w w w . s t b e n e d i c t s o a k l a n d . c o m

Fr. Bert AronyuFr. Benedict B. Ehinack

Mr. Cli�ord Ologbosele

Fr. Jayson Landeza

THE CHOIR’S CORNERWhat’s going on??

VOTE FOR US! KBLX GOSPEL FEST 2015The VOICES of St. Benedict name was submitted to the102.9 KBLX Gospel Fest 2015 and we are on the ballot.

The Top 5 Choirs will be invited to perform at the Historic BalTheater in San Leandro, CA on Saturday, November 21, 2015.

If you want to see the VOICES of St. Benedict in the Top 5,go to kblx.com and vote for us. SPREAD THE WORD to your

California Family and Friends. We thank you in advancefor your continued love and support. God Bless.

CLUCK! CLUCK! CLUCK!It’s that time again! Our Annual Fried Chicken Dinner Sale.

Saturday, November 7, 2015 in the Parish Hallfrom 12pm - 6pm.

Donation is $10.  The dinner includes Fried Chicken parts, Mac-N-Cheese, Greens, Yams, Cornbread and Dessert

Come out and support your Choir.We guarantee you it’s the best Fried Chicken on this side of

the Mississippi! For Tickets, see any choir member orcontact Mr. Leonard Pete.

FEAST DAY OF ST. LAWRENCE O’TOOLEFeaturing the VOICES of St. Benedict.

Saturday, November 14, 2015 at the 5pm Vigil Mass.St. Lawrence O’Toole / St. Cyril3725 High St. ~ Oakland, CA

Interested in joining any of the Choirs?Please feel free to contact Music Director, Leonard Pete.

Phone: 510-917-2390Email:   thevoicesofstbenedicts@yahoo.com

Are you new to the pArish? To request a registration form, please complete and drop in the offertory basket.

Have you moved? Had an information change?Let us know by completing and returning.

We respect your privacy! This information is forSt. Benedict Parish use only.

Name: ____________________________________Phone # ___________________________________Address: ___________________________________City: _____________________ Zip: _____________

Send Me A Registration Form □ Change of Address □ Moving out of Parish □

youth MinisterKeeping up with the wonderful spirit and energy of our

recent retreat we are looking for individuals who are interested in being mentors or volunteers with our youth and young adult activities.  If interested, sign ups are available in the back of the church. For any questions see Ariana Catherine.

Any young adults 21-40 interested in participating in various young adult activities and be mentors to the youth of the parish and parish community, please sign up in the back of the church. For any questions contact Ariana Catherine or Jennifer Fernandes.

Aspire College ACAdeMyis currently accepting application for grades 1st - 3rd grade. Parents are welcome to apply by filling an application at the school or online by visiting aspire.schoolmint.net. Visit us at 8030 Atherton Street, Oakland. We look forward seeing you soon and welcoming you to our community this 2015 – 2016 school-year!

Are you A FAn oF st. BenediCt?Well if you’re a Facebook member, Like our Page! You can find us under the following title:

Fans of St. Benedict Church Oakland, CAMake sure that you like our page as well as spread the word to many of your family and friends. This is a great way to keep up with the latest News and Updates with St. Benedict Church.

 

FACING HOLIDAY BLUES WITH A BROKEN HEARTThe holidays you have dreaded are approaching . . . . .

at every turn, you are faced with your heartache and loss.Every conversation about family gatherings, every television

commercial, every greeting card . . . . . each is a cripplingreminder of the pain you bear after the death of a loved one.

We are here for you . . . . . Come join us.We understand . . . . . We have been there too.

You, your family and friends are welcome to join us.All are welcome regardless of religious orientation.

