ST. BENILDE. ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 1901 Division Street Metairie, Louisiana 70001

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1 Sunday, March 5, 2017 First Sunday in Lent ORDINARY FAMILIES EXTRAORDINARY FAITH ST. BENILDE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 1901 Division Street Metairie, Louisiana Church Office: (504) Church Fax: (504) Church 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. 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 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) ST. BENILDE SCHOOL Mr. Matt Downey, Principal 1801 Division Street Metairie, LA (504)

2 St. Benilde Catholic Church Ministers of the Liturgy March 4 & 5, 2017 Saturday - 4 P.M. Intention: Judy Theisges, Rita Kaul, Jennier Spitale, Flora Maria Be, Leon Guidry, Jr., Joseph Segari, Rose Marie Greco Federico, Dorothy Van Hoven, George Spaulding, Carl A. Guidroz, Jr., Dale Forshag, Merle & Charles Dittmer, Patrick C. McKinney, Rudy Neubeck, Jr., Aime Grunewald, Ann Savarese R. Aucoin, K. Hartdegan Cantor: Trish Foti Sunday - 9 A.M. Intention: Parishioners M. Evola, P. Fleming, R. Meche, B. O Hara Song Leaders: Traditional Choir Sunday - 11 A.M. Intention: Maizie Marks, Marie Gordon, Connie Gauchet, Clifton Neyrey, Dianne Z. Harrison, Joseph Donald Bernard, John Capretto, Mary & Melvin Ducote, Hilton F. Daigle, Jr., Paul J. Hymel, Jr., Kelvin Ducote, Jennie Spitale S. Gordon, L. Peters, J. Ackermann, J. Wright Song Leaders: Contemporary Choir Sunday - 6 P.M. Intention: June & Marvin Ackermann (L) A. Calongne, B. Henry Cantor: Lauren Gisclair Pianist: Beth Kettenring Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Weekday Masses 7:00 a.m. Robert O Hara 5:30 p.m. Ray Dunn 7:00 a.m. Raymond A. Melan, Jr. 5:30 p.m. Judith Theisges 7:00 a.m. Lester Mastio, Jr. 8:15 a.m. Jennie Spitale 5:30 p.m. Fr. Louis A. Poche, S.J. 7:00 a.m. Ethel C. Brignac 5:30 p.m. Jennie Spitale 7:00 a.m. Bill C. Johnson 5:30 p.m. June & Marvin Ackermann (L) The Church Sanctuary Lamp burns in memory of The Souls in Purgatory The Blessed Mother Votive Lamps burn For Recently Baptized The St. Joseph Votive Lamps burn in Thanksgiving for a Prayer Answered Adoration Chapel Sanctuary Lamp burns in memory of Stuart and Gloria Fourroux Adoration Chapel Candles burn in memory of Deceased Priests Altar Ladies Week of March 5 B. O Hara, J. Didier Linens Large - K. Birrcher Small - A. Duersel, M. Meece The Altar Flowers are in memory of Deceased Parishioners

3 St. Benilde Catholic Church Volume 35 Issue 10 Stewardship of Treasure Weekend of February 25 & 26 Totals unavailable due to early bulletin deadline. Confirmation Retreat There is a mandatory retreat for all juniors in the St. Benilde Confirmation class on Saturday, March 11. The retreat will begin at 9 a.m. and will end after the 4 p.m. Mass. Lunch will be provided. Parishioners, please keep our candidates in your prayers. For more information, please contact Cecilia Wilson at (504) The Paschal Candle 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. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion March 11/12 4 PM J. Rodosta, L. Segari 9 AM K. Klapatch, R. Theriot, J. Tusa, P. Cifreo 11 AM J. Hutchinson, J. Hutchinson, C. & T. Pitre 6 PM L. Daigle, B. David Save the Morning On Saturday, March 11, 2017 men and women are invited to join the St. Benilde Rosary and Altar Society s Annual Morning of Reflection with Rev. Joseph M. Krafft. Fr. Joe is currently working on a Doctorate in Ministry Degree with a concentration in Pastoral Ministry at Notre Dame Seminary. The program will start with the recitation of the Rosary at 8:15 AM, followed by Mass. Then a coffee and donut breakfast will be provided by the Rosary and Altar Society in the Teen Center. Fr. Krafft will start his presentations at 10 AM. The morning will end at approximatly12 noon. Please contact Anita at or Kay at to let us know if you plan to attend or if you need any additional information. St. Joseph Altar St. Benilde Parish will be hosting a St. Joseph Altar on Monday, March 20, from 9 AM to 5:30 PM, in the Teen Center. Donations of cakes, breads, cookies, fruits, flowers, and any religious articles are welcome. For your convenience, bags with a list of needed items will be available in the foyer of Church next weekend. Donations may be left on the table provided in the Church foyer the weekend of March 18 & 19, or in the Parish Office during regular office hours. St. Joseph candles will be available for purchase during viewing. For more information please call Bonnie at

