The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them.
When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them,
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

-Matthew 28:16-20 (this Sunday’s Gospel)

NEXT SATURDAY MAY 23^RD, 5PM MASS:  The Vigil of Pentecost will be a big one here at Queens. At the 5pm Mass next Saturday evening May 23^rd we will have an extended liturgy of the Word with 5 readings instead of 3, and 3 psalms instead of 1, plus a mother and her children will be baptized and 4 adults will be confirmed.  The Mass that usually lasts an hour or less will be closer to 90 minutes in length as a result of these additions, all of which are part of what the Roman Missal calls for at the Vigil of Pentecost.  Pentecost is the birthday of the Church because it was then, not Easter, when the first convert souls were baptized.  Baptisms have occurred on Pentecost ever since.   Let us pray for those who are about to receive this fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.   

Queens congratulates all the graduates from our parish family in the Class of 2026!  They will be recognized and receive a blessing during the 11am Mass this Sunday.  Going on 16 years as Queens pastor, I have now known many of these students since they were in diapers.  It is amazing to see how fast time flies and how quickly people grow up.  To the graduates – savor your youth and hold fast to your faith.  To their parents and coaches:  good job! 

THE FAITH FORMATION FAMILY FUN FEST is this Sunday in our parking lot from 11:30 to 2:15pm.  Sponsored by the Faith Formation Department, this annual event is open to ALL families of the parish.  There will be inflatables, a huge Jenga game, hotdogs and hamburgers, watermelon and chips, and snow cones from the Kona Ice Truck.  Let’s pray for good weather and a great time.  The parking lot will be divided in half all Sunday morning to make room for this so please be patient when parking for Mass as spaces will be at a premium. 

There are 50 slots for volunteers for this event. All but 5 have been taken. Could you kindly consider helping us to fill the list to make sure every shift is covered? The Sign-Up Genius link is below:

Volunteers from the pantry will be at all Queens Masses this weekend offering raffle ticket, $5 and 4 for $20.  The grand prize are four tickets to Comerica Park on Friday July 10 to watch the Detroit Tigers take on the Philadelphia Phillies!    

Queens helped found the Jackson Community Food Pantry, and we continue to support it, as should you. 

Earlier today, DSA pledges from across the ten counties of our diocese helped push the DSA over the finish line, surpassing its goal of $5,900,000, all thanks to generous people in the pews like you. Soon, those who gave last year but haven’t yet in 2026 will receive a letter hand signed by me asking for you to make your commitment to DSA so we can meet and surpass our participation rate from last year. Perhaps you can make that gift in recognition of Bishop Boyea’s 18 years of service to our Diocese as he now awaits news of his replacement.

QMM DSA PLEDGE TOTAL AS OF MAY 15,2026:

2026 DSA GOAL: $211,856

PLEDGE TOTAL: $247,976

OVER GOAL: $36,120 (117%) split 50/50 with the parish & diocese

# OF DONORS: 486 (30% of 1603 registered families)

We need another 54 gifts to this year’s DSA to surpass last year’s number of donors.

MEMORIAL DAY is Monday May 25^th.  There will be NO Mass at Queens that day.  I encourage everyone to attend the Mass in the St. John Cemetery at 9am that morning.  Bring your own seating.  As America is soon to turn 250, we owe a debt to those who died to make us free.  Afterward, the Knights of Columbus 4^th Degree Assembly 2186 invites you down the hill to their monument honoring all the branches of the armed forces as well as those missing in action and prisoners of war. 

THE CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION:  The Easter season is quickly drawing to a close.  This weekend we mark the Ascension, Jesus’ heavenly homecoming.  Next weekend will be Pentecost and the birthday of the Catholic Church.  May 31^st celebrates the Most Holy Trinity, the essence of Who God is, and then we come to celebrate the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus on the weekend of June 6-7.  On Corpus Christi, we are all invited to participate in a combined Eucharistic procession joining forces with all the Catholic parishes in our deanery (all across Jackson County). 

Join us at 2:30pm on Sunday June 7^th.  The Corpus Christi Procession starts inside St. John Church at 711 N. MLK.  Then we will process down MLK with a police escort toward St. Mary Star of the Sea where the event will conclude with benediction.  A Lumen Christi bus will take people back to their cars at St. John so you don’t have to walk both ways. 

I will finish with one correction of myself.  In this week’s bulletin you’ll see I mention the 100th anniversary of the opening of St. Mary Star of the Sea Church.  I said the Mass is next Sunday the 24th, but it is actually at 10am on Sunday May 31st. 

“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