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Registration is open for the St. Benilde Men's Club Summer Cabbage Ball Program. It is open to boys and girls currently in grades pre-K4 to 12th. Games will be held on Tuesday and Thursday nights, from May 24 to June 30. The registration fee includes insurance, free icees after each game, and a team shirt. The cost before April 15 is $20/per child; between April 16 and April 29 - $30/per child; and after April 29 - $30/per child. Forms are available in the School and Parish Offices and on the parish website. Sponsorship forms must be submitted no later than May 9. For more information, please email Phil Borne at [email protected] or call 504-228-7573.

This past weekend we celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving for the 25th Anniversary of Fr. Pat. It was a wonderful celebration, and it was very obvious how loved he still is here at St. Benilde. Let us continue to keep him in prayer! I know that the cake said happy birthday and that was because the following day was his birthday.

We have welcomed back our students after a long and quiet summer. It is so good to have them back with us, and we look forward to another amazing year!

Mass in observance of Independence Day will be celebrated on Thursday, July 4th at 7:00 AM and 5:30 PM. The Adoration Chapel will close at 11:59 PM on Wednesday, July 3rd and will reopen at 7:30 AM on Friday, July 5th. The Parish Office will be closed on Thursday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. We will reopen on Friday, July 5th at 9:00 AM.

My name is Maggie Sunseri, and I have been hired to take over the position as St. Benilde Parish Secretary/Administrative Assistant, replacing Nancy Carollo who is retiring at the end of July. My husband Todd and I have been married for twenty-two years. We have two children. Our son, Cody, is seventeen and is going into his junior year of high school at Rummel. Our daughter, Katie, is eleven years old and is going into 6th grade at St. Christopher. Todd owns a lawn care business here in Metairie. I was a stay at home mom until Katie was 18 months old. It was at that time when I started working at Our Lady of Divine Providence Church, where I was the office manager. I stayed at Our Lady of Divine Providence for three years before an opportunity opened for me to work in the offices of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. I worked at the archdiocese for five years serving as an administrative assistant for Bishop Shelton Fabre, Bishop Fernand Cheri and Archbishop Gregory Aymond. I am excited about the opportunity to work with Fr. Matthew Johnston and to get to know and serve all of you.

PROVIDING MEALS AFTER SURGERIES, ILLNESSES, NEW BIRTHS, AND FAMILY LOSSES ... HOW IT WORKS: Our goals is to provide meals for three weeks, every other night, for families/individuals in need. This period will occasionally be extended or shortened depending on the particular need. All coordination is started by email and a web-based scheduling tool (mealtrain.com) is used to organize ministry volunteer sign up. The meals ministry coordinator will send out an email with the details of the need, including a link to the online scheduling tool and any special dietary needs. Ministry members can then choose to sign up and deliver either a home-cooked or store bought meal. For more information or to sign up, please contact ministry coordinator Audrey Huck at either [email protected] or (985) 705-4513.

I extend my personal congratulations to Preston and Gloria Cifreo and Connie Casente, the recipients of the 2019 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 all of you on this most deserved honor and recognition! ~ Fr. Cooper

Camp Benilde provides a safe, fun, and exciting environment for children ages 3 to 12. It will be open for 7 weeks during the summer of 2019 from June 3 to August 2. For more information, please visit: www.stbenilde.com/summer-camp

On the weekend of June 22nd and 23rd, Fr. Cooper will deliver his Farewell Homily at all the Masses as he prepares to leave us for his new assignment at Divine Mercy Parish. A Farewell Reception will be held in the cafeteria after the 11 AM Mass. Everyone is invited.

St. Benilde's Vacation Bible School invites you to assist them with their Kid to Kid Project. The older kids will be working with a non-profit organization called The Magic Yarn Project. They will assist in making decorative yarn wigs for children battling cancer. We will be holding a yarn sale after all masses during the weekend of June 15 & 16. For $5 you can purchase a bundle of yarn to be used to make Disney style wigs for the children's tender heads. There will be sample wigs on display. If you want to learn more about this please reference www.themagicyarnproject.com/louisiana.Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Our summer camp, which hosts a 7-week day camp for grades PK3-7, is seeking energetic and accountable Camp Counselors to provide a safe and memorable experience for our campers. The Camp Counselor will be responsible for an assigned group of campers for the duration of their day. Duties include monitoring meals, overseeing transitions to and from scheduled events, and facilitating and participating in group activities. Applicants should be patient, fun-loving and confident in their ability to motivate and assist campers. The candidate will - at a minimum - be a high school graduate, be able to pass a state and federal criminal background check, and be cleared through the Office of Safe Environment for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. To apply, please complete the application form on the St Benilde School website www.stbenilde.com and return it to the school office or email it to [email protected] or [email protected]. For more information please contact Cecilia Wilson at (504) 833-9894.

The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, May 27th in observance of Memorial Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 28th at 9:00 am.

Cub Scout Pack 227 is having a bake sale on Sunday, May 26, after the 9 AM and 11 AM Masses. All monies raised will be used to support future scouting events. Please be sure to stop by and bring home a delicious dessert for dinner.

Registration is now open for St. Benilde Men’s club Summer Cabbage Ball Program, which will run from May 23 to July 2. It is open to boys and girls currently in grades Pre-K4 to 12th grade. Registration forms are available in the School and Parish Offices and on the parish website. For more information, please call or email Phil Borne at [email protected] or (504) 228-7573.

For countless years, the organ has been the central musical instrument in our worship at St. Benilde Catholic Church. The power and beauty of the organ raises our spirits, lifts our minds and hearts, and inspires our lives. With its rich resources, the organ helps explain sacred mysteries, reveals divine grace, and stirs our deepest emotions. The unleashing of the full spectrum of the organ's power can move us to tears, console our grief, and enhance our joy. The sound of the organ can be delicate enough to accompany the singing of a single child and powerful enough to overwhelm worshipers with cascades of triumphant tones. It has been said that no other form of music acts so powerfully as an instrument of both meditation and celebration. After two years of planning and preparation, installation of our new Church organ is completed. We are grateful to all those who assisted with the installation process, especially Lafayette Music Company. Our new organ is a Rodgers Infinity 361 Organ. For 43 years, one individual has been the faithful servant behind our organ – Miriam Whitman. Even after her initial diagnosis with non-smokers’ lung cancer, Miriam continued to play her beloved organ with great faith and trust in the Lord. As the Lord called her home, Miriam always had a smile on her face that radiated the “greatness of the Lord.” It seems only fitting that our new Church organ be named in her memory – a memory that reminds us of the importance of being a humble servant of the Lord with joy in our hearts and a song on our lips! All are invited to join us as we bless and dedicate our new organ on Sunday, May 12th at the 9:00AM Mass.

Immediately following the 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday, May 5th, we will gather outside of Church for the blessing of our newly constructed Blessed Mother Grotto. We give thanks to God for all the individuals who dedicated their time, talents, and monetary support to bring our Grotto to completion. Please join us as we consecrate our parish to the powerful protection and intercession of our Lady.

During the Month of May – a month both named for and dedicated to Mary – Catholics have long honored our Blessed Mother by placing a crown on her image. All are invited to our Parish May Crowning on Sunday, May 5th, at the 11:00 AM Mass. Our First Communicants and all the Children of the Parish will be invited to join Fr. Cooper at the sanctuary step for the homily. Children and adults are encouraged to bring flowers to Mass to adorn our Lady!

St. Benilde Church is seeking to hire a part-time Coordinator of Religious Education. This position requires approximately 15 hours a week, mostly evenings and weekends, and hours are not equally distributed throughout the year. Salary is negotiable based on experience and education. The position is not benefits eligible. The CRE is responsible for the religious education program of the parish and sacramental preparation for Reconciliation and Holy Communion. The CRE should be a practicing Catholic, skilled organizer, able to communicate effectively with students and parents, sensitive to controversial issues and respond according Church teaching, have completed or working toward the Archdiocese of New Orleans Basic Catechist Certification, Advanced Certification, Master Certification, and PCL/SCL Certification. The CRE reports to the pastor. Primary Duties: Develops and implements the CCD program; Recruits, coaches, and evaluates effectiveness of volunteer catechists; Prepares syllabus and curriculum for each grade level, including texts in accordance with USCCB conformity listing; Prepares program calendar and parent handbook, and maintains student records; Assigns duties to student helpers and records service hours; Acquires, organizes and provides resources for each grade (media, supplies, etc.); Implements the liturgies for Bless the Baby Jesus and May Crowning, and coordinates Breakfast with Baby Jesus; Prepares the Sacramental Preparation for First Reception of Reconciliation and Holy Communion calendar; Coordinates two student workshops, Rite of Enrollment, Reconciliation, Rite of Illumination, Day with Jesus Retreat, practice and Holy Communion, including developing and implementing agendas, communicating with parents, students, organist, cantor, volunteers and photographer; Prepares programs for Rites and Sacraments and recruits volunteers; Meets with school students twice weekly to prepare for sacraments; Ensures that the Safe Environment requirements, policies, and mandates for all volunteers who work with minors in the parish (both Church and School) are in compliance with the policies set forth by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Interested applicants should send cover letter and resume to [email protected]. For questions or additional information, please contact the Church Office (504) 834-4980.

St. Benilde Parish will present “The Encounter” on Friday, April 26, at 7 PM, in the Teen Center. This inspiring movie tells the story of five strangers stranded in a deserted roadside diner. The owner of the diner knows all their secrets and possesses the answers to all of their problems—if they trust in him. This miraculous encounter will leave them all changed forever. Snacks and refreshments will be available. All are invited. For more information, please contact Val Hebert at [email protected] or (504) 427-0327.