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.

October 7, 2018 Twenty-Seventh 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 Mr. Thomas Huck, 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 October 6 & 7, 2018

Saturday - 4 P.M. Intention: Carl A. Guidroz, Jr., Russell Joubert, Jr.,

Ray Vitrano, Jr., Rita G. Vacarro, George Spaulding,

Rick Vitrano, Flora Maria Be, Hubert LaBorde, Bob Kelly,

Arch. Carlo Maria Vigano (L), Merle & Charles Dittmer,

Patrick C. McKinney, Austin Burroughs, Rita Hecker,

Judith Theisges, Melissa Mendel Zimmerman,

Edward Van Hoven, Patricia Paisant, Joseph Segari,

Theresa Bacino, Joseph Evola, Pete Muscarello, Jr.,

Robert Lee Jones, Julie P. Fielding

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion:

C. Casente, K. Hartdegen

Cantor: Kevin Rouchell Organist: Jared Croal

Sunday - 9 A.M. Intention: Judith Theisges

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion:

M. Evola, P. Fleming, J. Zeringue, G. Rojas

Song Leaders: Traditional Choir

Sunday - 11 A.M. Intention: Rev. John Baptist Nguyen Thanh Tuoc,

Charles Mele, Geri Rivere, Abraham Cabrera,

Joseph Donald Bernard, Audrey Cusimano, Bob Kelly,

Frank J. Golemi, Mary & Melvin Ducote, Kelvin Ducote,

Ronnie & Dianne Harrison, Judith Theisges, Poor Souls,

Walter (Bubber) Blessing, Joseph Evola, Sr., Geno Soleto,

Paul J. Hymel, Jr., John Talamo, Sr., Betty Meilser

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion:

J. Hutchison, J. Hutchison, A. Duersel, R. Oleksik

Song Leaders: Contemporary Choir

Sunday - 6 P.M. Intention: Parishioners

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion:

A. Calongne, M. Plaideau

Cantor: Lauren Gisclair Pianist: Beth Kettenring

Weekday Masses Monday 7:00 a.m. Kate Blanchard (L)

5:30 p.m. Ludivina Alva

Tuesday 7:00 a.m. Jerry Handford

Wednesday 7:00 a.m. June & Marvin Ackermann (L)

8:15 a.m. Bob Kelly

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

5:30 p.m. Joy Rojas

Friday 7:00 a.m. Michael Curry (L)

The Church Sanctuary Lamp burns for the

Domingue Family (L)

The Blessed Mother

Votive Lamps burn

For Reparations for Sins

Adoration Chapel

Sanctuary Lamp burns

in memory of

Stuart & Gloria Fourroux

Adoration Chapel Candles

burn for Peace, Justice

and Hope in our World

Altar Ladies Week of October 7

C. Grace, S. Mercatante

Linens Large - K. Archer Small - J. Didier

The St. Joseph Votive Lamps

burn for a Greater Respect

for Human Life

St. Benilde Catholic Church

The Altar Flowers are in memory of

Deceased Parishioners

Stewardship of Treasure Weekend of September 29 & 30

Envelopes …………………………………...$2,383.00

Loose ………………………………………….2,903.00

Electronic Giving ……………………………....101.00

Repairs & Maintenance.………...……………..337.00

Msgr. Richaud Fund ..…………………………113.00

Totaling ……………………………………..$5,837.00

“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

Oct. 13/14 4 PM J. Rodosta, L. Segari 9 AM J. Tusa, P. Cifreo, C. Rispoli, B. Soleto 11 AM S. Gordon, L. Peters, A. Duersel, L. Frey 6 PM L. Daigle, B. David

St. Benilde Catholic Church Volume 36: Issue 40

Parish Motto—Building the Kingdom of God

ALL SOULS DAY MASS REMEMBRANCE

On All Souls Day we honor all of our deceased loved ones in a special way. Here at St. Benilde Church we will be remembering your deceased loved ones both on this day with the celebration of Holy Mass (Friday, November 2) and at all of the Masses throughout the month of November.

