OUR MISSION: Queen of Heaven Parish is a prayerful, vibrant and proactive community sharing Christ's love through numerous ministries.
What would life be like if we truly lived in the Spirit? Peace, joy, patience, kindness, chastity, gentleness, faith, self-control etc. could all be ours! We know our culture is fighting a battle within now more than ever. The problem: our egos have led us astray and we have forgotten about God. St. Paul reminds us that we are not “debtors to the flesh.” How many times do we fall victim to the temptations of the world, and make it our mission in life to be the one with the “right” answer? There is no shortage of ugliness on display in the world today. The solution: beauty. Let us praise God for the glory of creation and all that is great and worthy of Him! As a people of faith, we need to live in the spirit so we can overcome the world just as Christ showed us. Many are grumbling about the matters of this life, and rightfully so. But we have lost the art of dialogue, respect, and civility. Time to reverse that trend. Time to live in the spirit again. But the heart is conflicted. Should we abandon the spirit in order to be heard in the flesh? Can we truly influence the world stage? St. Paul says if you live according to the flesh “you will die.” We are a people of hope and eternal life, so we must not be pulled away from our real purpose. I think the following quote says it much more eloquently than I: “I want to tell them: your mission is not to save a dying world. No civilization has the promises of eternal life. Your mission is to live out with fidelity and without compromise the faith you received from Christ. In that way, even without realizing it, you will save the heritage of many centuries of faith. Do not be afraid because of your small numbers! It is not a matter of winning elections or influencing opinions. It is a matter of living the Gospel. Faith is a fire. A person himself must be on fire in order to transmit it. Watch over this sacred fire!” ~ Robert Cardinal Sarah Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will keep the fire burning and alive in our hearts. Pray this week Psalm 51: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain in me a willing spirit. Amen. Blessings in Christ, Steve D |
Dear Parishioners, For my letter this weekend, I would like to share this story I came across the other day. WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE DOWN AND OUT Once upon a time, a young donkey asked his grandpa, “How do I grow up to be just like you?” “Oh, that’s simple,” the elder donkey said, “all you have to do is remember to shake it off and step up.” “What does that mean?” asked the youngster. The grandfather replied, “Let me tell you a story… Once, when I was your age, I was out walking. I wasn’t paying attention and fell deep into an abandoned well. I started braying and braying. Finally, an old farmer came by and saw me. I was scared to death. But then he left…I stayed in that well all night. The next morning, he came back with a whole group of people, and they looked down at me. Some of them even laughed. Then the old farmer said, ‘The well is abandoned, and that donkey isn’t worth saving so let’s get to work.’ And believe it or not, they started to shovel dirt into the well. Well, I panicked. I was going to be buried alive! After the first shovelfuls of dirt came down on me, I realized something. Every time dirt landed on my back, I could shake it off and step up! They kept shoveling, and I kept shaking it off and stepping up. This went on for some time. ‘Shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up’…I kept repeating to myself for encouragement. I fought the panic by shaking it off and stepping up. And it wasn’t long before I stepped out of the well, exhausted but triumphant. So no matter how difficult the situation, no matter how bad things get, no matter how much dirt gets dumped on you, just remember—shake it off and step up!” Have a blessed week! Father Dave |
| All fear is bondage – it’s one of Satan’s favorite weapons to use against us. If we let fear control us, it robs us of our freedom to be who God wants us to be. It paralyzes us. It sets us in a vicious circle, where we know the things that we should do but somehow never find the power to do them. How do we break this bondage of fear? How can we effectively stop this vicious cycle that keeps robbing us of our life? The answer lies in the fact that, on our own, we are largely powerless to deal with this work of the Devil. To address the bondage that is rooted in fear, we must reach outside of ourselves. This is what Jesus is talking about in today’s Gospel. Three times in the Gospel narrative from Matthew Jesus states emphatically, “Do not be afraid.” He’s telling us that to deal with fear we must recognize Love. We must recognize the love of God that surrounds us, the love of God that has intimate knowledge of our life, the love of God