Franki Moscato arrives this afternoon.  She will sing during the Queens 5pm Mass this evening if you would like a preview of her concert tomorrow at Lumen Christi.  

Please gather your family and friends and come join us from 6-8pm at Lumen tomorrow evening.  This is a great way to bring our Jackson Catholic community together.  No tickets or reservations needed.  There is a free will offering to support current and future youth programs.  

‘Thank you!’ to our sponsors:  Lumen Christi and Jackson Catholic Schools for hosting the event, Dunigan Bros., M & K Jetting and Televising and J Thorrez Industries.  

Though the Sunday 5pm Mass at St. Joe will go on this weekend, there will be NO meetings of the middle school or high school youth groups so they can all come over for the concert. 

Over 20 couples celebrating milestone marriage anniversaries have RSVP’d to join us for the anniversary Mass and lunch tomorrow at 11am.  We are happy to see such a large public manifestation of the power of God’s grace at work in the sacrament of Marriage.  

For the couples who will attend, please look for the reserved seating section in the front of church on the east side of the center aisle.  I ask that all the couples who are attending please sit together.  

THE DIOCESAN SERVICES APPEAL has begun.  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.  The parish goals have been frozen this year to account for the overlap with the capital campaign.  We are seeking to raise $220,000 to help the Diocese reach its goal of $5,750,000.

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 as last year, we should easily reach our goal. I am hopeful that we can build on the recent successes of the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars Campaign.  Bishop Boyea has sent us a message of thanks to the 535 donors who helped us raise over $2,500,000 for Catholic Schools.  You can see it here:

Many of you are Saturday bargain hunters at the Airport Road Meijers.  On Saturday March 1 and March 22, your regularly scheduled shopping trip can make a real difference.  On those days, Meijer’s Simply Give Program means a 100% match for every donation of $10.  These monies are split between local food pantries, including the Queens St. Vincent de Paul Pantry.  You can grab one of the Simply Give cards from the doors of church after Mass or you can find them at all Airport Road Meijer checkouts on that day.  You can use the same $10 card to donate as much as you want, in multiples of $10.  It will just be run through the scanner as many times as you wish to give!  

ASH WEDNESDAY is March 5^th.  Start planning ahead for your Lenten fast and abstinence and what kind of penitential and spiritual practices you will work on during the 40 days leading up to Holy Week and Easter.  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).  To plan, here again are the church’s rules for fasting on Ash Wednesday:

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

“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