphabet and the current year. If you would like the Paschal Candle to burn in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving for prayers answered throughout the Easter season, please contact the Parish Office. The cost of the candle is $300.

The St. Benilde Drama Club is proud to present, Godspell Jr.! The beloved musical based upon the Gospel of St. Matthew will be performed February 25-27, 2016 at 7:00 PM. General admission tickets are available at $5.00, with reserved seating ranging from $7.50-$10.00/ticket. Concessions will be sold before the performance (there is no intermission). So come join us for a one hour look at the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

On Saturday February 27, men and women are invited to join the St. Benilde Rosary and Altar Society for its annual Morning of Reflection. This year the presenter will be the Very Rev. James A. Wehner, S.T.D., Rector/President of Notre Dame Seminary Graduate School of Theology. The program will start with the recitation of the Rosary at 8:30 a.m., followed by Mass. Then a coffee and donut breakfast will be provided by the Rosary and Altar Society in the school library. Fr. Wehner will start his presentations at 10:30 a.m. The morning will end at approximately 12 noon. Please contact Anita at 504- 835-3119 or Kay at 504-834-7908 to let us know if you plan to attend.

In the United States, the annual blessing of throats is a traditional sign of the struggle against illness in the life of the Christian. This blessing is ordinarily given during Mass on February 3rd, the memorial of Saint Blase This Wednesday (February 3rd) is the Feast of St. Blaise. Throats will be blessed after the 7 a.m. Mass and after the School Mass at 8:20 a.m.

Are you one of the few more good men needed to help men and women answer God’s call to the priesthood or religious vocation? The East Jefferson Serra Club would like to get to know you. East Jefferson Serra Club is part of a global organization of lay Catholic men whose objectives are: to encourage and promote vocations to the ministerial priesthood in the Catholic Church as a particular vocation to service, and to support priests in their sacred ministry; to encourage and affirm vocations to consecrated religious life in the Catholic Church; and to assist its members to recognize and respond in their own lives to God’s call to holiness in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit. The club meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month for Mass (6:30am) and business at St Mary Magdalen Parish, 6425 W. Metairie Ave. The club meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month for a luncheon meeting at 12 noon at the Holiday Inn at Causeway and W. Napoleon. Please contact Father Cooper (504-834-4980) for more information.

All golfers! Please put on your calendar the 23rd annual Men’s Club Golf Open to benefit St. Benilde School & the Monsignor J.Carter Richaud Endowment Fund. The tournament is Sunday, April 17th at the Riverlands Golf Course in LaPlace with a 12 Noon shotgun start. The tournament is a 4 man scramble with an entry fee of $75/player. Entry fee includes greens fee, golf cart, range balls, ditty bag, beer, soft drinks, and food. There are prizes for flight winners, closest to the hole, longest drive, money hole, and plenty of door prizes. Space is limited. Hole sponsorships are also available. Contact the St. Benilde School Office at 504-833-9894 for more information.

Attention SBS alumni! Our annual alumni liturgy is coming up on February 3, 2016 during the 8:15 AM Catholic Schools Week Mass! Alumni (and their children) will be able to sit in the front pews of the Church during the Mass and will receive special recognition from Fr. Cooper. After the Mass, alumni will be invited to a special donuts and coffee reception hosted by the Home & School Association. To help us prepare, please RSVP to the school front office at 504-833-9894. Have an alumni friend who has not been to school in several years? Bring them with you!

In addition to the regular food and financial requests we receive, the fourth quarter of the year marks a spike in the number of clients we serve because of Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year we distributed 50 baskets. During the months of October, November and December, we assisted 608 needy members of our community with $5,166 for utilities and rent. The food we distributed during this time period totaled $7,425. We could not help the less fortunate in our parish without your generosity. May God bless you!

The Archdiocesan Golden Wedding Anniversary Celebration will take place on Sunday, June 5, 2016, at 3:00 p.m. in St. Philip Neri Church in Metairie. Please Note: This year’s celebration will not be a Mass, but a Prayer Service. Attendance at Mass for the Sunday obligation will have to be met within one’s respective parish. To register, please contact the St. Benilde Parish Office before February 24, 2016.

St. Benilde Boy Scout Troop 227 will hold its annual Spaghetti and Meatball Dinner on Sunday, Jan. 24. Dinner will be available for eat-in or take-out from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the cafeteria. Pre-sale tickets will be sold at all of the Masses next weekend. The cost will $6 for adults and $5 for children. Tickets at the door will be $7 for adults and $6 for children. Subs will also be on the menu. This fundraiser helps defray the cost of summer camp. Hope to see you there!

The Archdiocese of New Orleans will offer a writing workshop for persons seeking an annulment in the Catholic Church or for persons responding to an annulment. The workshop will be held in St. Christopher the Martyr’s Parish Center in Metairie. The series will be for five (5) Tuesdays, February 16, February 23, March 1, March 8, and March 15, 2016. Hours are 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The materials for the series cost $25.00. To register or for more information, call Cathy, 504-861-6243.

One of the best “date nights” of the year is almost upon us! The Holy Name Society and Home and School Association will be hosting their annual “Night at the Races” on Saturday, January 23rd, in the cafeteria. Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is $3 per individual and $5 per couple. The way Night at the Races works is this: Volunteer “horses” composed of members of the school’s faculty, staff, parents, and parishioners face off in races. The races occur by the rolling of dice by the emcee. Each roll indicates how many “squares” on the “track” a specific horse may move forward in a turn. The first horse across the finish line wins. Before each race, everyone can bet on the horses involved. Bets go in $1 increments. Right before the race, odds for each horse are announced based upon the number of bets for each horse. There is also plenty of good food and drinks to be had, along with the fellowship that is so important in our community. New this year we will be offering low cost babysitting service in the Rainbow Building for just $5 per family. So especially our parents with young children can come out and enjoy the night without having to spend a fortune on higher priced babysitters. In reality, Night at the Races is a lighthearted, fun, and low cost way to enjoy a night out for our families and members of the wider St. Benilde Parish community. We hope to see you there!