This weekend we celebrate the 3rd Glorious Mystery of the rosary, the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  It is the birthday of the Church and the end of the Easter season.  Do you remember what you learned in Sunday school as a child?

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

III. The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit

1830 The moral life of Christians is sustained by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These are permanent dispositions which make man docile in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

1831 The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.

1832 The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. the tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: “charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.”

COME HOLY SPIRIT, AND RENEW THE FACE OF THE EARTH.

June 10, 2000 was over 9,000 days ago.  Since then I have baptized, married and buried thousands.  It has been an absolute honor and privilege to be a shepherd guiding God’s flock through the triumphs and trials of life for a quarter of a century.  I am thankful to God and I will hope you will join me in praising and thanking Him during the various Silver Jubilee events planned in the days ahead. 

Tomorrow evening, Saturday June 8, at the 5pm Mass, you can catch a glimpse of my two brother priests, Fr. Adam who is also celebrating 25 years, and our oldest brother, Fr. Eben, who became a priest in Los Angeles in 2012.  One will preside.  The other will preach.  I will direct traffic near the altar.  It is a rare occurrence and a sight worth seeing.  Come check it out!

Thank you to the Ladies Guild for planning Sunday’s reception in the gym from 2-4:30pm.  All are welcome fora reception with snacks and beverages.  

Tuesday June 10th is the actual date of the anniversary and at the evening 6pm Mass we will be joined by St. Mary Pastor Fr. Tim Nelson who is also a silver jubilarian in 2025.  A reception will follow down in Vincentian Hall.  

Thank you to everyone who has been working for quite some time putting this all together.  For now, let’s open the scrapbook and look back over these 25 years . . .

This was July 1997.  I was 23.  I spent 6 weeks in India, four of them working with the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta.  St. Mother Teresa was 87 and would pass just over a month later.

May 1998.  Bishop Carl Mengeling allowed me to tag along for a meeting with Pope St. John Paul II in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican.

October 7, 1999, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.  At the Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican City, I was ordained a transitional deacon by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger who would go on 5 years later to be elected Pope Benedict XVI. 

Saturday June 10, 2000.  The Vigil of Pentecost.  At. St. Mary Cathedral in Lansing, I received the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

The Diocese of Lansing Ordination Class of the Jubilee Year 2000.  Fr. Adam, my brother, is to the right.  He is a missionary priest with the Society of the Divine Word.  Fr. Mike Petroski was parochial vicar here under Fr. Tom Nenneau, he is now retired.  Fr. Nelson is still going strong at 73 and a half!

An hour before this picture was taken, I placed my hands in his as he asked me, ‘Do you pledge obedience to me and to my successors?’  That ‘Yes’ is still playing itself out.  It was and is an Act of Faith.  One that has led me to 6 parishes, pastoring 4 of them, working as a high school chaplain, state chaplain for the K of C, 11 years as Vicar General and Vicar and Dean of Jackson, and 15 years right here with you.  What does the future hold?  God knows. 

September 2002.  I was 28.  I had been a priest for only two years when I  was assigned as Pastor of Most Holy Trinity in Fowler where Fr. John Whitlock now serves.  College student Mathias Thelen was one of my parishioners!

We do get older.  And hopefully wiser.  God has been good to me, and I would like to think that I have been good to God’s people.  Thank you for joining me in celebrating this Silver Jubilee.  God is not through with me yet, or you! 

THE 4 TENETS OF THE ORDER:

CHARITY

UNITY

FRATERNITY

PATRIOTISM

As I mark 25 years a priest, I am aware that I first became a Knight of Columbus almost 33 years ago when I was 18 years old.  My dad is a Knight.  Both my grandfathers were Knights.  One of my brother priests is a Knight.  We are part of a great heritage that stretches back almost 150 years since the founding of the order by Fr. Michael J McGivney in 1882 in Connecticut, to provide death benefits to young Catholic immigrant widows and orphans after their husbands and fathers died in the dangerous working conditions of the late 19th century.

92,000 men became Knights last year bringing the membership to 2.1 million men across 17,000 councils, 400 of which are on college campuses.  The Knights of Columbus donated $150,000,000 to charities last year alone.

Men of Queens who are not Knights or who have lapsed in their membership, it it time for us to come together as one – to lead our families in faith and to do good in a world that so desperately needs our witness and example.  No one ever saved anyone from anything simply by doing nothing and watching the world go by.  If you want to make a difference, do something different.   

DIOCESAN CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION:  The Diocese of Lansing is planning a diocesan-wide observance of Corpus Christi, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus, on Saturday June 21^st with an outdoor Mass in Lansing’s Jackson Field where the Lugnuts play.  Following Mass, there will be a half-mile Eucharistic procession from the ballpark to the Cathedral, followed by food trucks (bring money) and an outdoor party.

