After a lengthy process, the Bishop has approved the proposed revised Mass schedule for the Jackson Grouping.  Below, you can read my statement as dean and see the schedule for all the parishes in the grouping.  

The new schedule takes effect in a month, beginning the weekend of July 6 and 7:

QUEENS NEW WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE . . .

Saturday …….3:30 Confessions, followed by 5pm Mass

Sunday………..7:30am, 9:00am and 11:00am*

*the new 11am Mass time replaces the 10:30 and Noon

Each parish in the grouping reduced by one Mass, bringing down the previous weekend Mass total from 18 to 15.  This new schedule has allowed for more staggering of Mass times within the Grouping so that if people miss Mass in one place, they still have time to catch it at another parish.  I will have more to say about this in the weeks to come, but wanted to get this out there so you can prepare yourself.

J A C K S O N     G R O U P I N G

St. John the Evangelist, St. Mary Star of the Sea, Queen of the Miraculous Medal,

St. Joseph Oratory, St. Stanislaus Oratory, St. Catherine Laboure,

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

Greetings one and all.  On this May 31^st, the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Jackson pastors are publishing the revised Mass schedule for the Jackson Grouping.  This will go into effect the weekend of July 6-7.  This was reviewed and approved by Bishop Boyea prior to publication.

We, the pastors, are grateful to the more than 1,900 people who filled out surveys and let us know your feelings.  Every single comment was reviewed.  The pastors are most thankful for the efforts of the dedicated team who helped us sort through an intense amount of data in a short period of time and for the ushers and ministers of hospitality who conducted the Mass count at every weekend Mass for more than a month to help us arrive at these decisions.  We are happy to report there has been an increase of Mass attendance at St. John, St. Mary, and Queens since data was last collected in October of 2023. 

While change is difficult and we cannot accommodate everyone’s desires, we are doing our best to meet the needs of the people and the objectives set forth for us by the Bishop.  On the next page, you can see what Masses will cease to be offered and what Masses are moving, either to a new time or a different location. 

Some items to note: per an agreement between Fr. Nelson and Bishop Boyea, the Saturday 4pm Vigil Mass at St. Stanislaus Oratory will be untouched for now but will be moved to St. Mary Star of the Sea at the start of July 2025.  The Sunday 5pm Mass is moving from St. John to St. Joseph Oratory as we seek to make that the meeting place of the newly formed Jackson Catholic Youth Group.  Though all are welcome, the youth will take an active role in planning and hosting that Mass.  The Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) Community was fairly unanimous in requesting an earlier Mass time, but moving that Mass to the morning makes it nearly impossible for Fr. Nelson to ever find a qualified and approved TLM priest to celebrate that Mass if he needs to be away, as those priests each have their own parish responsibilities to tend to on Sunday morning. 

When I discussed this plan with the Bishop, he felt it important that I emphasize to you that this is the beginning of a process, not the end of one.  Where it ends will be determined by multiple factors, not the least of which is whether we can attract more people to practice their faith, especially younger families.  We must definitely address the need to enroll some young men from our community in the seminary as the number of priests continues to decrease rapidly and those still serving are often doing so far beyond retirement age.    

This plan is bound to disappoint some people who may have to change your Sunday routine, but as the former Cardinal Archbishop of Boston Richard Cushing was fond of saying, “Mass is not part of the day.  It is the heart of the day.”  Nothing should matter more on Sundays than coming together as a family of faith to hear the Word of God and to be strengthened by receiving the true Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.  

This weekend we celebrate the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus, otherwise known as Corpus Christi.  As fewer people attend Mass and more people doubt the Church’s teaching or live in ignorance of it, it is important for us to reclaim the treasures of our Catholic heritage and help future generations to know their richness.  

The 2024 Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession will take place at 3:00pm on Sunday June 2nd at Lumen Christi Catholic School on Spring Arbor Road.

There will be an outdoor procession with the Most Blessed Sacrament, stopping to pray at four handsomely decorated outdoor altars.  By having this event at Lumen Christi, we are hoping to engage people from all our parish and school communities, especially young families who have never attended before. 

Parents of First Communicants, please dress the children once more in their dresses and suits.  They will be part of the Honor Guard leading the procession.  ALL children are asked to bring bells to ring and bags of fresh flower petals to toss in the path of the procession as the canopy with the Blessed Sacrament underneath it passes by.  