4 St. Benilde Catholic Church Fr. Cooper s Corner Voluntary self-denial During the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself to "the mystery of Jesus in the desert," where Christ, led by the spirit to be tempted by the devil, fasted for forty days (Mt. 4:1-11). The penitential aspect of the Lenten season is "particularly appropriate" for various spiritual exercises, including voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving (CCC 540, 1438). Yet we live in an age in which the above words in reference to the teaching of our holy Catholic Church are nearly entirely foreign to the modern mind; an age in which voluntary self-denial is not only far removed from thought but a practice looked upon as an "antiquated silliness" that ought be crushed; an age in which secularist "wisdom" holds self-denial s opposite, self-gratification, as a type of false "virtue." There are numerous examples we could cite. Let it suffice to say that the important physical and spiritual benefits of self-denial are often either forgotten or ignored. This situation is particularly unfortunate; for we also live in an age in which there is an immense hunger for God. Yet what so often goes unrealized is the importance of combating this strong tendency we have toward enslavement by the senses; that is, the overemphasis placed upon feeding the many desires of our material body, our flesh and blood, is rarely seen for the danger that it is - often to the detriment of our spiritual soul. Frank Sheed wrote that man is often forgetful of the fact that he is both body and spirit: he belongs essentially to both these realities, those of the world of matter and the world of spirit. "In both worlds [man] has the closest and most vital contacts: it is a pity that he is so much more keenly aware of the lower one, and so sketchily and intermittently aware of the upper, for both are realities, and realities that affect him profoundly" (Theology and Sanity, p. 163). Over-emphasis of the flesh and deemphasis of the spirit is a grave mistake. The Doctor of Prayer, St. Teresa of Avila, observes that we often fail to understand ourselves: "It is no small pity, and would cause us no little shame, that, through our own fault, we do not understand ourselves, or know who we are. Would it not be a sign of great ignorance,...if a person were asked who he was, and could not say,... though that is great stupidity, our own is incomparably greater if we make no attempt to discover what we are, and only know that we are living in these bodies, and have a vague idea, because we have heard it and because our Faith tells us so, that we possess souls...all our interest is centered in the rough setting of the diamond, and the outer wall of the castle - that is to say, in these bodies of ours" (Interior Castle, p. 4). Our Lord Jesus Christ s life presents us with countless examples of self-denial. We can be certain that at Nazareth He, along with His Mother and St. Joseph, lived a quiet, ascetic life of simplicity and prayer; a life which was intently focused on the spiritual, on the love of God. As mentioned above, Christ went into the desert to fast and pray - an act of self-denial - in order that He would become not only hungry but be severely tempted. After leaving the desert, Jesus "returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit" (Lk. 4:14) where He taught in the synagogues. Luke seems to imply that Jesus was strengthened by His actions of self-denial. And, in the ultimate act of self-denial, our Savior gives His life on the Cross for the love of men, many of whom mistreated Him and uttered hateful words against Him. But why is self-denial so important for us? For the simple fact that we do not get closer to God by living as materialists whose lives are spent seeking pleasure, comfort and ease, while our immortal soul, which will live on into eternity, is starved. Second, due to the fact that the flesh is weak, it is easy to fall into sin; therefore the body must be forced to subject itself to the spirit. The flesh must be trained, subdued in order that the intellect and the will are able to rule over it more easily. St. Paul tells us that "the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would" (Gal 5:17). And Christ warns His disciples in Gethsemane that "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Mt 26:41).