In that spirit, we invite you to inscribe the names of those you wish for us to remember and pray for on All Souls Day and during the Masses throughout the month of November on the special All Souls Remembrance Envelopes found in the vestibule of the Church. Please place your envelopes in the collection basket, the poor box or bring

them to the Parish Office by November 1. The suggested donation is $5 per name recorded on your envelope. Mass remembrance envelopes will remain on the altar throughout the month of November and names will be printed in the Parish Bulletin.

Attention Confirmation Candidates

The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated by Most Rev. Archbishop Alfred Hughes on March 26, 2019. As part of the preparation for Confirmation, candidates must attend at least one of the following activities: World Youth Day, Nov. 4, 2018, at the Morial Convention Center, from 9 AM to 5 PM—(registration deadline is Oct. 12); or view a movie on Dec. 2, from 4 to 6 PM in room 204 of the main school building. For more information, please contact Cecilia Wilson at (504)782-8943 or cwilson@stbenilde.com

“I feel God blessing my life every single day, and in gratitude for these blessings I choose to give of myself. One of the major blessings I've joyfully experienced all my life has been the church community of St. Benilde Parish. Being a part of this community of faith continually enriches my life, most importantly spiritually, but in many other ways as well. Because I am so thankful for this nourishment, I feel instinctually called to give back, both through financial contribution and dedication of my time. The Lord teaches us that "it is in giving that we receive", and I am grateful to witness this each and every day."

Fr. Cooper’s Corner

Human Life is Sacred – Respect Life Sunday 2018

“Man cannot attain that true happiness for which he yearns with all the strength of his spirit, unless he keeps the laws which the Most High God has engraved in his very nature” (Humanae Vitae, # 31, July 25, 1968). With these words, Blessed Pope Paul VI ended what Pope Francis calls one of five bench-mark encyclicals that Paul VI issued during his pontificate, Humanae Vitae. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of this encyclical. Its theme was the use of artificial birth-control. “Responsible Men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences of methods and plans for artificial birth control. Let them first consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards; especially among the young, who are so exposed to temptation. Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man may forget the reverence due to a woman” (# 17a). The theological principle operative here is that the Unitive and the Procreative aspects of the loving act cannot be separated without violating the will of God the Father. “Human life is sacred; all men must recognize that fact” (# 13). As St. Pope John XXIII taught, “From the very moment of conception the creative hand of God is revealed and manifest” (Mater et Magistra: AAS 53, 1961). Hence, Pope Paul VI wrote: “Artificial birth-control, or any action, either before, at the moment of, or after relations, direct sterilization and the direct interruption of the generative process already begun, above all, all direct abortion, even therapeutic abortion, is intrinsically evil and thus not permitted” (# 13). Each of these procedures either deny, frustrate or directly defy the presence and creative divine power of God active in conception and gestation. Man does not have absolute dominion over his body! The procreation of new human life is God’s work; man and woman are the instruments of this new creation. All that I have said up to this point is revealed from the Prophet Isaiah. “The Lord called me from birth…from my mother’s womb He gave me my name. Now the Lord has spoken who formed me as His servant from the womb. And I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord” (Is. 49:1a, 5a,c, 6c-d). We truly are God’s creation, His handiwork. Of all creation, only man and woman bear the image of God in our being. Only man is gifted with intelligence and free will. Further, John in his First Letter boldly proclaims, “God is

love!” (1 Jn. 4:8). This is the theological basis for the teachings of Blessed Paul VI in Humanae Vitae. Love is everything. Yes, we have Ten Commandments; however, Jesus summarized the entire law into only two. “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with your entire mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-39). Lest we have a diluted sense of this love, let me remind you of how profound Jesus intended this love to be: “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn. 13:34). Remember, He was “Lifted-Up on the

Cross” (Jn. 12:32). His love was total gift of self for the benefit of others…us…you and me. Love is sacrificial! Priestly ministry is sacrificial; so is the diaconal ministry. Is Marriage any different? Of course not!