that knows the number of hairs on our head. If we rest in that love and recognize our Father’s presence in our life, fear no longer has the power to bind us. Are there reasons to be afraid? Of course, there are. But for the believer who recognizes and claims his or her Father God – Love – the one who surrounds and guides them, those fears need not be paralyzing. The Gospel today encourages us to entrust ourselves to our Father’s care, to believe in his love, to trust that he knows all the needs and problems of our lives, to know that God will not abandon us – ever. “Perfect love drives out all fear.” We know that these words from Scripture are true. But the perfect love that removes fear from our lives is not our love of God, but God’s continual, powerful, unyielding love for us. Today as we celebrate Father’s Day, we may find ourselves reflecting on those men in our lives who fathered us (our biological father or grandfathers, a step-dad or another family member who stepped up to be part of our upbringing). Because we all belong to a fallen human family, some of those memories may be fond and some may be less so. Regardless of the good or bad we recollect, we need to look past the human aspect of life and know that our true father is our Father God – the one who is kind, compassionate, giving, faithful, merciful, strong, providential, forgiving, good, righteous, gracious, holy – the Love who protects us from all things that have the power to bind us. Live in the freedom of the Father’s love! May our Father God bless your soul with his great blessings and make it all his! Deacon Steve |
| Dear Parishioners, I am writing this letter in light of the recent horror in Minneapolis with the tragic death of George Floyd and the senseless violence and looting that subsequently occurred. We know as Christians that violence begets violence, and what we really need is peace. The seventh beatitude is “Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” This is not by chance the seventh beatitude, as the biblical number seven indicates perfection and fullness. If we live the first six beatitudes, we will receive the grace of the seventh which is PEACE. Where does peace come from? It only comes from Jesus who was “The Prince of Peace.” It is a fruit of prayers and comes from God through our prayers. God is an ocean of peace. Having an intimate union with him through prayer is how our hearts find peace. Peace is needed to live fully. The more one tends toward peace the more God’s grace can act in one’s life. Peace is needed to discern God’s will. When we are at peace then we see much more clearly. We cannot give what we do not have…we cannot give peace unless we have it in our hearts. As I have said previously, each of the previous six beatitudes lead to peace. One example is “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit.” We are at peace when we are not attached to riches; and if we are attached to riches then it will always be a source of worry. Another example is that one who is merciful shall also find peace. While someone who doesn’t forgive will never be at peace. Let us pray for an end to all racial bigotry and violence. All lives matter: from womb to tomb. May everyone be loved, cherished, and protected. Of other things… We wish to congratulate Isabella Doyle, a student at Green High School who was selected for the “Thaddeus Stevens Fellowship” from Students for Life of America. She is one of only a handful of the pro-life leaders to earn this fellowship nationwide. She has been a major influence in organizing the Right to Life Club at Green High School and was instrumental in organizing a bake sale after the Masses last winter to raise funds for their D.C. March for Life trip. God bless you Isabella and your fellow students at Green High School Right to Life Club! Secondly, we want to thank Colbe White for making Queen of Heaven the beneficiary of his Eagle Scout project. He and several scouts and parents planted about sixteen Arborvitae trees behind the crucifixion scene in our back field. God bless you Colbe on your road to Eagle Scout and all your future endeavors. Thirdly we want to congratulate Caleb Mancine for receiving the “God and Family Medallion” during Mass last weekend. This is a religious award in Cub Scouting. God bless you Caleb and your journey in scouting. God Bless all of our dads next weekend on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21! Remember that there is no 5:00 pm Mass on Sunday and the 11:00 AM Mass will continue to be outside throughout the summer, weather permitting. Please bring your lawn chairs. Peace in JMJ, Father Dave |
This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Where to begin? The Trinity is one of the central teachings of our faith. Many thinkers up and down the centuries have tried to explain this holy mystery in order to help Christians realize more deeply the significance of what we profess in our creed at Mass.