5 St. Benilde Catholic Church Volume 35: Issue 10 The spirit must exercise self-control over the body: "Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (1 Cor 9:25-27). One critical aspect of self-denial is almsgiving. Note that while wealthy people were putting their offerings into the treasury, our Savior "noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins." He brought this to the attention of his disciples, saying, "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood" (Lk 21:1-4). It is certain that our Master notices when we deny ourselves of some convenience or entertainment and instead give those funds we would have otherwise used for our own pleasure to the poor. Another element of self-denial is self-sacrifice; for there can be no true denial of self apart from sacrifice. We are not, of course, speaking of the type of sacrifice which seriously injures, rather we are speaking of those sacrifices we make which show God we cherish Him as the greatest and highest Good - those fragrant flowers which pass from our acts of selflessness into the heavens where they are gathered by angels hands, made into wreaths for our loving Savior who willingly poured His blood upon the Cross for our sake, and preserved in order that we may one day clearly see the full splendor of every good deed. There is a great and unexplainable immenseness in the mystery of sacrifice. Who can plumb the depths of the sacrificial sorrow our Blessed Mother contained within her pure heart has she stood in docile quietness before the foot of the bloodied Cross? And who can comprehend the full dimension of Christ s sacrifice of eternal, infinite worth? We may contemplate these things until the Sun passes across the furthest reaches of the sky, yet they will, for now, remain a mystery. Nevertheless, it is certain that every sacrifice we make for love of God becomes a fragrant rose of eternal sweetness which our Lord gathers in his own glorified, loving hands. St. Teresa, on the day she took the habit at the Convent of the Incarnation outside the walls of Avila, wrote of the wondrous kiss of love Christ presented to her as a result of her willing self-sacrifice: "When I took the habit the Lord immediately showed me how He favors those who do violence to themselves in order to serve Him. No one saw what I endured,... At the moment of my entrance into this new state I felt a joy so great that it has never failed me even to this day; and God converted the dryness of my soul into a very great tenderness" (Interior Castle, p. 33). This Lent, let us go forth into the desert with Christ, where, along with Him, we deny ourselves out of love. Let us prove to God we love Him above all else. Let us engage in acts of voluntary self-denial, training our body, nourishing our spirit that, in prayer, we may begin to truly see the unfathomable value and riches of giving ourselves entirely over to God. It is about cultivating a love for Love. It is about, as our Savior showed us, commending our spirit unto God. For then, when at Easter we celebrate Christ s resurrection on the third day, we may enter more fully into that wondrous plan of salvation our Savior Himself has given us with such great sacrificial love. Archdiocesan Lenten Confession Nights During the Holy Season of Lent, Archbishop Aymond is asking all churches in the Archdiocese of New Orleans to have a light on in the confessional on Wednesday, March 22; Wednesday, March 29 th ; and Wednesday, April 5 from 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM 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. Trip to San Antonio Don t miss out! Join the Chers Amis on a funfilled, exciting trip to beautiful, historical San Antonio, TX. The trip is scheduled for April 24 through 28, For more information, please contact Virginia at or Barra at

6 St. Benilde Catholic Church Eucharistic Adorers Needed For the past 10 years, we have been blessed to have Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration here at St. Benilde Parish. Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is the adoration of Jesus Christ present in the Holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is displayed in a special holder called a monstrance, and people come to pray and worship Jesus continually throughout the day and the night. Come to our Perpetual Adoration Chapel and spend some time with our Lord. He is waiting there to embrace you, lovingly and mercifully! If you would like to become a committed adorer, please contact Joy Rojas at (504) or visit the parish website: Lenten Schedule Lenten Masses During the 40 Days of Lent, Mass will be celebrated Monday - Friday at 7:00 AM and 5:30 PM. Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross are prayed on all Fridays during Lent at 6:00 PM in the Church. Lenten Masses, Confession Times & Devotionals For our complete Lenten Schedule visit:

7 MARCH 5, 2017 ST. BENILDE CATHOLIC CHURCH ID # DIVISION ST. METAIRIE, LA NANCY CAROLLO MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAYS - 9 A.M. TO 3 P.M. FRIDAYS - 9 A.M. TO 12 NOON SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: