I snapped the photo below with my phone when I was making some strong coffee in the rectory kitchen this morning around 7am.  It made me think of Psalm 30, verse 5:  “with dawn comes rejoicing.”

Pope Francis has now been in the hospital for over two weeks with double pneumonia.  He experienced a setback today and we stand in solidarity with 1.4 billion Catholics all across the globe in praying for his strength and recovery:

Loving and Merciful God,

We come before You in prayer, lifting up Your servant, Pope Francis, in his time of need. You are the Source of all healing, and we ask You to surround him with Your loving presence, granting him strength and recovery. May Your divine grace rest upon him, restoring his health and filling him with renewed vigor to continue leading Your Church with compassion and wisdom.

“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord.”
(Jeremiah 30:17)

We place Pope Francis into Your hands, trusting in Your eternal care. May he be comforted by the love of the Church and the prayers of all the faithful. We ask, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that his recovery be swift, and his spirit be strengthened in Your peace. May Your will be done in his life, O Lord, and may Your healing power be with him always.

We offer this prayer in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Credit: Caritas Jerusalem

This will be the last coffee and donuts Sunday until the Easter season.  Come get your fill before we begin our Lenten fast.  

Queens will have ashes at 6:45am Mass, the 9am School Mass, ‘Ashes Only’ at 12:05, and 5:30pm (no holy hour that day).  Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting (less food) and abstinence (no meat).  Every Friday of Lent is meatless.  Here are the church’s official rules for fasting and abstinence:

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics.  In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence from meat.  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. 

After you get your ashes, pick up your free “Repent and be Faithful” bracelet and on the way out the door there are free copies of the Magnificat Lenten Companion with simple daily devotions to guide your family through the holy and penitential season.  

For those looking to do something extra this Lent, you might consider spending more time praying in church or the chapel or perhaps attend a daily Mass during the week in addition to Sunday.

Here is the Lenten Regional Penance Service Schedule:

FATIMA:                           Thurs April 3, 7pm

ST. RITA:                          Mon April 7, 7pm

QUEENS:                         Wed April 9, 7pm

ST. JOHN:                        Thurs April 10, 7pm

ST. MARY:                        Sat April 12, 10am

Join us for Stations of the Cross on Fridays at 7pm.  All are welcome to pray the stations with the school children at 2:15pm on Friday March 7 and 14 and April 4 and 11. For those looking to do something extra this Lent, you might consider spending more time praying in church or the chapel or perhaps attend a daily Mass during the week in addition to Sunday.

There will be Wednesday Night Soup Suppers in the school cafeteria on March 12, 19, 26 and April 2.  With the Pope’s health being so much in the news as of late this year’s focus will be on the Papacy. 

March 12:  The role of the pope in the church (Lasagna Soup)

March 19:  Notable popes in history (Cheeseburger Soup)

March 26:  The conclave and how a pope is chosen (Beach Bar Tomato Soup)

April 2:  My memories of being in Rome for the 2005 conclave (Gnocchi Soup)

Plenty of adult Catholics who never received the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Confirmation completes our initiation into the faith after baptism and 1st Communion.  Those who are not confirmed are missing an important gift that God wants all of us to have – the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

If you have been baptized in the Catholic Church and made your 1st Communion but never got Confirmed, we can help you.  Queens is hosting an Adult Confirmation Class on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 – 8pm.  It started on February 18 but it is not too late to join.    

This class is free and open to everyone.  If you are not Confirmed and want to fix that, contact our Director of Faith Formation and RCIA/OCIA, Mrs. Betsy Koval:  517.783.2748, bkoval@queenschurch.com. 

THE 2025 DIOCESAN SERVICES APPEAL is underway. DSA accounts for 2/3 of the diocesan operating budget and funds 100 programs and ministries that are vital to the ongoing work of the church across the Diocese.  Queens’ goal is $220,214 to help the Diocese reach its goal of $5,750,000.  Anything we raise over goal is split 50/50 with the Diocese.  

Your donations to the Diocesan Services Appeal assist in the production of the televised Outreach Mass from St. Thomas Aquinas in East Lansing, something many of our seniors depend on as they are unable to get to church and perhaps not tech savvy when it comes to watching the livestream online.  DSA subsidizes Faith Magazine so you don’t have to pay for a subscription.  DSA also pays for the seminary education of our future priests.  Thanks to ongoing support from DSA, the Diocese has an ordination class of 7 this year, the largest class of newly ordained priests in well over 30 years.  Your donations make waves when we put out together into the deep water for a great catch for the glory of God! 

We surpassed our goal last year by more than $70,000!  If everyone who supported DSA in 2024 gives again, and at the same level, we should easily reach our goal.  

May our Lenten Pilgrimage lead us through the sufferings of Calvary to the glories of Easter and the promises of Heaven and Happiness.  

“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