ST. BENILDE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

1901 Division Street • Metairie, Louisiana 70001

Church Office: (504) 834-4980 • Church Fax: (504) 831-5810 • Church Email: stbenildechurch@cox.net

www.stbenilde.org

CLERGY Rev. Robert T. Cooper, Pastor Rev. H.L. Brignac, Sacramental Asst. Deacon Biaggio DiGiovanni Deacon Stephen Gordon Deacon Clifford Wright

BAPTISMS First and Third Sundays of the month at 12 Noon. Please call the Parish

Office for more information.

MATRIMONY Please contact a priest/deacon 8 months prior to your wedding.

FUNERALS Arrangements may be made at the Parish Office.

Sunday, November 19, 2017 Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

ORDINARY FAMILIES

EXTRAORDINARY FAITH

DEVOTIONS Holy Hour in Church

Monday, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Following 7 a.m. Mass on Tuesday

NEWCOMERS Call the Parish Office to receive a New

Parishioner Registration Packet.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY

St. Benilde Conference (504) 233-3246

ST. BENILDE SCHOOL Valerie Perez, Interim Principal

1801 Division Street • Metairie, LA (504) 833-9894

MASS TIMES Saturday Vigil … 4 p.m.

Sunday … 9:00, 11:00 a.m. & 6 p.m. Monday—Friday … 7:00 a.m.

Monday and Thursday … 5:30 p.m. First Saturday … 8:45 a.m.

HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION See Inside the Bulletin for Schedule

CONFESSION TIMES Saturday … 3:00—3:45 p.m. Sunday … 5:00—5:45 p.m. Monday … 6:00—6:45 p.m.

and by appointment at the Parish Office

DIVINE MERCY ADORATION CHAPEL Eucharistic Adoration from 7:00 p.m. Sunday

till 4:00 p.m. Saturday

Parish Motto—Building the Kingdom of God

Ministers of the Liturgy November 18 & 19, 2017

Saturday - 4 P.M. Intention: Joy Rojas, Jeffrey Baudin, Joseph Segari,

Judith Theisges, Flora Maria Be, Catherine S. Finnan,

Melissa Mendel Zimmerman, George Spaulding,

Mary Cali Kerth & Jacob Kerth, Sr., Jennie Spitale,

Dorothy Van Hoven, Aubrey St. Romain,

Patrick C. McKinney, Merle & Charles Dittmer,

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph F. Willis, Sr., Dale Forshag,

Carl A. Guidroz, Jr., Rose Marie Greco Federico,

Sam Sabella Family, Christian M. Creger

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion:

J. Rodosta, L. Segari

Cantor: Trish Foti Organist: Jared Croal

Sunday - 9 A.M. Intention: Parishioners

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion:

C. Rispoli, B. Soleto, J. Zeringue, G. Rojas

Song Leaders: Traditional Choir

Sunday - 11 A.M. Intention: Thomas Prunty, Mary & Melvin Ducote,

Kelvin Ducote, Matias Grau, Sr., Jeffrey Baudin,

Dianne Z. Harrison, Brenda Frey (L),

Sr. Therese Fletchinger SSND, Dolores Fallon,

Joseph Donald Bernard, Donald Bordelon,

Myron Yochim, Paul J. Hymel, Miriam Whitman,

Todd Hillburn, Joy Rojas

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion:

S. Gordon, L. Peters, J. Hutchinson, J. Hutchinson

Song Leaders: Contemporary Choir

Sunday - 6 P.M. Intention: June & Marvin Ackermann (L)

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion:

M. Drawe, D. Powers

Cantor: Lauren Gisclair Pianist: Beth Kettenring

Weekday Masses Monday 7:00 a.m. Don Rowan, Sr.

5:30 p.m. Marisa Saborio

Tuesday 7:00 a.m. Bill C. Johnson

Wednesday 7:00 a.m. Walter Haydel

Thursday 9:00 a.m. See Next Column

Friday 7:00 a.m. Pierre Thibodeaux

The Church Sanctuary Lamp burns in memory of

The Souls in Purgatory

The Blessed Mother

Votive Lamps for a

Special Intention

Adoration Chapel

Sanctuary Lamp burns

in memory of

Stuart and Gloria Fourroux

Adoration Chapel Candles

burn in memory of

Dianne Z. Harrison

Altar Ladies Week of Nov. 19

M. Seeber, F. Alvarez

Linens Large - J. Zeringue Small - A. Delaup

The St. Joseph Votive Lamps

burn for an Increase

in Vocations

St. Benilde Catholic Church

Thanksgiving Day — 9:00 a.m.

Joy Rojas, Don Rowan, Sr., George Spaulding,

Chris & Marine Peters, Roy Phelps, Sr.

