Men Of Queen: Sharing Stability, Faith And Fellowship In Uncertain Times

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life in so many ways. For some of us, life is getting closer to normal, while for others the effects still linger. We all remember when, in mid-March of 2020, churches closed and we were all asked to stay home to stay safe and healthy. Events were canceled and parish ministries went on hiatus.

A fellowship group for men at Queen of the Holy Rosary, called Men of Queen, also took a break from their Saturday morning meetings. For the core group of about 15 men that make up the ministry, it was like a rug had been pulled out from under their feet.

The Men of Queen was formed in 2016 with a core group of 12 men who wanted a place for faith and fellowship with other Catholic men, following a Christ Renews His Parish retreat. For the past five years, this group of men has met every Saturday morning for prayer, fellowship, breakfast, and a faith topic.

After a few months of being isolated, one member had the desire to plan a way for the group to continue meeting. Instead of gathering in the church basement, the Men of Queen took their meetings outside, to members’ backyards. The 12 to 15 member group met at 9 a.m., someone brought donuts, and they each brought their own drinks. The men started with an opening prayer, and whoever was hosting would present a topic for the group to discuss. They would close with a Rosary and closing prayer. Then, someone would volunteer to be the next host.

“This turned out to be a really neat experience,” says Will Miller.

Will enjoyed when they would have to wait out the rain in a garage or meet in someone’s driveway.

“It made us visible — these men are coming together to pray,” he says. “People would walk by and think ‘What are these guys doing?’”

As the fall season approached, the members asked Fr. Bill if they could meet in the church basement, as long as they followed the county’s COVID-19 procedures. He approved and the group is back to meeting at our parish each Saturday. But, as Will points out, the men have discussed returning to their outdoor summer meetings in 2021, because they all enjoyed it so much.

The Men of Queen members’ need for connection solidifies something that many of us have learned during the pandemic. Our faith is meant to be practiced in community. Conversely, social isolation can really take a toll on our spiritual and mental health.

“Some men were really missing that fellowship,” Will says. “Coming together with men of common faith, they just missed that. We said, ‘COVID looks like it will be around a while, so let’s see how we can still get together.’”

The men enjoy exploring a variety of topics together and just sharing their joys and sorrows. They discuss anything from the Sunday readings or a saint to a real-world topic. Anyone can join at any time, as there is no book or study to follow.

All men of our parish are invited to come experience Men of Queen. The group is following all COVID-19 safety precautions. The Men of Queen group meets in the church basement on Saturday mornings at 9 a.m. after the 8:15 a.m. Mass or Communion service. Please refer to the bulletin for more information.

The men discuss anything from the Sunday readings or a saint, to a real-world topic. Anyone can join at any time, as there is no book or study to follow.

All men of our parish are invited to come experience Men of Queen.

The Men of Queen gather Saturday mornings for prayer, fellowship and faith discussions.