Mass of Anointing – September 26th

Mary Upcoming Event, Weekly message September 13, 2015

St. Valentine will once again offer an opportunity for parishioners to receive the “Sacrament of Anointing” during our regular 5:00pm Mass on Saturday 9/26. Parishioners, whose health is seriously impaired by sickness or advanced age, are invited to attend this special Mass and receive an anointing. In the past, several people have been reluctant to attend because they have questions or concerns about whom this type Mass is for; and who may be anointed. To help alleviate those type concerns or questions, the following synopsis (taken from the church’s doctrine on “Pastoral Care for the Sick; Rite of Anointing and Viaticum”) is being provided. Hopefully, this information will clarify who is a good candidate; and motivate individuals to participate:

• The Sacrament of Anointing is appropriate for all whose health is seriously impaired by sickness, advanced age, or the danger of death.
• This includes persons who are seriously ill, whether at home, in hospitals or in nursing homes, as well as seriously sick children who are old enough to experience the sacramental benefits.
• It also includes individuals about to undergo surgery when a serious illness is the reason for the having the surgery.
• The elderly, those suffering the maladies of old age, usually those 70 years of age and older, may periodically receive the Sacrament of Anointing.
• Likewise, those who are chronically ill; and those who are permanently disabled are appropriate candidates for the sacrament.

Remember, part of the plan laid out by God’s providence is that we should fight strenuously against all sickness and carefully seek the blessings of good health. This special Mass and anointing provides an opportunity to do just that. In closing, if you see yourself or a family member in any of the above descriptions, we urge you to register and attend. All you need do is – “CALL THE PARISH OFFICE AT (313) 532-4394 TO REGISTER YOUR NAME BEFORE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd. This will help us plan the Mass; and reserve the proper number of pews for it.

St. Valentine Worship Commission: Priest Convocation The priests of the Archdiocese will be away this week on a Convocation at Boyne Mountain. Please keep them in your prayers. As a result there will be no daily Mass at St. Valentine Monday—Thursday. Our Lady of Loretto will have Mass on Tuesday.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at St. Valentine

Mary Weekly message September 6, 2015

The Catholic community at St. Valentine Parish is always ready to receive anyone truly seeking to find a Christian home to grow in their spiritual life. Jesus invites each of us into a relationship with himself. If you are truly knocking on his door seeking to respond to this invitation, we encourage you to read on and consider what your next step might be.

As a person searching for spiritual renewal you may have asked yourself questions like:

What is it that is attracting me to the Catholic faith?

How will my life be different by becoming part of a Catholic community?

In what ways will the Catholic faith help me to strengthen my relationship with Jesus?

Is God really calling me to take this step at this point in my life?

If these, or questions like these have been on your mind then the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.) at St. Valentine may help you find answers. On our journey of life one of the things God can use to draw us to him are our everyday experiences. The R.C.I.A. process is designed to be that part of our journey where we can begin to view our daily experiences and situations through the lens of the Catholic faith. It is a place in which we can pray and discern, learn about the faith, ask questions, and have a first hand experience of being part of a Catholic Christian community.

What Is R.C.I.A.?

R.C.I.A. is an acronym for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is a pastoral process by which a person explores faith and life in the Catholic tradition. The Rite is modeled after the initiation process used in the first centuries of the early Church. It includes a combination of study, prayer, and participation in the liturgy and certain rites at Mass.

Participants, known as catechumens, undergo a process of conversion as they study the Gospel, profess their faith in Jesus Christ, and are brought into full communion with the Catholic Church through the reception of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. R.C.I. A.’s orientation is not just toward a onetime event, but is an ongoing interior change of life. While the process is directed toward adults, mature teenagers are also invited to participate.

No matter where you are on your journey of faith there is a place for you at St. Valentine Catholic Church. To learn more about how you may participate in the R.C.I.A. process, contact me directly at 313-532-4394 x103. You can also e-mail me at frhenry@stvalentineschool.com

I would love to talk to you any time. No pressure, no commitment, no hype. Just honest answers to honest questions!

Fr. Henry Rebello SAC

What a Wonderful Parish Picnic!