After benediction, everyone is invited inside the school for a farewell reception for Lumen Christi Chaplain Fr. Brian Lenz who will be leaving in June to become the pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine Church and School in Flushing. 

FROM MY COLUMN IN THIS WEEKEND’S BULLETIN:

Jesus understood there would always be doubts about his presence in Holy Communion.  After he said this: “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you will not have life within you” (John 6:53), the reaction of his listeners was negative: “This saying is hard, who can accept it?” (John 6:60).  The very same people who had tasted the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fishes refused to accept this idea of bread and wine becoming Jesus’ flesh and blood: “Some of the disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer followed Jesus” (John 6:66).  It would seem that the Eucharist remains a subject of speculation even now, perhaps more than ever before. 

If we believe that Jesus is God, that he performed many miracles, and that he should be taken at his word because he is the way, the truth and the life, there really is no good reason to doubt him on this one, or on anything for that matter.  As a people and as a parish, we need to come back to the Lord, to his Church, and to the totality of his message, believing all of it, not just what appeals to us or that which is easy to follow or obey.  This is the moment when we can truly and fully answer the call of our baptism to be intentional missionary disciples who follow Jesus in his word, in his will and in his most blessed sacrament. 

Please.  I am asking you.  All of you.  Set aside the time to come to the Eucharistic Procession at 3pm this Sunday afternoon at Lumen Christi.  Thousands would come there if they thought Taylor Swift and her boyfriend Travis were appearing there.  God is Greater than Taylor and Travis.  God’s son is calling all of us together to become one with him and with one another once again in the Eucharist.  That is why we call it Communion. 

Please join us at Lumen Christi on Sunday June 2nd during the Great Hour of Mercy, 3 o’clock, and experience the wonders and mysteries this special event has to offer.  This event starts and ends in the Gym.  

Fr. Brian flew a drone to map out the route!  You can get the bird’s eye view below . . .

Parents of high schoolers, please encourage your kids to get involved in the new Jackson Catholic Youth Group.  ALL teens will be welcome and encouraged to participate in these youth events, including those at Lumen Christi AND all local public school districts, private schools and homeschoolers.

Come to the Youth Group Beach Party Kick Off event on the beach at Vandercook Lake at 1pm on Saturday June 22nd.  See the ad below.  The Knights will be grilling. There will be games, music, fun and making new friends.  It is all free and it will be fun!  Youth can use the QR code in this ad to get signed up to attend.      

The next big event for the children of the parish will be SCUBA – Queens Summer Vacation Bible School, July 8 – 12.  This program is open to children in pre-school thru grade 6.  It runs Monday to Friday 9am – 12:15pm each day.  

Use the link below to register your children and take advantage of the early bird discount.  

If you are willing to volunteer or you have a student at home who will help in order to gain service hours, contact our Faith Formation Director, ‘Bible School Betsy:’

bkoval@queenschurch.com

Our VBS program is in need of teen and adult volunteers. VBS will be held July 8-12 from 9:00AM-12:15PM in the school.  The last day there is a picnic following. We need the following helpers:

1.  High school, college or adult Crew leaders, to be in charge of a group of elementary age children the whole week.  Crew Leaders lead the children through the different stations each day.

2. Junior High or High School teens to assist adult Station Leaders (Stations are: Imagination Station, Sticky Scripture, Reef Rec Games, Deep Bible Adventures, Tidal Treats)

3. One or two junior high students to help with the preschool program

4. One or two adults to help with the preschool program

Adults over 18 must complete our Child Safety protocols (On-line Virtus training, a Background check and signing a Code of Conduct form)

Service Hour credit available for Confirmation or Lumen service hour requirements

Volunteers will receive a staff T Shirt to wear each day–please indicate your size in the comment section of the Sign Up.

Thank you to all who are willing to help–VBS is a lot of work, but a lot of fun and very rewarding!

So far, we have raised $1400 to buy Catholic Bibles for use in local prison ministry.  Thank you to those who have supported this important but often forgotten ministry.

I am hoping that is just the start, as one order of 100 bibles costs $600 and I have already ordered more than 250 bibles since the start of 2024, so great is the demand.  

We have added an online giving link for this purpose.  You can find it on our website or by using the link below.  Those writing checks, please make them payable to Queens and mark ‘Prison Bibles’ on the memo line or the envelope.  You can put in the collection at Mass or dropped off at the parish office. 

Please help these men who are seeking to walk a new path out of darkness and into the light of God’s love and mercy.   

“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