To make this connection, we need the very gift of the mystery we are trying to comprehend, namely the third Person of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit – which we celebrated on Pentecost. By celebrating today’s solemnity, the Church gives the faithful time to reflect on that awesome gift we received.
I have to say when we sit down to plan the RCIA calendar this is not usually the topic most of us fight over! No amount of math equations 1+1+1 = 1 or 3x1= 1 fully compute. St. Patrick of course used the native clover leaf in Ireland to describe the Trinity. Then there is the one about the three states of water (solid, liquid, and gas) used to describe the same substance (which also falls short and is probably heretical).
No matter how we try explaining the Trinity in laymen terms, only in Heaven will we fully comprehend what it means to share in the very life of the triune God. St. Maximilian Kolbe said, “God exists from all ages, without beginning, forever, and without end.” We put our faith in His Providence forever and always. Amen.
Come, Holy Spirit!
Steven Dyer
| Dear Parishioners, One of my reasons that I like to go camping is the practice of enjoying a campfire. There is something soothing about gathering around a fire, especially on a cool night. It provides warmth when we are cold and light in the darkness. It brings us close to one another and sparks our imagination. St. Luke, in the reading about “Pentecost,” tells us the Holy Spirit came like tongues of fire. Just as a campfire gives warmth when we are cold, so also does the Holy Spirit bring peace when we are troubled. Like fire, the Holy Spirit enlightens us to see what was once obscure to us. As a campfire draws us into it, so does the Holy Spirit draw us into the community. In fact, today we call it “the Birthday of the Church.” In the midst of life’s uncertainties and the storms of life, the Lord promised He would never abandon us. He kept His promise; He sent us the Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit enkindle in us the fire of Your love! Of other things: Welcome back everyone to an open church…one-half open that is, as we are only allowed one-half capacity with 6-foot social distancing. Please see elsewhere in this bulletin the guidelines our diocese is requiring. As you know, if you are nervous about coming back to church, then do not come. The Bishops have dispensed us of the obligation. We can transfer our “Sabbath Day” to a weekday by coming to a weekday Mass instead when there will be less crowds. Please check the bulletin and website for times of daily Mass at Queen of Heaven. We will also continue to tape a weekend Mass to post on our website on Sundays for anyone to watch at any time. Have a blessed week! Father Dave |
It’s hard to believe that the Easter Season is nearly over. Today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord a day that prepares us for the season finale, the great feast of Pentecost. How exciting those post-Resurrection days must have been for the disciples – new life, power bursting through locked doors, miracles through the hands of seemingly ordinary folks, extraordinary supernatural conversions. Yet mixed into this electrifying atmosphere we find something seemingly odd. We hear in today’s Gospel that “When the disciples saw the Lord, they worshiped him, but they doubted.” The worship part is easy to understand. But what about the doubt? How, with all they had experienced, could these closest followers of Jesus have doubted?
As many of you know, I’m often curious about the words that we use in everyday speech – where did they originate and what is their intended meaning? Well, if we look at the etymology for the word “doubt” we see that it has its origins in a couple of different early languages. From Old French comes the definition “to dread or be afraid.” This meaning of the word unfortunately sticks in our minds today bringing with it a sense of negativity. But if we look at doubt’s Latin heritage, we find a more positive spin on the word: “to question, to hesitate, to waver in opinion with a sense of two minds or being undecided between two things.” I believe the Gospel message today is meant to convey this sense of the word.
Often, we see doubt as the opposite of faith – either we have this theological virtue, or we don’t. But our Gospel suggests there are times when doubt can be a good and necessary thing – where it can be a companion to faith or even a faith “stretcher.” Doubt can call faith to a deeper and more mature level.
As humans and children of God we’re not static creatures but rather dynamic souls always “becoming.” So, it stands to reason that our faith cannot remain at a grade school level but must grow and mature with us. A childish faith just doesn’t cut it when we’re faced with the challenges of adult life. So, as we face new experiences, healthy doubt can and should play a constructive role in maturing our faith so that we might have what it takes to navigate the often-troubled waters of life.