There will be limited seating on Lumen Christi buses for those who would rather ride than drive.  Queens will pay for the buses.  We ask you to tip your driver.  If you would like to reserve a spot on the bus, seats are first come, first serve.  Call the Queens Parish Office and leave your name and number.  Because I have now learned the Mass starts at 10am, not 10:30, the buses will depart the west lot of St. Johns Church at 8:00am, not 8:30 as was previously announced.  You will be dropped off in front of the ballpark for Mass.  Pick up will be near the Cathedral at the end of the procession, after you’ve had time to get the Jubilee Year Indulgence by visiting the Cathedral and perhaps patronizing some of the vendors on site. 

The diocesan Eucharistic procession route is just over a half mile in length.  Keep that in mind if you have mobility issues.  There are no tickets being issued for the Mass but they do want to keep track of what size crowd to plan for.  You are asked to let them know you’re coming to the Mass and procession.  RSVP at www.eucharisticjourney.org or scan the QR Code.   This website contains some parking options for those who will drive themselves.   

FORTY HOURS DEVOTION:  Every parish in the diocese is being asked to host a 40 Hours Devotion leading up to this diocesan wide Eucharistic Mass and procession.  All the parishes in the Jackson Deanery will be participating in the days between Pentecost (Sunday June 8) and Corpus Christi (Sunday June 22).

THE SCHEDULE OF 40 HOURS EUCHARISTIC DEVOTIONS ACROSS THE JACKSON DEANERY:

PIOUS UNION OF ST. JOSEPH, GRASS LAKE
8a Sunday June 8 – Midnight Mon June 9

QUEEN OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL, JACKSON
8p Wednesday June 18 – Noon Friday June 20

Queens will go last, hosting our 40 Hours Wednesday evening June 18 through Friday noon June 20^th.  I believe the simplest and safest way for us to handle this is to have Open Doors Disciples adoring the Blessed Sacrament during the day in Church and in the evening and overnight hours the 40 Hours will continue in the adoration chapel, but I encourage anyone who is able to stop by and pray during this diocesan-wide Eucharistic Revival.

WHAT ARE WE PRAYING FOR?    (from www.eucharisticjourney.org)

Q. What is the 40 Hours Devotion?  It is 40 Hours of uninterrupted adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. This devotion originated in Milan in the 1500s and is associated with many graces and miracles. Rooted in deep Eucharistic reverence, this devotion provides a powerful opportunity for spiritual renewal, prayer, and evangelization.

Q. Why is it 40 hours long?  The number 40 is very important Biblically: Christ spent 40 hours in the tomb before rising on Easter Morning; the Israelites wandered for 40 years in the desert; in the time of Noah, it rained for 40 days and nights; Moses fasted for 40 days before he received the law on Mt. Sinai; and, there are 40 days between Jesus’ Resurrection and his Ascension.

Q. Why are we doing this?  The 40 Hours devotion has long been associated with deep spiritual renewal, conversion, and even miracles. This extended period of Eucharistic Adoration fosters intense prayer, repentance, and intercession, creating an environment where God’s grace can work powerfully in individuals and communities.

Q. What should I pray for while in Adoration?  During this time, feel free to pray any way that you feel comfortable. You could pray the Rosary, read the Bible, pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, meditate quietly, or read a spiritual book. We do encourage you to specifically pray for people who you know who have fallen away from the faith. Please also pray for the diocesan Mass on June 21st, and for the procession that day. Consider who you might invite to attend with you.

JACKSON CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION:  Whether you are able to participate in the Lansing Mass and procession or the 40 hours devotions moving from parish to parish, we do hope that you will participate in the Jackson Annual Regional Corpus Christi Procession at 2:30pm on Sunday June 22^nd.  We will be making our way from St. John Church to St. John School and ending at St. Joseph Oratory on Waterloo, stopping along the way to pray at elaborately decorated altars. A Lumen bus will take people from St. Joe back to their cars at St. John while the area K of C councils will provide hospitality during a ‘Block Party’ in the St. Joe parking lot when we arrive there and conclude our 1-mile procession.

2018 was the last Queens Parish Directory.  We are long overdue for a new one so we can get to know each other better and put names with faces. 

Portrait appointments start July 15.  Those who schedule theirs in July will get a 10% discount off of your portrait package. 

Whether you plan on buying a photo or not, please come and sit for a portrait so you will be included in the directory. 

To make your portrait appointment, visit: 

www.ucdir.com. 

Enter the church code mi1901

password:  photos 

Next weekend, we will have volunteers present after all the Masses to get you signed up.  

No new gifts were recorded this week for the campaign.  We remain at 97% of goal with pledges of $2,573,327.  $91,623 separates us from meeting our pledge commitment of $2,665,000.  We have gifts from 581 donors representing 38% or just more than one-third of registered parish households.  Over 900 families have not made a gift.  I really do hope someone out there meant to give but neglected to do so and can help us raise the funds remaining to meet and surpass our fundraising target for the campaign. 

Whether you attended Catholic schools, whether you send your school age children to Catholic schools, we all share a responsibility for protecting our children and giving them access to Biblical truth in their education.  The Saints and Scholars Campaign seeks to assure that exceptional, accessible and affordable Catholic education will be available in our diocese for generations to come.  

“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