No registration is required.Facilitated by Fr. Padraig Greene

Parish Relationship Director, CFCSQueen of Heaven Catholic CemeterySaturday, Oct 24, 2015 at 10:00AM

1965 Reliez Valley Rd, Lafayette, CA 94549(925) 932-0900

Holy Angels /Sorensen ChapelThursday, Nov 5, 2015 at 7:00PM1140 ‘B’ St, Hayward, CA 94541

(510) 581-1234St. Elizabeth Seton

Thursday, Nov 12, 2015 at 7:30PM4001 Stoneridge Dr, Pleasanton, CA 94566

(925) 484-5020

St. Isidore ParishWednesday, Nov 4, 2015 at 7:00PM

440 LaGonda Way, Danville, CA 94526(925) 837-2122

St. John Vianney / Mullen CommonsTuesday, Nov 10, 2015 at 7:30PM

1650 Ygnacio Valley Rd, Walnut Creek, CA94598

(925) 929-7911Holy Angels / Cooper Chapel

Saturday, Nov 21, 2015 at 11:00AM1580 Fruitvale Ave, Oakland, CA 94601

(510) 533-4114

.

Collection: October 25, 2015 $3,609.25Other Collection: Saint Vincent de Paul $868.75

“100” CluBBeginning Balance $7,768.91Total Income for September 2015 $248.00Total Expense for September 2015 $1,100.00Ending balance as of September 30, 2015 $6,916.91

penny hArvest Ending Balance as of September 30, 2015 $852.03

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY

ChurCh support

All Saints November 1, 2015

Sunday, November 1 8:30 a.m. For The People 11:00 a.m. For All SaintsMonday, November 2 7:30 a.m. For All SoulsWednesday, November 4 7:30 a.m.Friday, November 6 7:30 a.m.Saturday, November 7 4:30 p.m.

MASS INTENTIONS

noveMBer 7/8, 20154:30 p.m. 8:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m.G. McCullough L. Robertson M. TrevigneG. Green J. Outley L. Hall-Ervin B. Foster *

leCtors/euChAristiC Ministers

ANNOUNCEMENTS

seCond ColleCtion“100” CluB

MeetingOur next Parish Council Meeting will be on Tuesday, November 3rd at 7:00pm in the Parish Hall.

Attention leCtors And euChAristiC Ministers!Fr. Jayson Landeza has requested a re-training session for (ALL) Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers, The re-training will be held on Monday & Tuesday, November 16 & 17, 2015, at 7 pm in the church. New reading materials will be distributed. ( ALL) Lectors and Eucharistic ministers are required to attend  one of these sessions. Please make every effort to attend.  Thanking you in advance for your cooperation in this important matter.  See you there. Fr. Benedict Deacon Ronald Tutson

FroM the pAstor’s desk:I am writing this from St. Augustine

by-the-Sea Catholic Church on Waikiki Beach here in Honolulu, Hawaii. As I mentioned before, I’m here for a 90th birthday party for the mother of a priest friend who is from Hawaii but works for the Diocese of Oakland’s Canon Law/Marriage Tribunal office.

With regards to this weekend’s Gospel from Matthew, some explanation is in order. Since Jews in Jesus’ day considered the laws in Scripture and in the oral traditions (the 613 man-made Jewish laws) as guidelines to holiness, anyone who wanted to be holy had to follow all these laws. The problem was that the rich had time to study the laws and learn what they meant, but the average person couldn’t do this because they were too busy working long hours just to provide the basic necessities for the family. So, if you follow that line of thinking, only the rich could be holy. Some Jews considered the way God blessed the rich with the wealth and happiness as proof that God favored the rich because of their observance of the laws. This favored status supposedly guaranteed them a place of honor in God’s reign.

But in today’s Gospel, Jesus surprises a lot of people by saying the rich do not have a monopoly on holiness and therefore aren’t necessarily guaranteed a spot in the kingdom. Holiness, according to Jesus, is within the reach of even the poor and powerless.

Jesus promises the reign of God to the poor in spirit and “the land” (popular way of referring to the reign of God) to the lowly. The persecuted, Jesus says, will receive a great reward and the peacemakers will be known as God’s children, a title the Jews’ used to describe the righteous whowould occupy places of honor in God’s reign. The people who Jesus said were holy and prominent in the kingdom were the poor and that weak, the same people who were considered sinners because they did not follow all the laws.

Sometimes we fall into the same trap the Jews in Jesus’ day fell into and think holiness is just for certain few like priests, ministers, and those who are in the religious profession. We are afraid to picture ourselves as holy because we might not understand what holiness is really about.

