News - February 2016 RSS Feed

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.