It is true though that an unhealthy doubt can lead us down a slippery slope that ends in despair and a weakening of faith. Faced with the current pandemic, for example, many in our world are probably despairing. But as believers in the providence of our Triune God we need to look at the current situation we find ourselves in through the eyes of faith seeing that God desires only our good: "For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).
Yes, these times we find ourselves in can be unsettling but, just like it was for the post-resurrection disciples two-thousand years ago, it can also be an electrifying time for us as we travel the road of life with our resurrected Lord. Guided by the Holy Spirit let’s not only worship Jesus as the disciples did, but doubt – doubt in the positive sense of the word – challenging our faith in the One who loves us – pushing it to a deeper level.
May Jesus ever live and reign in your hearts!
Deacon Steve
Dear Parishioners,
I’m writing this letter on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Today’s feast was established by Saint Pope John Paul II shortly before he died. It was on May 13th in 1981 at 12 noon that there was an attempt on his life, and he attributed the protection of Our Lady of Fatima with protecting him from dying that day.
This feast summarizes so much about what it means to be followers of Christ. Mary’s appearance to the three children of Fatima on the 13th of the month for six consecutive months from May to October in 1917, in the midst of World War I, left to them and to us her peace plan.
What is that peace plan? It is three-fold plan: first is prayer, second is penance, and third is living a virtuous life. More specifically, the first one is to pray the rosary daily; second is to offer up sacrifice for the conversion of sinners; and third to amend our lives and live for God.
I would like to add this story… when Mary asked the children to offer up sacrifice for sinners, Lucia asked, “does that mean wearing a hair shirt or hard fasting or scourging ourselves?” Mary said, “no, offering up the sacrifices of your daily duties of your state in life.”
Examples of sacrifices of our daily duties include: school children staying at home to actually do their schoolwork or cleaning their rooms when their mother asks, when they would be rather be outside playing; or following the Governor’s “stay at home” regulations when we would rather go out or hug each other. These can be wonderful ways that we offer our sacrifices up for the conversion of sinners.
On a happier note, we want to congratulate Tiffany Ball and Craig Miller who are being married this weekend. One of their sacrifices is that they are allowed only eight guests. We pray that they have a happy, a healthy, and a holy marriage for a long life together.
Also, congratulations to Caleb Mancine for being awarded the Boy Scout religious emblem “God and Family.”
Of other things, I am happy to announce that public Masses will begin Monday, May 25th, with a special Memorial Day time of 11 a.m. Weather permitting, we will celebrate Mass on the lawn, with plenty of social distancing. Please bring your own lawn chair.
Beginning on Tuesday, May 26th, weekday Masses will be at 8:30 in the morning and weekend Masses will be Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8:15 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 5:00 p.m. See below for a summary of the guidelines.
Have a blessed day. See you soon in church.
Father Dave
CHURCH RE-OPENING GUIDELINES SUMMARY
Briefly, you will all be required to wear a mask. Masks will be provided if you forgot one. Seating will be six feet apart (except for family units) and every other pew. Social distancing will be required on arrival and departure as well. There will be hand sanitizer for your use, both coming and going. All pews, including kneelers, will be sanitized between each Mass. We are permitted to have one-half of the capacity of the church.
Dear Friends,
First, on behalf of Fr. Durkee and the staff at Queen of Heaven, Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms, those who are still with us and those who live on in our cherished memories. We thank God for them and you, and your YES to life!