Mary Weekly message September 2, 2015

Another great success in spite of the weather being a little uncooperative – or I should say the weather man being uncooperative. We worked, prayed, played and shared the meal together as a faith community. A huge THANK YOU to all those who worked behind the scene to get things organized from outside setting to the gym at the last minute so that the picnic could happen as planned. Three Cheers to our Parish Picnic organizers, they are the Parish Council members, Worship Commission members, Men’s Club members and all those who worked on committees from planning to set-up, clean-up, cooks, children’s games and 50/50 raffle organizers to make the 2015 parish picnic an enjoyable afternoon. Thank you to all who attended and brought dishes to pass. Seemed like everyone had a great time. We will definitely do this again next year. And hopefully, the weather will co-operate a little bit more.

God Bless you all.

Fr. Socorro

A Message from Our School Principal

Mary St. Valentine School August 29, 2015

Dear St. Valentine Parishioners,

St. Valentine Parish School is proudly entering its 64th year of service to families seeking faith filled educational excellence in the tradition of the Catholic Faith. St. Valentine Catholic School is now the only Catholic School in Redford. Our mission as a Catholic School will continue to be that we are a school who will welcome all of God’s children, a school that will ensure the success of every student in a challenging academic environment guided by Christian Values. St. Valentine families and dedicated staff will continue to work together to create a strong school community based on love, faith, justice, respect for all and high academic standards. While our mission has remained constant throughout the years and will not change, our mission statement has been updated to contain the same values as listed above, but to be a bit more “user friendly”. We want to be sure that everyone, parishioners, community members, school families, teachers, and even our youngest students, understand why St. Valentine Catholic School is here. Our new mission statement moving forward will be:

The mission of St. Valentine Catholic School is to provide a Catholic education based on:

Values rooted in Catholic tradition
Academic Excellence
Love and Respect for All
Strong Community in Christ

As a parishioner and a parent of two parish school children, I would like to thank the people of the parish for their continued support of St. Valentine Parish School.

The first day of school is quickly approaching and preparations for the new school year have been ongoing throughout the summer. The halls and classrooms have been freshly scrubbed, teachers are planning and preparing. We are excited to welcome many new families to our school this year, and look forward to seeing all families at our welcome back ice cream social. We had a successful Kindergarten round up with 21 students in our Kindergarten this year!

We are still accepting enrollment for new students even as the new year begins. We have openings in 3 year old preschool (Tuesday and Thursday), 4 year old afternoon preschool (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and we also have openings in grades 1-8.Share the good news about our school to anyone who may be interested.

Our first faculty meetings of the new school year began this past week with a retreat at Father Solanus Casey Center in Detroit. Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare and plan for another year dedicated to spreading the gospel message through educational excellence. Classes begin for our students September 1, 2015.

We are ever thankful for the support the St. Valentine parishioners give to continuing Catholic education at St. Valentine.

Many Blessings,
Mrs. Rachel Damuth
Principal

Religious Education and Parents – by Fr. Henry

Mary Weekly message August 21, 2015

Come Fall, we will begin the Religious Education classes for children on Monday nights at St. Valentine. It brings to my mind the assumption that parents are their children’s primary teachers in faith formation. Do parents really understand the implications of their part of their vocation? Are they succeeding?

Being a parent can be a daunting task, even in the best of situations. In today’s society, a parent has to deal with many challenges such as; the media, technology and many other issues. As parents, we are responsible for the morals and faith formation of our children. Some parents are unaware of their duties as primary teachers and models of faith within their homes. Some parents seem to think that their role in the faith formation of their children is to take their children to church for the sacraments such as Baptism, Communion and Confirmation – and relinquish their duty to the priest, and the Religious Education teachers who instruct their children on the basic doctrine. Such parents have a sense that this ends with Confirmation.

I have known many parents who do not settle for this minimalist approach. These are the parents who are conscious of their ongoing responsibility as primary educators in the faith for their children. These parents have taught their children at home to pray and actively participate in the mass. They trust their parish community to assist in the nourishment and development of their faith in the celebration of the Eucharist. They also avail themselves of other family activities and outreach service programs.

Our parish offers positive examples but often they are countered by the complex challenges that confront the families daily. What can we do? How can we catechise parents? How can we catechise their children?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches … “Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues. Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct them.” (CCC 2223) (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

“Education in the faith by the parents should begin in the child’s earliest years. This already happens when family members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family catechises precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God. The parish is the Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place
for the catechises of children and parents.” (CCC 2226).

The role of parents in educating their children in faith is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute. The right and the duty of parents to educate their children are primordial and inalienable. Therefore, it is my humble request to all the parents to understand their vocation as primary teachers of faith so that the children may grow in lively faith within our families. We will be very happy if you take an active interest in your child’s faith education by calling the office at 313-532-4394 and registering for Rel. Ed. classes.