The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, March 4th and Tuesday, March 5th for the Mardi Gras Holiday. We will reopen on Wednesday, March 6th at 9:00 am. The Adoration Chapel will be open on Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday, March 5th.

The Archdiocesan Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration will take place on Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 3 PM, in St. Philip Neri Church, 6500 Kawanee Ave., Metairie. Please call the Parish Office at 834-4980 for more information and to register. The deadline to register is February 28. Please Note: This celebration will not be a Mass, but a prayer service. Attendance of Mass for Sunday obligation will have to be met within one’s respective parish.

Is Purgatory real? Could the Afterlife require suffering? Can the living help alleviate the anguish of the dead? Please join us on Friday, February 22, for a showing of Purgatory, The Forgotten Church. This inspiring documentary will be shown at 7 PM in the Teen Center. Top scholars, scientists, historians, and church leaders revisit age-old questions and embark on a spiritual quest to unlock the controversy and consolation of Purgatory using new research and offering fresh insights. Refreshments will be available. For more information, please contact Val Hebert at (504) 427-0327 or at valencemet@aol.com.

Join us as we embark with Bishop Robert Barron for this engaging presentation concerning the seven deadly sins, those great spiritual blocks that inhibit our flourishing in relationship with God and one another. Based on Dante’s writings, the seven deadly sins correspond to the seven levels of Dante’s Mt. Purgatory. Pride, envy, anger, sloth, gluttony, avarice, and lust are all presented as patterns of dysfunction within us that lead to unhappiness. However, Bishop Barron shows us how to counteract these seven sinful patterns through a conscious process of opposition, which are the “seven lively virtues." The seven lively virtues offer antidotes to each sin and help set us on the right path to healing and happiness. All sessions will be held on Tuesday evenings at 7pm beginning on February 19th in the St. Benilde Teen Center. The cost of the group retreat is $10. Please make checks payable to St. Benilde Catholic Church. Preregister by contacting Val Hebert at 504-427-0327 or valencemet@aol.com.

All senior citizens are invited to attend our Senior Prom/Masquerade Dance on Saturday, February 16th, from 5:30 to 8:30 PM in the Cafeteria. A King and Queen will be crowned. Dress is casual or masquerade. Food and drinks will be served. The entry fee is $5/person. For more information, please contact John Stiegman at (504) 382-4081.

Catholics often participate in the tradition of having their throats blessed. To do this, the priest consecrates two candles, generally by a prayer, and then holds each in a crossed position on the throat of the person being blessed. At the same time, the following blessing is given: “Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Why does the blessing of the throat take place on St. Blaise Day? St. Blaise, a physician and bishop, asked God to cure a child who was choking to death on a fish bone and the child’s life was saved. Thus, St. Blaise is the patron saint of healthy throats. The Blessing of Throats will take place at St. Benilde after the 9:00AM, 11:00AM, and 6:00PM Masses on Sunday, February 3rd, the Feast Day of St. Blaise.

St. Benilde Boy Scout Troop 227 will hold its annual Spaghetti and Meatball Dinner on Sunday, February 3. Dinners will be available for eat-in or take-out, from 10 AM - 2 PM, in the cafeteria. The cost is $7 in advance or $8 at the door. Subs will also be on the menu. This fundraiser helps defray the cost of summer camp. Hope to see you there!

This is faith formation through group meetings. Meetings consist of song, prayers, and discussion on Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the writings from the Diary of St. Faustina. As a small Christian community, members have the opportunity for spiritual growth and a deeper understanding of our merciful Lord. Meetings begin on Thursday, January 24, 2019 at 7pm, and will continue on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month in 2019. Meetings will be held in the St. Benilde Parish Office Meeting Room. Meetings will follow the format outlined by the Cenacle Formation Manuals. Members will need to provide their own Holy Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Cenacle Formation Manuals and the Diary of St. Faustina will be provided. For more information, please contact Val Hebert at valencemet@aol.com or at 504-427-0327. Additional information may be found on our website: www.stbenilde.org/divine-mercy-cenacle

Please join us on Friday, January 25, at 7 PM, in the St. Benilde Teen Center for a showing of the movie Paul, the Apostle of Christ. In the movie, St. Luke ventures into Rome to visit St. Paul, who is awaiting his execution. Their faith challenged an empire. Their words changed the world. Snacks and refreshments will be available. For more information, please contact Val Hebert at valencemet@aol.com or at (504) 427-0327.

Make your plans now to join us for the Fifth Annual Men’s Club Chili Cook-Off Trifecta on Saturday, January 26th. Teams begin cooking at 8:45 AM, with gates opening to the public starting at 12:00 PM, with the best tasting chili in the South ready by 12:30 PM. A gate charge of $10 (children 10 and under are free) gets you unlimited tastings, great music and inflatables for the kids. If you would like to enter a team, please contact Dax Barret at 504-931-7489 or David Mocklin at 504-352-6124, or email sbschilicookoff@outlook.com.