Parish Motto—Building the Kingdom of God

St. Benilde Catholic Church

Christian living is also sacrificial. Then, what about discipline? Obedience? Narcissism? Humility? St. Paul says that Jesus was obedient unto death, even death on a Cross. We are called to the same obedience to the Will of the Father, just like Jesus. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus undergoes a passion…an agony when praying in the Garden the night before He died. Prayer and intimacy with the Father gave Him the human strength to endure the Cross. Jesus is with us also! Jesus was disciplined by Jewish Law to yield to the Way of Life that gives direction, grace, and power to realize and live the great command of Love. Jesus humbled Himself and condescended to earth in human flesh to concretely manifest God’s love for us. Jesus is the quintessence of Love; hence, not a speck of narcissism was found in Him. He was not moved by earthly fads or customs. Abortion is evil. It is egregiously evil…intrinsically evil. It is totally against God’s Will. “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life!” (Jn. 14:6). Also, in the Book of Wisdom, the author writes: “God did not create death, nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living. For He fashioned all things that they might have life…” (Wis. 1:13-14a). In his First Letter, St. John writes: “We should love one another, unlike Cain who belonged to the evil one and slaughtered his brother. Why did he do this? Because his own works were evil, and those of his brother, righteous” (1 Jn. 3:12). Abortion, without a doubt, is the most grievous sin; for one, it is the killing of the most vulnerable and defenseless being, for another, the one called to conceive, nurture and sustain life, does the evil act and it is so evil, because “Once human life is snuffed-out, it can never be recuperated!” It is gone forever! One more thing makes an abortion so evil and sinful! It takes human life and treats it like a commodity…something that can just be tossed out and forgotten. Blessed Pope Paul VI warned of this and feared this. He said, “Human life will become a thing, something that can be used and then forgotten or tossed out…or even worse, something that can be purchased and even sold” (Bl. Paul VI, General Audience, 1968-69). “The Human Person of today no longer knows who he is.” He is no longer aware that his dignity as a person does not depend on anything that he or she does. It is innate and exists from conception to natural death. Yet “man exhausts himself trying to do good deeds” in order to prove his dignity (Pope Francis, Address to the Plenary Meeting of the Congregation for the Faith, Vatican City, January 26, 2018). Hence, man must be reminded of his “Transcendent Vocation and the inseparable connection that exists between reason, and truth and goodness, which introduces a person to Faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing can open man’s mind like the light that comes from the Holy Spirit to help him to know and understand himself and the design that God has for man in the world.” “Man has a daily tendency to revert to neo-Pelagionism and neo-Gnosticism with such a deep sense of Individualism that he thinks he can achieve salvation by his own power and force…by his own actions. We Christians, however, believe that salvation comes through communion with the Risen Christ, and the Grace of the Holy Spirit that introduces us to a profound relationship with the Father” (Ibid, Pope Francis). Brothers and Sisters, let us pray for the conversion of the culture in which most of the world now lives. It is a darkness that is in need of much Grace. It is a culture that is in need of conversion. It does not yet know God. It does not know true love. It lacks truth; hence, the ones who had an abortion are not free. Yet, God is merciful. Finally, these unborn children have become martyrs for Christ…just like the Holy Innocents of King Herod’s time. They were in the world, living beings, in the house of their mother’s womb. They never felt the warmth of the sun. They never experienced light. Yet, like Jesus, these innocents “testify to the light”, to Jesus. These innocents have, in their own mystical way, become lights to the world. They testify to love…the love that God has for us…the love God intends for us to have for one another. Jesus was not received with a great welcome. These innocents have not been welcomed either. However, “Jesus came to what was His own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept Him, He gave power to become children of God” (Jn. 1:11-12). These Innocents are “Children of God.”

St. Benilde Catholic Church Volume 36: Issue 40

Parish Motto—Building the Kingdom of God

OCTOBER 7, 2018

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: