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 CONGRATULATIONS to the Titans who just beat Napoleon 20-7 in Chelsea to punch their ticket to play in the State Finals at Ford Field! I want to correct my previous email. The state championship game is being played on Saturday November 26th at 10am, not Friday. My bad! Best of luck guys! ATHS: The Mother Teresa Circle will have wreath orders available for pickup after all the Masses this weekend and from 4-6pm Monday evening. Thank you to everyone who supported their fundraiser.  THANKSGIVING: Join us for one of our Thanksgiving Masses this week. There will be a shortened holy hour at 5 on Wednesday followed by Thanksgiving Eve Mass at 6 and Mass on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day will be 9am. At both Masses we invite you to bring non perishable food items to feed the hungry. You will be asked to bring them up during the offertory. Gifts of cash and check are also accepted. The parish office will be closed Thursday and Friday and there will be no Open Doors Disciple Ministry either of those days.  TOYS FOR TOTS: The Queens Social Justice Commission will again be sponsoring the annual Toys for Tots Drive the weekend of December 3rd and 4th at all Masses. Please bring new, unwrapped gifts, or monetary donations, to church. The toys will be distributed by the Salvation Army and all donations remain in Jackson County. Thank you, in advance, for your generosity!  HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION – DECEMBER 8TH is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Patronal Feast of the Church in America and The Diocese of Lansing. There will be a Vigil Mass for the Holy Day at 5:30 on Wednesday December 7th (NO Holy hour at 5pm). On Thursday the 8th, there will be Mass at Queens at 6:45am, an All School Mass at 9am, and 5:30pm.  ROAD TRIP TO MEIJER GARDENS: Join us on Friday, December 9th, for a day of viewing the Christmas & Holiday Traditions Exhibit in Grand Rapids. We will depart Jackson at 9:30 am and arrive back at 4:30 pm. The cost is $57/person which includes the coach bus, entry to the exhibit, and a $15 voucher for lunch at Meijer Gardens. This is an indoor event, though you may venture outdoors as well. Please make your reservations by November 25th. Call the Pariah Office at (517) 783-2748or email Elaine at ecrosby@queenschurch.com. Though sponsored by Queens Legends, everyone is welcome to attend. OFFERTORY ISSUES: Queens parishioners are some of the most generous people I’ve ever met. Consistently and year after year, our offertory exceeds budget and we surpass our Diocesan Services Appeal goal by a large margin. Inflation and economic uncertainty are putting a dent in the Sunday giving. Looking back over the last 10 weeks since the beginning of September and comparing the offertory with the same period one year ago, Queens only surpassed last year’s totals on one of those 10 Sundays. For that period of weeks, we raised $35,000 less this year than last year. That is more than one week’s offering. We already anticipate a loss because Christmas falls on a Sunday and therefore we do not benefit from an extra mid-week collection. Yes, inflation is hurting everyone and making everything more expensive. Our expenses increase just as yours do. We pray for safe travels for those who are visiting relatives this Thanksgiving. May we all be grateful for the many blessings we all too often take for granted. As always, thank you to all those who make support of the parish part of your regular weekly and/or monthly expenditures. We would not be able to do all of this without you. If you used to be a regular giver to the parish and fell out of the habit at some point, or if you are a Mass goer who gives nothing to the financial upkeep of the parish and school, please consider enrollment in the Queens Online Giving Program, accessed through our website at:Our Parish As you plan your end-of-year charitable giving, please remember www.queenschurch.com/give  SOCIAL JUSTICE COLLECTION: All across America, there is a collection at Catholic parishes for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). The Diocese of Lansing severed ties with CCHD a couple of years ago due to some controversial groups that were receiving grant monies from this collection. Bishop Boyea established a Commission on Social Teaching that now distributes these funds to approved groups within the Diocese, all of which are in keeping with church doctrine and morality. Fr. Tim MacDonald Pastor |