Come join the class series that the Office of Marriage and Family Life is offering in the Sympto-Thermal Method of Natural Family Planning conducted by Mrs. Gayle Rizzo of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The dates of the class series are January 26, February 9, February 23 and March 9. The classes will be held at St. Dominic Parish in New Orleans. Pre-registration is required and the cost is $100. For more information and registration please call the Office of Marriage and Family Life, (504)861-6243.

Msgr. David Toups, Deacon Larry and Andi Oney will be featured at the annual Holy Spirit Women’s Retreat from January 25-27, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Lafayette, LA. The prophetic theme is “For Such a Time as This.” The liturgies, music, prayer, teaching and fellowship will bring encouragement to all those who love the Lord and the Church. Msgr. Toups is Rector of St. Vincent Seminary in Florida and Spiritual Director for Magnificat Ministry to Catholic Women. He writes and speaks out of his deep love for God and his profound faith. Deacon Larry and Andi Oney will be leading an Empowerment Service Saturday night. Their preaching ministry has brought them around the world, most recently to Poland and Canada. Patti Mansfield will be teaching on Spiritual Warfare and Janice Charbonnet on the Feminine Genius. This retreat is sponsored by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of New Orleans (CCRNO) and has been serving hundreds of women from the Gulf South since 1988. Weekend and Saturday commuters are welcome. Register online at www.ccrno.org or call (504) 828-1368.

Dumb Ox Ministries is proud to present “GARDEN” at Ursuline Academy Theater, January 17-20, 2019. GARDEN is an original, 2-hour musical play based on the writings of St John Paul II, written by Joey Martineck, featuring the music of Greg & Lizzy, and directed by Denny Charbonnet. This fresh retelling of the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was a complete sell-out when it first debuted in New Orleans in 2017. Now, with new songs and a new cast, don't miss this life-changing performance, a refreshing, inspiring take on the "oldest story in the book.” For info and tickets, visit: http://dumboxministries.com/garden.

Archbishop Aymond will be the celebrant and homilist Sunday, January 13, at 1 PM for a healing Mass at Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos , 919 Josephine St. We will also be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Francis Xavier Seelos. Confession before Mass. Anointing of the Sick. Veneration of the Relic Crucifix of Blessed Francis Seelos. Cake and coffee will be served following the celebration of Mass. All are welcome. Free parking lot and wheelchair accessible.

With the calendar year almost over, please be reminded that many of you indicated during school registration in January 2018 that you desired to be a registered, active, and supporting (RAS) family of St. Benilde Parish. Thank you for your commitment to our parish and for your desire to support the work of the Church in proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel! Please note that to be recognized as a RAS family at St. Benilde Parish, a contribution level has been set at $520 per calendar year. This is a friendly reminder that if you do not maintain the status of a RAS family by December 31, 2018, you will have to pay a higher non-participating tuition rate per child for the 2019-2020 school year. This has been a long-standing policy of our parish and is consistent with our neighboring Catholic Churches in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. If you would like to check your current contribution level, please call the Parish Office at 834-4980.

The Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God is a Holy Day of Obligation. Vigil Mass will be celebrated at 4:00pm on Monday, December 31st. Masses on Tuesday, January 1st will be at 9:00am and 11:00am. Please note that there will be No 6PM Holy Hour or Confessions on Monday, December 31st.

The Adoration Chapel will close at 4:00 PM on Saturday, December 29th and will re-open at 7:30 AM on Wednesday, January 2, 2019. The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, December 31st and Tuesday, January 1st in observance of the Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God and the New Year’s Holiday. We will reopen on Wednesday, January 2nd at 9:00 AM.

Dear Members of the St. Benilde Family, Our school is deeply humbled and grateful for your prayers & generous support. Through your iGiveCatholic contributions, the Whitman Family Foundation matching gift, donations that are still coming in, and the $3,000 of prize money awarded for winning both number of donation competitions, you helped raise just over $90,000 for our school. God is so good & faithful! Here are just a few of the accolades our school can claim for iGiveCatholic 2018: 1st in the nation for number of donations for a Catholic school; 1st in the Archdiocese of New Orleans for number of donations for a Catholic institution/organization; 2nd in the nation for number of donations for a Catholic institution/organization; 2nd in the Archdiocese of New Orleans for total donation amount for a Catholic school; 9th in the nation for total donation amount for a Catholic institution/organization; 3rd in the nation for total donation amount for a Catholic school. Yes, small school, small parish, BIG HEARTS!!!

The Adoration Chapel will close at 4:00 PM on Saturday, December 22nd and will re-open at 7:30 AM on Wednesday, December 26th. The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, December 24th through Wednesday, December 26th in observance of Christmas. We will reopen on Thursday, December 27th at 9:00 AM.

The beautiful poinsettias and greenery that adorn our altar and sanctuary are a special part of the celebration of Christmas at St. Benilde Catholic Church. We invite all parishioners to share in the experience through a memorial or thanksgiving gift by using the Christmas Flowers Memorial Envelopes found in the vestibule of Church. Donations toward the cost of Christmas decorations 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 during this past year. The suggested donation is $10.00 per remembrance. Please place your envelopes in the collection basket, the Poor Box or bring it to the Parish Office. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Memorial Envelopes will be placed on the altar throughout the Christmas Season and names will be printed in the bulletin.