Please make yourself familiar with the Queens Holy Week Schedule.  The Mass times for Palm Sunday this weekend are not changed.  Weather permitting, Palm Sunday Masses will begin on the Carlton porch and patio where we will bless the palms and process into the Church, remembering Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem for the Passover and his passion.  There is a completely different Mass schedule for Easter weekend, April 19-20.  Please study it carefully. 

HOLY THURSDAY APRIL 17:  NO 6:45AM MASS

MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER AT 7PM 

ALTAR OF REPOSE IN SCHOOL GYM UNTIL 12AM

GOOD FRIDAY APRIL 18:  NO 9AM MASS

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE OF THE LORD’S PASSION AT 12:30PM (followed by day 1 of Divine Mercy Novena)           

SATURDAY APRIL 19:  NO 8AM MASS

10:30AM EASTER EGG HUNT

11:30AM BLESSING OF EASTER FOODS

A VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING EASTER WEEKEND APRIL 19-20:

SATURDAY APRIL 19: NO 3:30 CONFESSIONS

                                     NO 5PM MASS

                                     EASTER VIGIL IS AT 9PM

SUNDAY APRIL 20:  NO 7:3O, NO 9, NO 11

                                     7:00AM

                                     8:30AM

                                    10:30AM

                                    12:30PM

Retired Deacon Ken Spaulding will be celebrating his 90th birthday in Vincentian Hall tomorrow, Saturday April 12th, from noon-4pm.  All of you who remember his many years of service here at Queens are welcome to stop by and wish him well as he celebrates this milestone.  Deacon Ken is moving to Lansing to be closer to his family.  Come wish him well before he departs. 

On a more somber note, Jan Barrett, wife of the late Deacon Dave, passed away this week.  Her funeral will be this Monday at Queens at 11am.  Jan was just shy of 95.  May she rest in peace.  

You will notice the statues have been covered when you come to Mass this weekend?  The real question is why.  This is a tradition that stretches back more than a thousand years.  During the final days of Lent leading up to the Sacred Triduum, the statues are covered for two reasons:

It deprive the church of some of its beauty as we prepare for Jesus to be stripped, scourged and nailed to the cross.  The many coverings put us in a somber, solemn and serious mood for the Passion we are about to recall.

When one sense is deprived, another is strengthened.  By covering these statues, there is less to look at and less to be distracted by, forcing us to listen more carefully and pay close attention as we read the Passion of Luke on Palm Sunday and that of John on Good Friday. 

Thank you to former parishioner Linda Kavan who measured and sewed all of these coverings from her new home in Nebraska!  That was very kind of her. 

There are still slots to fill for set up, serving and clean up for the community dinner, now just one week away!  Please visit the Sign-Up Genius Link below and take a shift or two to help welcome the Jackson Community to our parish to celebrate Jesus’ great triumph over death and darkness!

This year’s dinner is sponsored by Southern Michigan Bank and Trust, the Alvin Glick Foundation and the students of the Jackson Catholic Schools who have all generously donated toward the Community Wide Easter Dinner. 

THE 2025 DIOCESAN SERVICES APPEAL continues.

Here is a DSA pledge total update as of April11th:

Pledged:  $186,032 (84% of goal)

Donors: 379 (25% of parishioners)

Average gift:  $491

Amount left to goal:  $34,182  

Goal:  $220,214

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.  

DSA helps Catholic Charities achieve its mission to life up the least among us.  It pays for the care of our future priests and senior priests, prison and jail ministry, outreach to the elderly and the homebound, pro life, marriage and family ministry, and so much more.  

There may be some confusion as people are making payments to the DSA and the Saints and Scholars Campaign at the same time.  DSA checks are payable to Queens and should be put in the offertory or sent to the office.  For payment of campaign pledges, checks should be made payable to Saints and Scholars and sent to the Catholic Foundation using the address on the pledge reminder billing statement. 

The St. Joseph Oratory at 705 N. Waterloo will again host the Jackson Regional Divine Mercy Observance on Sunday April 27^th at 2:30pm.  Those who participate qualify for the indulgence assigned to this feast, meaning the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin.  If seeking the indulgence please keep this in mind, ANY sacramental confession made 20 days before OR after Divine Mercy Sunday counts toward the indulgence.  This is especially important to note because we are unable to provide the usual number of confessors, making it essential for those who have other means of making a confession at a different time to please do so.  Read more about the conditions for the indulgence in this weekend’s bulletin. 

This year’s Divine Mercy will be extra blessed as Pope Francis has selected that date for the Canonization Mass of Blessed Carlo Acutis to officially declare him a Saint.  Carlo is the 16 year old Italian internet guru and soccer player who died of Leukemia in 2006.  His story is inspiring many young people to come back to the faith.  We pray that trend continues, especially with members of our own families.  Blessed Carlo Acutis, pray for us.   

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