Stewardship of Treasure Weekend of November 11 & 12

Envelopes …………………………………..$2,999.00

Loose …………………………………………3,332.00

Electronic Giving ……………………………...361.00

Repairs & Maintenance ……………………...512.00

Msgr. Richaud Fund ………………………….266.00

Totaling …………………………………….$7,470.00

All Saints Day Collection………………...$1,143.00

“Let us focus on generosity, or returning God’s gifts

with increase, through the generous sharing of our time,

talent and treasure.”

~ Fr. Cooper

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

Nov. 25/26 4 PM C. Casente, A. Delaup 9 AM J. Tusa, P. Cifreo, C. & R. Ayers 11 AM J. Ackermann, J. Wright, K. & M. Sorensen 6 PM D. Childers, T. Kettenring

Out Of Reverence For The Lord Jesus

who so generously shares with

us His Body and Blood in the

Eucharist, worshipers are

earnestly invited to remain with

the congregation until Mass is

concluded.

St. Benilde Catholic Church Volume 35 Issue 47

Parish Motto—Building the Kingdom of God

Thanksgiving Day Mass

Fr. Cooper will celebrate a

special Thanksgiving Day

Mass on Thursday, November

23 at 9 am. Thanksgiving Day

is a special time to remember

the blessings we have received

from God, so that we can be a

more thankful people every day. The reasons for

having grateful hearts make up a long litany: the gift

of life itself, faith in a God who loves us and is very

near to us, good health, loving family, caring friends,

opportunities to serve, food on our tables, roofs over

our heads. Yes, we have our times of doubt, our aches

and pains, our family conflicts, and our economic

struggles. But in spite of all these challenges, we are

incredibly blessed! There will be no 7 am or 5:30 pm

Mass on Thursday, November 23.

Adoration Chapel - Thanksgiving Day

The Adoration Chapel will close at 11:59 PM on

Wednesday, November 22 and will reopen at 7:30 AM

on Friday, November 24.

Parish Office Closed

The Parish Office will be closed Wednesday, Nov.

22, Thursday, Nov. 23 and Friday, Nov. 24 in

observance of Thanksgiving Day. We will reopen

on Monday, November 27 at 9 am.

Foodie Fest Winners Thanks to all who worked and attended to make our 2017 Foodie Fest a huge success! Congratulations to the following winners: Katie Whitman-Myers, Brian Drawe, Dawn Perrier and Yvette Salkeld shared the $10,000 Reverse Raffle. Jaime Falgout, Cary & Debbie Sharp, Diane Abraham, Henry Myers, Austin Whitman, Katie Whitman-Myers, Velma Dupuy, Marcella Diliberto, Leslie Rodrigue Tierney each won a $50 Kicker Prize . Jordon Brimer—Television; Connie Casente - cuff bracelet from Ramsey’s; Kim Eddings—Ultra Golf Bag; Henry Myers– Saints Ice Chest; Natalie Discon –Omni Royal Stay & Rib Room.; Janet Frelel - Disney Tickets ; Nadia Powell— Riverview Camp for Girls . And the Rosary & Altar Society Basket of Fun winners were: Beverage Tin Bucket & Stand—Christine Sory; Picnic Basket—Brittany Casey; Stool & Basket—Jeff Scott; Family Basket—Cherie Hill; Trunk Organizer—Janie Wright.

