The St. Benilde CYO is going to Indianapolis, Indiana “CALLED/LLAMADOS” at the National Catholic Youth Conference November 16-19, 2017! NCYC is a biennial celebration of the young Church, bringing together more than 25,000 Catholic youth from across the nation. The three days are packed with incredible speakers, powerful prayer and worship experiences, and countless ways to meet and have fun with other young Catholics. We invite you to learn more about NCYC by watching their promotional video at www.nfcym.org. On the weekend of June 22nd and 23rd, the teens attending NCYC will be making a financial appeal to the parishioners to help them attend NCYC. The teens will speak at all of the Masses. After Mass they will be in the back of church accepting donations. Any financial support is a blessing! If you have any questions, please contact John Stiegman at 504-382-4081. The teens will share their experiences at all the Masses the weekend of December 2 & 3. Thank you for your prayers and support.

The R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) is a set of sessions to share with others the truths of the Catholic faith. The program is open to those who have never been baptized, baptized Christians seeking to become Catholic, and Catholics desiring a better knowledge of their faith. Weekly meetings are held on Mondays, beginning August 14, at 7:30 PM, in the Library. Please call the Parish Office for more information.

Grant Restel, an alumnus of St. Benilde School and a senior at Brother Martin High School, is a Boy Scout in St. Benilde’s Troop 227. He is currently working on becoming an Eagle Scout and has chosen to collect new, white men’s socks for Ozanam Inn as his Eagle Project. Grant will be collecting socks during the weekends of July 15th/16th and July 22nd/23rd. Please consider donating socks to this worthy cause. A box will be placed in the back of church for you to place your donation. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

In our society, with the pressures of conflicting demands and too little time, personal relationships are often taken for granted. With all the distractions, we easily forget that without attention and care, marriages wither. Retrouvaille is helping couples put the pieces back together and rebuild loving relationships. Retrouvaille consists of a weekend experience and a series of 6 follow-up sessions, along with a monthly support group. The next weekend for the New Orleans community is July 21-23 at Lumen Christi Retreat Center in Schriever, LA, near Houma. If you want more information, or if you want to register for the Retrouvaille program, call 985-641-3802. A non-refundable registration fee is required to confirm your reservation, food and lodging. There is a limited capacity so early registration is necessary.

Our St. Vincent de Paul Pantry is running low on a few specific items. We are in need of cereal, jelly, peanut butter, rice, canned tuna, canned chicken, canned fruit and powdered or non-perishable milk. We truly appreciate your generosity every time we make an appeal for food.

Attention all married couples: You are invited to a fun and faith-filled date night celebrating and enriching marriages at our 10th Annual Diocesan-Wide Supper & Substance on Friday, July 14, from 7—9 PM at Mid-City Lanes Rock ‘N’ Bowl (located across the street from the Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. Come hear an inspiring presentation from our special guest speaker couple, Deacon Larry & Andi Oney; listen to live music from the talented Peace of Cake band; enjoy great food, drinks, bowling, and a rockin/ good time. For tickets, sponsoring a lane, or to learn more about the event, call Jason at (504) 830-3716, or go to our events page at Willwoods.org.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the July apparition at Fatima, St. Benilde parishioners are invited to a showing of the movie, The 13th Day, on Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 7pm in the Teen Center. Refreshments (popcorn, chips, bottled water) will be available. In the July apparition, Our Lady revealed to the children 3 secrets which included both serious warnings and a promise of hope.

The St. Benilde Pro-Life Committee is an enthusiastic group of parishioners dedicated to the respect and protection all human life, born and unborn. Through prayer for the unborn and mothers, dispensing pro-life information at the abortion clinic, and taking part in local pro-life events, the members strive to support a true culture of life. Please consider joining us. You can be as involved as you like. The Pro-Life Committee meets every other month, on the first Thursday, at 6:15 PM in the Teen Center. Our next meeting is scheduled for July 6. For more information please call Deacon Cliff Wright at 834-9706 or Sandra Brady at 885-3780.

Mass in observance of Independence Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 4th at 7:00 AM. The Adoration Chapel will close at 6:00 PM on Monday, July 3rd and will reopen at 7:30 AM on Wednesday, July 5th. The Parish Office will be closed on Tuesday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. We will reopen on Wednesday, July 5th at 9:00 AM.

On the weekend of June 24th and 25th, members of our St. Vincent de Paul Society will be selling raffle tickets for $1000 worth of dinners at major New Orleans restaurants; and accepting cruise registrations for the Society’s annual fundraiser on the Steamboat Natchez on July 8th. Please see the bulletin for more information.

The weekend of June 17th and 18th is Hospitality Weekend. Please make plans to join us for coffee, donuts and fellowship after Mass.

The second collection on the weekend of June 17th and 18th is for our Divine Mercy Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. This annual collection, held on Corpus Christi Sunday, allows us to maintain and make necessary repairs and improvements to our chapel. Thank you for your generosity to the Lord as we continue to foster devotion to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

CYO Members will be selling luminaries after each Mass on the weekend of June 17th and 18th. They may be purchased in thanksgiving for a cancer survivor or in memory of a loved one who died from cancer. The cost is $5 each. Please support this great event. The Relay for Life would like to invite cancer survivors to attend the opening ceremonies on July 14. Please contact John Stiegman at 504-382-4081 so an invitation will be sent to you.

On the weekend of June 10th and 11th, the Most Rev. Thomas Pulloppillil of the Diocese of Bongaigaon in India will speak at all the Masses. He will make an appeal for donations to complete the second wing of the Community Health Center at Patgamon that mainly serves the tribal people of the region. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Summer is almost here! And with summer is our annual Summer at Benilde programs, including camps, arts, tutoring, and more. Here is a brief listing of our different offerings: Base Camp: We will continue offering our long-running summer camp program for children from 2 to 13 years. Each week we offer field trips (off campus and on campus), time at the pool, wet days, arts, crafts, and special events. Camp times run from 9 AM - 3 PM with extended day options running from 7 AM - 6 PM Monday-Friday. Your child will be engaged the entire day. A free hot lunch is provided each day by the cafeteria as part of the program. Specialty Camps: Students can “add on” to their summer experience with one of our two specialty camps offered this year: one will be in science and the other will be in art. Students keep their weekly field trips, pool time, and special events that they get during Base Camp. Then they can spend the remainder of their time with specialized activities in science and art. Registration is ongoing. Registration forms can be found on the school’s website.

The Bishops of Louisiana have designated Friday, June 2, 2017, as a day of prayer and fasting for protection during the upcoming hurricane season. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us!

All volunteers who have ongoing contact with minors, even one unsupervised contact with minors, and all who participate in an overnight event, must attend Sate Environment Training prior to volunteering for the first time and every three years thereafter. Safe Environment Training will be held at St. Benilde on June 1, 2017 at 2 PM. The location will be posted that day.

The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, May 29th in observance of Memorial Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 30th at 9:00 am.

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 23rd to June 29th.The registration fee includes insurance, free icees after each game, and a team shirt. Forms may be found in the school and parish offices and on the parish website at www.stbenilde.org.

The Rosary & Altar Society and Vacation Bible School will host Hospitality Sunday on the weekend of May 20th and 21st. Please make plans to join us after Mass for coffee, donuts and fellowship.