Pope Francis has now been in the hospital for three weeks with double pneumonia.  We stand in solidarity with 1.4 billion Catholics all across the globe in praying for his strength and recovery:

Loving and Merciful God,

We come before You in prayer, lifting up Your servant, Pope Francis, in his time of need. You are the Source of all healing, and we ask You to surround him with Your loving presence, granting him strength and recovery. May Your divine grace rest upon him, restoring his health and filling him with renewed vigor to continue leading Your Church with compassion and wisdom.

“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord.”
(Jeremiah 30:17)

We place Pope Francis into Your hands, trusting in Your eternal care. May he be comforted by the love of the Church and the prayers of all the faithful. We ask, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that his recovery be swift, and his spirit be strengthened in Your peace. May Your will be done in his life, O Lord, and may Your healing power be with him always.

We offer this prayer in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Credit: Caritas Jerusalem

Congratulations to parishioner Carter Mazur on his debut with the Red Wings last night!  An alumnus of Queens School and Lumen Christi, Carter is a native son and we share the joy of his parents Jeff and Erin and the rest of the Mazur family.  Injured minutes into the game, we pray Carter will heal fully and quickly and be back out there on the ice making us all proud!  GO CARTER!  GO WINGS!  

Here is the Lenten Regional Penance Service Schedule:

FATIMA:               Thurs April 3, 7pm

ST. RITA:              Mon April 7, 7pm

QUEENS:             Wed April 9, 7pm

ST. JOHN:            Thurs April 10, 7pm

ST. MARY:            Sat April 12, 10am

Confessions are available every Saturday morning at St Mary from 10 – 11am and every Saturday afternoon at Queens from 3:30 – 4:30pm.  Or by appointment.  

Join us for Stations of the Cross on Fridays at 7pm.  All are welcome to pray the stations with the school children at 2:15pm on Friday March 7 and 14 and April 4 and 11. For those looking to do something extra this Lent, you might consider spending more time praying in church or the chapel or perhaps attend a daily Mass during the week in addition to Sunday.

There will be Wednesday Night Soup Suppers in the school cafeteria on March 12, 19, 26 and April 2.  With the Pope’s health being so much in the news as of late this year’s focus will be on the Papacy. 

March 12:  The role of the pope in the church (Lasagna Soup)

March 19:  Notable popes in history (Cheeseburger Soup)

March 26:  The conclave and how a pope is chosen (Beach Bar Tomato Soup)

April 2:  My memories of being in Rome for the 2005 conclave (Gnocchi Soup)

THE 2025 DIOCESAN SERVICES APPEAL is underway.

Here is an update as of March 7th.  These numbers are more current than what appears in the bulletin:

Pledged:  $48,206 (22% of goal)

Donors:  112 (7% of parishioners)

Average gift:  $430

Amount left to goal:  $172,008

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.  

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