The Parish Life Commission and the Knights of Columbus invite you to the Annual Parish Picnic in Vincentian Hall after the 11am Mass this Sunday afternoon September 22nd.  The Knights will be grilling hotdogs and hamburgers along with baked beans, cole slaw and chocolate chip cookies.  There will be a bounce house and childrens games outside.  It’s all free and it is all fun!   

There are dozens of families that have joined Queens Parish during this calendar year.  We want to make them feel at home.  Find someone at the picnic you’ve never met before and introduce yourself and your family to them! 

Thank you to all those who made their gift to our 2024 Mission Cooperative Appeal in support of the Diocese of Kumbakonam in India.  So far, your gifts have totaled nearly $12,000 and that will do a great deal of good on the other side of the world where it is most needed.  

It is not too late to make your gift.  Bring it with you to Mass this weekend or drop it off at the parish office.  Envelopes are in the pews for this purpose that can be placed in the regular parish offertory.  All checks can be made payable to Queens with ‘mission appeal’ written clearly on the memo line or the front of the envelope.  

Use the link below to make an online gift:

The Bishops have changed the name from RCIA to OCIA:  The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.  This is intended for the unbaptized, Christians of other denominations who may wish to become Catholic, or those who were baptized Catholic but never received the other sacraments of initiation (Eucharist and Confirmation).

The OCIA meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 – 8:15pm in the lower level of the parish office.  If you know someone – invite them and come with them!  This could be a spouse, family member, relative, friend, coworker, neighbor, etc.  Contact the office if interested or just show up!

In this week’s bulletin you can read the inspiring conversion story of a new wife and mother who recently joined the Church.  We will be sharing more of these in the weeks ahead to demonstrate what a profound impact you can have on someone’s life and faith by inviting them to participate in RCIA/OCIA.

As you go out of Mass NEXT weekend (September 28-29), members of the Queens Social Justice Commission will be handing out brown bags and shopping lists.  Please fill the bags with new non perishable food items and bring them back the following weekend October 5-6.  Donations of cash and check are also accepted.  The food and funds are split between local food pantries to feed the hungry all across Jackson.  

COMING THIS FALL

Eight Tuesdays 

October 1 through November 26, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Ever wonder what the best way to read the Bible is? Where to begin? How to avoid getting lost in Leviticus when trying to read the Bible cover to cover? The answer is coming! For eight Tuesdays beginning October 1 and continuing through November 26, we will present Ascension Press’ study Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Vincentian Hall (lower level of the church). This Bible study will show you the way to find the “narrative thread” of our salvation story and how all the books of the Bible fit together. (Please note that we will not meet Tuesday, November 5.)

The numbers are really taking off in both the junior high and high school youth group, and those who have come want to come back.  Have you gotten your teen over there yet?  What are you waiting for?  

Join the middle school and high school youth group on Sundays at St. Joseph’s Oratory. They meet in the youth room, which is next to the Church. Middle school meets from 3:15 to 4:45 and high school meets from 6-7:30. There is always food and plenty of snacks. Bring a friend!

The Sunday 5pm Youth Mass at St. Joe now features the new Youth Mass Music Ensemble!  They rehearse on Mondays at 7pm over at St. Joe and they are looking for new talent.    

Use the link below to make a gift and help support this new program.  There is a growing list of wish list items that you can help fund with your generous support.  

The link below takes you to the online giving page of our Queens website.  There are so many worthy causes to support and some are hard to find.  Scroll down until you see ‘Youth Ministry Donation.’  Thank you for your support!  Our kids deserve it.  

For more information contact the Jackson Director of Youth Discipleship, Mr. Jake Gerber:

youth@queenschurch.com

Queen is in Wave 1 of this three wave diocesan wide capital campaign for Catholic education.  Kick off weekend is planned for October 5-6.  Our team of volunteers has been recruited and is currently being trained to help our parish raise over $2,500,000 to keep our diocesan Catholic schools affordable, accessible and ‘on mission.’  I made my campaign pledge to Queens and St Catherine Laboure in Concord some months ago.  Our parish leaders are being asked to make their commitment.  Next month, we will begin approaching more and more of you until everyone has had their chance to be part of this effort.

Thanks to the hard work of Bishop Boyea and our campaign staff, more than $8,000,000 in leadership gifts have already been pledged toward the success of the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars Campaign!  

There is a 20% parish share that remains at Queens.  Our Finance Council has agreed to use that to sustain the operations of the Jackson Catholic Schools Administration.  Anything over 100% stays completely at the parish.

The Diocese is footing the entire bill for this campaign, but they are keeping none of the money raised.  It either remains in the parishes or comes directly back to the schools, faculty and families.  

CAMPAIGN PRAYER

Lord, everything we have is a gift from you. 
You call us to receive your gifts with thanks,  
to develop these gifts fully, 
and to share them generously.
Through the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars campaign
help every young person in the Diocese of Lansing
see your truth, beauty, and goodness;
help families to raise their children in the Faith;
and help parishes make a truly Catholic education
available to all.
May the work of this campaign bear abundant fruit
in the Saints and Scholars you are raising up for the future.
We ask these blessings through Christ our Lord.
Amen.   

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us 

This public, silent hour of prayer is a powerful witness to the pro-life message, especially during an election year.  This is a unique event that is a joint effort of dozens of Jackson area churches.  Queens is the only church that covers three city blocks and that is because we can consistently count on you to show up. 

This year’s rosary is moving from downtown out to Lumen Christi.  We will have adoration, the patriotic rosary, the sung chaplet and a brief Eucharistic procession.   During these most turbulent times in our country and our world, we need to pray and place our nation and our planet under the protection of Our Most Merciful God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching” (Heb 13:8-9).

Fr. Tim MacDonald

Pastor

Queen of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church

606 S. Wisner St.  Jackson, Michigan 49203

(517) 783-2748  www.queenschurch.com