Fr. Cooper’s Corner

Thanksgiving Day Message 2017

In the year 1607, Martin Reinkardht wrote the hymn “Now Thank We All Our God.” It was a rather stunning creation since the German village where Martin lived had fallen victim to the pestilence that was ravaging Europe. Included among the dead were Martin Reinkardht’s wife and children. Yet, in the midst of such a catastrophic social and personal loss, Reinkardht would write this great hymn of praise that we still sing today. Some fourteen years later, our Pilgrim ancestors would echo Martin’s profound faith in God at our first Thanksgiving celebration. This celebration was not born out of abundance. The members of Plymouth Colony had suffered a terrible journey to this “new land.” They experienced the harshness of their first New England winter and lost countless of their members as a result of travel, weather and disease. They were strangers in a strange land and the land did not yield an easy welcome. But gratitude trumped despair as they gathered to celebrate our first Thanksgiving dinner. But history is a tricky subject. One would think that what happened with our Pilgrim ancestors was the start of an annual celebration. Truth be told, this feast of Thanksgiving disappeared as quickly as it came. In the years that followed that first Thanksgiving, the custom of taking a day to give thanks all but disappeared. It wasn’t until the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln that a Thursday in November was declared a national, annual celebration. Of course, what was striking about this is that a proclamation of gratitude in the midst of a country divided, the death of his own son and the bloodshed of so many Americans, seemed a strange time to say “thank you.” I thought of this as I read a letter from a most wonderful woman who is a dear friend of mine. She has been suffering from cancer of the jawbone. The surgeon removed the right side of her jaw and a certain degree of reconstructive surgery followed. What was truly painful was the many weeks of radiation therapy and the following weeks of healing. Her children tell me that the pain had no equal. Just last week I received a letter from her thanking me for my prayers. In that letter she writes: “How fortunate I am! As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday I count my blessings. They are many. I am filled with gratitude...” I must admit I was humbled by this woman’s faith and gratitude in the midst of such personal suffering. I share all of this with you because no matter what is going on in our lives, no matter what pain we face as a nation or as individuals, we need to learn that gratitude is an expression of profound faith that no matter what happens God stands with us, God walks with us....and more times than we could ever imagine, God carries us. Thanksgiving is a very wonderful American tradition. But it is a tradition that is rooted not in the abundance of what we have but in the knowledge that no matter what we have or have not, God is very near to us and it is God who sustains us. A priest I know likes to say that Thanksgiving Day is one of his favorite holidays, and not just because of the food. The church is always filled, he says, and the great thing is that people come to Mass on Thanksgiving Day not because they have to but because they want to. He makes a beautiful point. There are no rules saying that any of us have to attend Mass on Thanksgiving morning. I am sure a lot of people have other things to do — trips to make, turkeys to stuff, tables to set. Somewhere, there is a football game waiting to be watched. In the middle of all that, going to Mass is not required. It is not a day of obligation. Rather, it is a day of opportunity! It is an opportunity to think back on what we have been given and to give something in return – thanks! We come to church to honor, with grateful hearts, what God has done for us.

Parish Motto—Building the Kingdom of God

St. Benilde Catholic Church

I want to end with a quote from Benjamin Franklin: “People wrapped up in themselves make very small packages.” Whenever we become imprisoned by looking inward at our own lives, we lose the ability to look around us and discover the richness of God’s love that surrounds us. Thanksgiving calls us to discover, once again, that God’s hand rests upon our shoulders and God’s love surrounds our lives. May all of us have a blessed Thanksgiving Day! May we sing “Now Thank We All Our God” with hearts filled with trusting faith and the sure knowledge that God is with us today, tomorrow and forever.

St. Benilde Catholic Church Volume 35: Issue 47

Parish Motto—Building the Kingdom of God

The Pastor’s Appeal for St. Benilde School

Why do so many parents continue to make substantial investments of time and money to educate their children at St. Benilde Catholic School? Parents who enroll their children at SBS tell me it is not only because our school provides an outstanding educational experience, but also because the education is provided within a faith-filled environment that welcomes children. Their children deepen their love of God, develop a growing knowledge of the Catholic faith, and are instilled with a strong moral compass to guide their decisions.

Even a casual review of the daily news confirms that there are many societal barriers for parents as they work to instill good values and provide opportunities for their children to grow in their Catholic faith. There are also many financial barriers: changes in employment, family illness, broken homes and other hardships that can suddenly turn the ability to provide a Catholic education upside down. Thanks be to God for people like you, our parents, alumni, faithful parishioners, community friends, and the business community, who make the decision to financially support Catholic education at St. Benilde.

The Pastor’s Appeal on the #iGiveCatholic Day of Giving provides an effective and efficient vehicle for helping to fund the educational needs of our school community. Among other things, the funds raised within this 24 hour period will make possible increased resources for scholarships and other financial aid to our families, provide for capital improvements to our aging buildings and investments in new technologies, supply additional resources for our little ones academic, faith, moral, and character formation, and assist us in our continued efforts to open wide our doors to children with special learning needs. On November 28, 2017, (#iGiveCatholic Giving Day) we hope to raise $24,000 in 24 hours …. Will you be in that number?

All you need to do is visit www.stbenilde.org/igivecatholic on November 28th to get started with your online donation or you can mail a check to: The Pastor’s Appeal, St. Benilde Catholic School, 1801 Division Street, Metairie, Louisiana, 70001. Advanced giving can begin on November 10th so between November 10th and November 28th, you can donate online or by sending a check to the address listed above. Every gift of $25 or more will go further with $20,000 of matching funds provided by the Whitman Family Foundation!

Every gift, no matter the amount, will make a significant difference – and is deeply appreciated. On behalf of the children who will receive the benefits of your generosity, I say “thank you” for your faith and consideration. May God bless you for your commitment to His mission – and for partnering with me to make a difference in our children’s lives!

~ Fr. Robert T. Cooper, Pastor

NOVEMBER 19, 2017

ST. BENILDE CATHOLIC CHURCH – ID # 113850

1901 DIVISION ST.

METAIRIE, LA 70001

504-834-4980

NANCY CAROLLO

504-834-4980

MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAYS - 9 A.M. TO 3 P.M.

FRIDAYS - 9 A.M. TO 12 NOON

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: