In the season of Advent we prepare for the two comings of Christ: celebrating his birth in Bethlehem, and anticipating his return in glory as our King at the end of time. 

December 8th is normally the Immaculate Conception of Mary, a holy day obligation.  Since the feast has been moved to Monday the 9th, the obligation has been lifted in the Diocese of Lansing but you are still welcome to join us for Mass at 9am Monday morning in honor of Our Lady’s feast day, one that is near and near to our Queens Parish, as the miraculous medal says ‘O Mary, Conceived without sin . . .’

There is no better way to prepare for the coming of the Messiah than to seek for yourself the very gift he came from heaven to bring to earth – forgiveness of sins.  The Jackson Deanery Regional Advent Penance Services begin this week:

St. Catherine: Monday December 9, 6:30pm

Fatima: Thursday December 12, 7pm

St. Mary:  Saturday December 14, 10am

St. Rita:  Monday December 16, 7pm

Queens:  Wednesday December 18, 7pm

St. John:  Thursday December 19, 7pm

The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris reopens today five years after it was nearly destroyed by fire on April 15, 2019, during Holy Week.  To honor this joy-filled occasion of triumph over tragedy, church bells will ring all over the world at 2pm today for 10 minutes, Queens included!  

This cathedral church is over 800 years old.  Nearly 1 billion dollars was raised in the aftermath to fund the restoration and reopening of this grand edifice.  

Notre Dame de Paris, priez pour nous.

Our Lady of Paris, pray for us.  

This is Toys for Tots weekend at Queens.  Please bring your new and unwrapped gifts for the deserving children of Jackson to Mass.  We will bring them up during the offertory. 

Due to a scheduling conflict with the Holy Land Family from Bethlehem, their sale along with coffee and donuts will be delayed a week.  We apologize for the unavoidable delay.  

The Parish Life Commission will have a cookie reception next Saturday night and coffee and donuts after all Sunday Masses in hopes that you will come and browse the collection, December 14-15.

The Great 50/50 Raffle tickets make great stocking stuffers while supporting a great cause!  Tickets are on sale from me after weekend Masses, at the parish and school office during the week, and after all Masses by the elevator starting next weekend.  Checks should be made payable to Jackson Catholic Schools.  Your $100 ticket enrolls you in 10 monthly drawings in 2025.  Two winners will be chosen each month.  In the recent past, each monthly winner has walked away with somewhere between $2,000 and $2,500!  The prize is determined by the number of tickets sold by January 31, 2025.   

Lessons & Carols will be followed by a reception in Vincentian Hall hosted by the Queens Ladies Guild. This event is free and open to the public.  

Two months into the QMM/S3 campaign, we are sitting at 80% of goal with pledges of $2,114,000 from 350 donors representing 23% of the parish family.  The avergae pledge so far is $6,000.  We have $536,000 to raise to meet our parish S3 target of $2,650,000.  We have yet to hear from 1,200 households in the parish.  Any amount raised over goal we get to keep 100%.    

‘THANK YOU’ TO THE S3 GIVERS!

The campaign funds raised at all 72 parishes of our diocese will go to increase financial aid and scholarships for families using our Catholic schools and giving raises and retention bonuses to Catholic school teachers. 

The Diocese is paying for the S3 campaign but makes no profit from it.  Most of the money raised will go into endowments to raise funds for the causes mentioned above.  Each of the 4 diocesan high schools will receive $2,000,000 in direct support, including Lumen Christi. 20% of S3 raised at the parish stays at each parish to use as they see fit.  

If the sticker shock of the Bishop’s request in your campaign packet causes heartburn and headaches, make the gift that feels right for you and your family, and your concern that affordable, accessible and exceptional Catholic education remains available for future generations of our children.

You can make your S3commitment however you like:  how much to pledge, when to start giving, how often you will be billed, how to pay, etc.  The power is in your hands.  Place pledge card envelopes in the offertory collection at Mass or drop them off at the parish office.  Checks should be made payable to ‘Stewardship for Saints and Scholars.’ 

The link below will take you to the Saints and Scholars website where you can set up your gift or pledge commitment:

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 

“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