May our Blessed Mother’s intercession help us be always One Community in Christ

May our Blessed Mother’s intercession help us be always One Community in Christ

It is certainly a joyous time here at Queen of Peace as we prepare to celebrate our feast day this Tuesday, the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As the mother of Jesus, king of kings, Mary is the Queen of Heaven and Earth. This feast day was proposed by Pope Pius XII so“that all may recognize more clearly and venerate more devoutly the merciful and motherly sovereignty of her who bore God in her womb” (Ad Coeli Reginam, Pope Pius XII).

This memorial invites us all to look towards our Mother, to ask for her intercession, and to be inspired by her humble “yes” to God. In a large and diverse parish like ours, Mary also comes to bring unity. We are all children of our Blessed Mother, and as such, we are all one. Let us all remember that as we take on the mission of building our new parish center. In addition to helping us grow in faith, evangelize, and grow closer to God, this mission is to bring us closer to each other.

Looking at the designs, you will see a larger gathering space which leads into the different activities of our parish. There will be an area for our ministries that do charitable work, an information center to guide visitors and newcomers, a parish cafe where we can meet each other and talk, a nursery center where parents feel comfortable having their kids, a senior center where our seniors can feel loved, a youth center that attracts our kids and teens, a reception hall where we can celebrate the Lord’s blessings, an art room and a music room where we can experience God’s love through beauty.

These are all things that will lead to an encounter with one another and bring us together. When we experience communion with the other, we want to remain there. Our new building will be a place where people want to stay. In our feasibility study from March, A majority said they think the new parish center will help people be more engaged in parish life. That’s part of the goal, for everyone to feel so welcomed and so compelled to stay, that they are open to giving their time to the parish and truly be a part of our one parish family.

Let’s pray for our Blessed Mother’s intercession for this wonderful project, and that it may bring us, her children, closer together. We will have a bilingual Mass on Tuesday, August 22, at 7pm, to commemorate this memorial. Then, on Saturday, we will celebrate this feast day with Funfest, which highlights the unity in our diversity. There will be authentic food from different parts of the world, live entertainment representing different cultures, as well as games for the children, a raffle, and more. This year, the theme is fittingly, “One community in Christ.” May our blessed Mother help us be One with her Son, and help us always say “yes” to the mission He has for us.

In Christ,

Father Felix P. Medina-Algaba