Fish everywhere will soon breathe easier as tonight is the FINAL Fish Fry for Lent 2023.  Queens has in person dining and drive thru options from 4:30 – 7pm this evening.  Please come and enjoy dinner with old friends and make some new ones.  Stick around and join us for the last Stations of the Cross before Holy Week at 7pm in Church.  

The Easter Dinner at Queens is only one week away.  Please help us help others.  Volunteer for a shift now.  We need help with set up, serving and clean up.  And don’t forget to purchase or make the items you agreed to donate by taking one or more of the tags from church.   Below is the link to the Sign Up Genius.  Or, if you prefer to call someone to volunteer, dial 517.414.4438.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR A SHIFT

Remember the Mass schedule for Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter:

 

Saturday April 1st:

3:30pm Confessions

5pm Mass

 

Sunday April 2nd:

8am, 10am*, Noon

 

Thursday April 6th:

Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7pm*

Washing of Feet

Procession to the Altar of Repose

(School gym is open for prayer until midnight)

(adoration chapel closes til Saturday night after the Vigil

 

Friday April 7th:

Good Friday Service of the Lord’s Passion at 12:30pm*

Veneration of the Cross

Collection for the Church in the Holy Land

Followed by Day 1 of Divine Mercy Novena

(NO Fish Fry and NO Stations)

 

Saturday April 8th:

Easter Vigil at 9pm*

(NO Confessions and NO 5pm Mass)

Easter Egg Hunt 11am (Rectory)

Blessing of Food Baskets 11:30am (Church)

 

Sunday April 9th

Easter Masses at 8am, 10am*, Noon

Community Dinner 2pm

 

* = Livestreamed 

 

Look on our website or read the bulletin to see what other events are affected by the Holy Week Schedule

Like Ash Wednesday, Good Friday is a day of fasting and abstinence.  This Lent perhaps more than ever before, I have encountered people who think going without meat is fasting.  No, that is abstinence and that applies to all Fridays of Lent.  Fasting is taking less food.  There is no minimum or maximum age for abstaining from meat.  Everyone can and should do it.  Fasting applies to people ages 14 to 59.  Those below 14 or above 59 are not expected to fast, but may choose to do so.  Here again are the rules for days of fasting from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:

 

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics.  In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.  For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59.  When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards. 

 

There is no medical excuse for people not being able to abstain from meat.  Those who must take food with medicine should do so.  Those who become ill or faint when fasting should be mindful of their condition when planning the menu for days of fasting. 

Here is the latest update on our progress with the Diocesan Services Appeal.  As of March 31st, Queens is at 82% of goal with pledges totaling $172,852.40 from 377 donors representing 25% of registered households.  We have to raise another $37,534.60 before we meet our goal of $210,387.  There are over 200 donors from last year’s DSA who have yet to donate to the 2023 campaign and we are always hoping that first timers who have never given to DSA before will join the effort.

 

The Diocese is now at 64% of its goal of $5,600,000.  Six parishes are now over goal out of 72 raising funds.  Queens has the second highest amount of pledges and donors behind St. Patrick in Brighton where there are 1,200 more families than here at Queens.

 

Please give today!  And thank you to the nearly 400 donors who already have.  I remind you that any amount raised over goal will be split 50/50 between the parish and the diocese.   

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A SECURE ONLINE GIFT TO DSA

Please don’t let this week ahead be like every other.  Holy Week is an annual occurrence because we need to be reminded often about the great cost of our salvation, something we all too often take for granted.  The joys of Easter mean even more when we come to more fully comprehend the sorrows of Mary and the wounds of Christ.  

 

“The children of the Hebrews spread their garments on the road, crying out and saying: hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

– Antiphon 2 for Palm Sunday Procession, The Roman Missal

 

Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom

 

Fr. Tim MacDonald

Pastor