Everyone who has a relationship with God is holy and as that relationship becomes stronger, the person becomes holier. So holiness is like a spiritual yardstick, measuring one’s relationship with God. This means that you, me, the person sitting next to us at St. Benedict, the neighbor who worships at Allen Temple Baptist Church and even the

obnoxious teen who is always getting on your nerves may be holy. As Christians, it would be good for all of us to be working on developing a close relationship with our God and growing in holiness each day of our lives.

As we celebrate the Feast of All Saints and the Commemoration of All Souls, we are reminded that throughout the month of November we remember all those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, and are experiencing eternal life in Christ. Please don’t forget to add their names into our Book of the Dead, which is located near our altar shrine in honor of our beloved dead.

When you get a chance, take a look at our updated website. Our website address has changed, and it is now www.SaintBenedictOakland.com.

I have been informed that we currently have a very serious mold issue in our parish center, which is why some of you may be detecting an odor emanating from some of the rooms. An inspection took place and a report was issued about the next steps regarding the mitigation of the mold, which of course will require some work and added expenses. I will keep you informed.

Deacon Ron Tutson and Dionne Cola will be in Arlington, Virginia, next week as part of a weeklong course offered by the Josephite Fathers/ Josephite Pastoral Center, for those leading and working in African-American Catholic parishes. Prayers for a safe trip and wisdom to return to St. Benedict with good information and insights.

God bless, Father Jayson

Theme: “Blessed Are…”

sAve the dAte:  Wednesday, November 18th. We will begin our new faith formation session.  Following the, “Challenge Study” sessions, you expressed interest to continue in your journey.   We will continue with a session on, “Catholicism.”  Sessions will begin on time, at 7 pm. Unfortunately, the attempt to start a second session of the “Challenge Study” was unsuccessful due to the lack of turnout.  The next session will not be offered again until September 18th of next year.  We will do pre sign-ups to determine your interest for the session at that time.

All souls envelopesDuring the month of November, we pray in a special way for all the deceased members of our families and parishioners. Specifically, you have an opportunity to list all those you wish to remember on all souls envelopes provided on the table at the back of the church. The envelopes are placed on the altar throughout the month and your loved ones are remembered at each Mass celebrated.

dioCese oF oAklAnd Adult FAith ForMAtionWe cannot give what we ourselves do not have. Parish ministry

leaders, catechists, school teachers and parents are invited to the newly renovated Saint Francis de Sales School for Pastoral Ministry.  Classes meet one Saturday a month.  The entire program is three years. If you’re hesitating, “come and see” by auditing up to three courses.  And if you are a graduate of the program, come back and take a new course or retake one with a new instructor at half price.

Spring 2016 courses offerings are: Old Testament, Christian Prayer and Spirituality, the Sacraments, and the Creed: Part I (Trinity, Jesus Christ, and the Paschal Event).  Each course provides 12.5 hours of ongoing adult education. The fee per course is $120. Click here  for more information http://www.oakdiocese.org/ministries-formation/adult-faith-formation/spm or contact Sandra Martinez at 510-267-8371.   Deadline to register is December 18th.

Check out our SPM Facebook page and view our video with Bishop Barber’s endorsement and student testimonials! 

2016 MAss BookThe parish Office will be accepting Mass Intentions for the 2016 Mass Book. If you would like to offer a Mass for the (Living) Intentions of your family/friends, or for your deceased family members/friends, stop by the Parish Office during office hours. We will be happy to assist you.

thAnk you!Thank you for all your prayers and support. The Lord has heard and answered! The tumors on my liver have shrunk five (5) millimeters since the chemotherapy began! Everyone in the parish has shown me so much love it is deeply appreciated.  Lovingly in Christ, Cheryl Chapman

Recognize RememberA Saint Benedict Salute

Veteran’s Day Celebration

Sunday, November 8, 2015 11 AM Mass

KPC Council 336 Host Council 2015Hear! This!

Those Who ServedStand Tall in What You Can Wear!

penny hArvestPlease remember to bring your pennies and drop them off by the altar before or after Mass. There’s no need to wrap your pennies in a roll.