With the help of many parishioners who contributed photos, Rose Mason has compiled a beautiful slideshow of the events of Holy Week here at the parish. It starts with Palm Sunday and covers the entire Triduum up to and including the Community Wide Easter Dinner. Thank you to everyone who made Holy Week at Queens so special and memorable.
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The United States Conference is engaging all bishops and their dioceses in a multi-year process of Eucharistic renewal in an attempt to bring people to a deeper faith in, and appreciation for, the real presence of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the altar. Recent studies suggest that as few as 17% of American Catholics attend Mass with any regularity. That is a crisis.
Of those who do attend Mass, the Pew Research Center found in an August 2019 study that only 3 of 10 or less than one-third actually believe that Holy Communion IS the Body and Blood of Christ. For the rest, the Eucharist has been reduced to a symbol, a memory or a reenactment rather than a representation of the Last Supper. For the Bible believing Catholic, the Eucharist is the treasure buried in a field, the pearl of great price, and we must not lose sight of Jesus present to us in his body, blood, soul and divinity.
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As part of this Eucharistic renewal, there will be many events and programs in the coming months and years all done in an effort to recover what is being lost. I invite you to come to Lumen Christi tomorrow evening, Wednesday April 19th, for “Eucharistic Miracles: Signs from God – Miracles and their Meaning.” This event is free and open to the public. The presenter is Mr. Tim Francis, a nationally known speaker who travels throughout the United States speaking about the need for faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in Holy Communion. Here is the schedule of events for tomorrow. Come for all of it or for whatever amount of time you can spare:
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Parents of young people in grades 6 thru 12, please consider taking your children to the Diocesan Eucharistic Encounter at St. John’s here in Jackson on Sunday April 23rd from 7:00-8:30pm. At a time in history when so many young people are doubting the existence of God and the need for faith in their lives, many also doubt the Real Presence of Jesus in Holy Communion. This inspiring time of praise and worship is meant to bring Jesus to our youth and to bring our youth to Jesus. There is no cost and you do not have to RSVP. A social will follow in the Fr. Murray Center.
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As I write this in the noon hour of Tuesday April 18th, Queens is $400 from meeting our DSA goal of $210,337. When today’s mail comes I fully expect that we will enter Victory Lane! Thank you to the nearly 500 donors who made the gifts and pledges that helped us to reach this milestone.
It is still very important that we increase participation. If we had 606 gifts in 2022, then I want to hit 607 in 2023. Even if we did, that would still mean 929 registered households chose not to participate. I don’t believe we have been able to breach the 40% participation threshold in the 13 years I have been pastor here, but hope springs eternal.
If you’ve never given before, please get behind this. A gift of any size shows that you want the good works of the Church to continue. If you’ve given to DSA before, but you’ve been sitting this one out, please match your previous gift or raise it. Any amount we raise over our goal will be split evenly between the parish and diocese. Once again, thank you to all of you who have already made your gift to the Diocesan Services Appeal. You and your donation can make all the difference in the world!
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HOLY LAND OLIVE WOOD ITEMS FOR SALE
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After all Masses this weekend April 22-23, our friends from Bethlehem will be selling hand crafter religious items made from olive wood. Their display will be in the elevator entrance. Cash, check and credit card are accepted.
Tourism to the Holy Land has been decimated by Covid and continuous conflicts between the Israelis and Palestinians. Our Christian brothers and sisters are truly caught in the middle of this dispute. The sale of these items overseas is the one form of income they can depend on for their survival. Please buy a gift for yourself or a friend. This is the perfect time to stock up for First Communion, graduation, summer weddings or Confirmation in the fall.
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Please come back to Church on Sunday afternoon April 30th at 3pm to support the Let it Shine Children’s Choir as they perform Jonah and the Whale, a brief children’s musical by Allen Pote and Carole McCann.
I was type-cast as the Whale! You won’t want to miss it. The program is free and no tickets are needed.
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Queen of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church
606 S. Wisner St. Jackson, Michigan 49203
(517) 783-2748 www.queenschurch.com
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