This weekend we mark the conclusion of the liturgical celebration of Christmas with the Feast of Jesus’ Baptism in the River Jordan at the hands of his elder cousin John the Baptist.  This is a chance for all of us to recall our own baptism and how that sacrament puts us on the path of intentional missionary discipleship that will eventually lead us to heaven and to happiness.  Those who strive to follow Jesus are better prepared to lead others to him.  

Queens mourns the passing of Deacon Dave Barrett last evening at age 95.  Our condolences to his wife Jan and to their children and grandchildren. 

The funeral will be at Queens but plans are still being made.  I will use the parish e-mail to notify everyone once a date and time have been set.    Arrangements are being made by the Desnoyer Funeral Home.  

Deacon Dave was part of the first ever permanent deacon class of the Diocese of Lansing, ordained on June 13, 1981.  Dave met Jan at Michigan State and they were married in 1954 and moved to Jackson, becoming members of Queens in 1960.  

Many remember Deacon Dave as the Director of Special Education for the Jackson Public Schools and here at Queens for his decades spent assisting at the Mass and bringing converts into the faith through the RCIA program, as the Deacon himself was a convert to the faith.  His was a kind and gentle soul and he will be greatly rewarded for all he did for his family, for this parish and for the community.  

Eternal rest grant unto Him O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.   

The Social Justice Commission conducts it’s annual Warming Project at all Masses next weekend.  Please bring new and gently used winter/outdoor apparel and place them in the large bins at the doors of the Church. These donations help keep our fellow Jacksonians warm during the coldest days of winter.   

These pictures are like scenes from a disaster film, only they are all too real for those who are suffering the effects of the 5 wildfires still burning in and around Los Angeles.  As of today, more than 10,000 structures are destroyed and the death toll stands at 11 and rising.  My brother Fr. Eben is a pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes in L.A.  He and his flock are safe, but he asks for our prayers and our help for those who have lost everything and have nowhere to go.  

Please consider making a donation to the American Red Cross who is on site providing direct relief to those displaced by the carnage still evolving in America’s second largest city.  You may also make a donation to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as it raises funds to help those affected by the fires and also to repair and rebuild Catholic parishes and schools that have been damaged.  

Please keep praying for all those suffering in the wildfires sweeping through southern California. My heart goes out to our neighbors who have lost their homes and livelihoods. Let’s pray for them and let’s pray for our firefighters and first responders. May God keep all of our brothers and sisters safe and bring end to these fires!

                                   – L.A. Archbishop Jose Gomez

ONLY TWO WEEKENDS REMAIN to buy your Great 50/50 Raffle tickets after Mass.  Sales close on January 31st.  Tickets can also be purchased at the parish and school office during the week.  Checks should be made payable to ‘Jackson Catholic Schools.’  Your $100 ticket enrolls you in 10 monthly drawings in 2025.  Two winners will be chosen each month.  In the recent past, each monthly winner has walked away with somewhere between $2,000 and $2,500!  

Next weekend Queens hopes to wrap up our participation in the first Wave of the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars Capital Campaign for Catholic Education in the Diocese of Lansing.  We have over 400 donors to the effort who have combined pledges totaling more than $2,300,000.  There are more than 1,100 households who have yet to get on board.  I am hoping that among these families we can raised the nearly $300,000 we still need to surpass our parish target of $2,655,000.  Any dollar we raise over that we get to keep. 

The Diocesan S3 pledge total is now over $30,000,000 on its way to the overall diocesan target of $70,000,000, and there are still 56 parishes in the Diocese who have yet to conduct their campaign!  

Queens School is proud to be part of the parish, the Jackson Catholic Schools and the Diocese of Lansing.  Your gift to this campaign ensures that we can continue to make affordable, accessible and exceptional Catholic education available to all who seek it for generations to come.  

The link below will take you to the Saints and Scholars website where you can set up your gift or pledge commitment:

For those who are not convinced that the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars is a wise investment, I hope you will take 5 minutes to read the article below.  With the use of statistics from various sources, it shows the profound impact that Catholic schools can have on the church and on the culture as well as setting up the student for future success in life.  

Each year several students from Queens School are baptized and become Catholic.  Most schools would be able to say the same thing, and that is one of the strongest arguments for why Catholic schools deserve our full support and why you should support this campaign if you have not already done so.  With your help, we can live up to the name of this campaign, to make scholars who we pray will one day become saints.  

I will explain more about it next weekend as we take time during each Mass to recommit to the important cause of funding and strengthening our Catholic Schools for future generations.

CAMPAIGN PRAYER

Lord, everything we have is a gift from you. 
You call us to receive your gifts with thanks,  
to develop these gifts fully, 
and to share them generously.
Through the Stewardship for Saints and Scholars campaign
help every young person in the Diocese of Lansing
see your truth, beauty, and goodness;
help families to raise their children in the Faith;
and help parishes make a truly Catholic education
available to all.
May the work of this campaign bear abundant fruit
in the Saints and Scholars you are raising up for the future.
We ask these blessings through Christ our Lord.
Amen.   

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us 

“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