From John’s Gospel today we hear Jesus’ farewell address to his disciples. It’s not a thanks for the memories party filled with funny stories, a goodbye cake, and presents to honor his retirement. Rather, Jesus is leaving his disciples behind to be with the Father and remain with Him until the end of the ages. His mission is up, and the time has come to pass the torch. “Amen, Amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”
While we consider the mission in front of us and in light of Mother’s Day, I think of the story of contemporary Saint Gianna Molla. She was a passionate Italian woman who balanced her mission and vocation as a physician, wife, and mother to three children. It was the pregnancy of her fourth child that became troublesome. She was diagnosed with a uterine tumor and was faced with a life or death decision. Before the required surgical operation, and conscious of the risk that her continued pregnancy brought, she pleaded with the surgeon to save the life of the child she was carrying and entrusted herself to prayer and God’s Providence.
A few days before the child was due, Gianna was quoted speaking to her doctor, "If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate, choose the child—I insist on it. Save the baby." On the morning of April 21, 1962 Gianna Emanuela was born. Despite all efforts and treatments to save both of them, on the morning of April 28th, amid unspeakable pain and after repeated exclamations of “Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you,” Gianna died. She was 39 years old. Gianna was canonized by St. Pope John Paul II on May 16, 2004.
One could certainly look at the lives of people like Gianna Molla throughout the history of the Catholic Church and see that Jesus was telling the truth; the astonishing claim in verse 12 of today’s Gospel— that we will do greater things than He. Jesus loves us so much that He wants us to partake in His Divine mission however that looks here on earth. Pope Benedict XVI’s words apply here: “The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.”
So, in a special way we thank all mothers who have taken up the mission of heroic sacrifice on behalf of their families and children.
We are especially grateful for the example of Mary, the Mother of God, who in her “yes” gave birth to our Savior, Jesus Christ. May we ask for her protection over the entire Church this day. Amen.
A blessed week to you all,
Steve D
| Heavenly Father, Pour forth abundant graces on Your servant, David, on this occasion of his 40 years as a priest. We are grateful to be able to see Christ in him and, more importantly, his ability to see Christ in others. May Your Holy Spirit continue to sustain and enlighten him as he witnesses to the Good News. Thank you for his devotion to the Eucharist and Our Lady which he so beautifully shares with others. Richly bless him on this day, now and always. Amen. ~ Composed by the Spiritual Life Commission, June 2005 (modified June 2020) |
Gracious and loving God, we thank your for the gift of our priest, Father David Durkee.
Through him, we experience your presence in the sacraments.
Help Father Dave to be strong in his vocation.
Set his soul on fire with love for your people.
Grant him the wisdom, understanding, and strength he needs to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Inspire him with the vision of your Kingdom.
Give him the words he needs to spread the Gospel.
Allow him to experience joy in his ministry.
Help him to be an instrument of your divine grace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest.
Amen.
O Mary,
you always brighten our path
as a sign of salvation and of hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick, who, at the Cross, took part in Jesus’ pain while remaining steadfast in faith.
O loving Mother,
you know what we need,
and we are confident you will provide for us as at Cana in Galilee.
Intercede for us with your Son Jesus,
the Divine Physician,
for those who have fallen ill,
for those who are vulnerable,
and for those who have died.
Intercede also for those charged with
protecting the health and safety of others
and for those who are tending to the sick
and seeking a cure.
Help us, O Mother of Divine Love,
to conform to the will of the Father
and to do as we are told by Jesus,
who took upon himself our
sufferings and carried our sorrows,
so as to lead us, through the Cross,
to the glory of the Resurrection. Amen.
Under thy protection we seek refuge, O Holy Mother of God.
In our needs, despise not our petitions, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.
Adapted from the prayer of Pope Francis
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
Jesus Christ, you traveled through towns and villages “curing every disease and illness.” At your command, the sick were made well. Come to our aid now, in the midst of the global spread of the coronavirus, that we may experience your healing love. Be with the doctors, nurses, researchers and all medical professionals who seek to heal and help those affected and who put themselves at risk in the process. May they know your protection and peace. May victims regain their strength and health through quality medical care. Heal us from our fear. Stay by our side in this time of uncertainty and sorrow. Be with those who have died from the virus. May they be at rest with you in your eternal peace. Hear our prayer, O Divine Physician. Hear our prayer. Amen.