Uncategorized

Catholic Schools Week

Kathy Parish Activities, St. Valentine School, Uncategorized

Dear St. Valentine Parishioners,

     Our Catholic Schools are always a blessing but are especially so during the challenge of the pandemic.  St. Valentine School is very proud that our students have been learning face to face since August and we are now in our 20th week of students here with us in the building learning daily.  Through very strict health and safety measures we have been able to remain COVID-19 free in our building while keeping students learning in our classrooms in reading, math, science, history, language, writing and most importantly learning about the Catholic Faith and our call to be followers of Jesus.

     We celebrate weekly mass together on Fridays through a livestream to students in the classroom and at home. In addition to students in the building, we have 41 students who are learning from home. Our teachers continue to support those students through Google classroom and daily Zoom classes. 

     The community of parents and teachers have been an inspiration throughout this school year. We have been able to be in our building daily because of the trust and support of families. St. Valentine continues to work hard to meet our mission of providing a Catholic education based on Gospel values, community, educational excellence, and following Christ each and every day.  Please pray for us daily.

     St. Valentine Catholic School is celebrating National Catholic Schools Week January 31-February  6.  Our week looks a little different than in other years, but we still have so much to celebrate!  Here is a look at what we are doing this week.

· Christian service project “Senior Smiles” We will send cards to seniors living in care facilities.

· Student Principal for a Day raffle and fundraiser We can’t wait to see who will be in charge!

· Teacher Appreciation Day  Teachers will get lunch, a dress down day, and cards from families.

· Student Appreciation Day Students will get to wear wacky clothing and will join in an all-school bingo game with fun prizes donated by the PTC and parents.

· We will celebrate mass together as a school on Friday at 8:30am.

· Students will write letters and notes to their parents thanking them for the sacrifices they make to provide a Catholic Education.

· We will continue to pray the intention of the month given to us by Pope Francis every day and we will also pray for Catholic Schools everywhere during our daily morning all school prayers.

     We will not have traditional open house this year due to Covid-19, however we will offer private tours to any family interested in attending St. Valentine school in the 20-21 school year.  Please spread the news that families can inquire at www.stvalentineschool.com if they would like to find out more or call us at 313 533-7149 to find out all that St. Valentine Catholic School has to offer.

Thank you, St. Valentine Parish, for your ongoing support!

Yours in Christ,

Mrs. Damuth

Christmas Masses Online

Kathy Uncategorized

Fr. Sororro shares this exciting news. Here is a way for those who can’t make it to Christmas Mass in person to watch the live streaming Masses on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day from Our Lady of Loretto. He will be saying both Masses.

Message from Deacon Lawrence Toth

Kathy Uncategorized, Weekly message

My dear community of Saint Valentine,

As some of you know, our Archbishop recently granted me the status of Senior Retired Deacon.  Stephanie and I moved from Redford to Chelsea over two years ago, yet I have been able to complete my term of assignment to Saint Valentine, which officially ended in July of this year.  So it is with mixed feelings that I officially announce my retirement.

 I did not want to go out this way.  After 32 years of being a member of this parish family, and spending the last 12 serving as a deacon among you, it grieves me to leave you in this pandemic year when I have, of necessity, seen so little of you all.  Yet this is the reality we live with, and it is for God’s glory. 

 How can I, in the few words allowed me in this bulletin article, properly honor you for the great gifts of God that I have received through you?  You have enriched me and my family in more ways than I can count.  This is a parish that has been, and continues to be, very much alive.  The depth and breadth of the faith we live together shows up in our midst just as it does in a good marriage: in the whole of life.  We live for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, in life and in death.  We have so many ways in which we, together, have expressed, and continue to express, our life of faith.  I could never name them all. 

 Perhaps my greatest joy as a deacon is seeing, in the life we share, the truth of what we teach about the Eucharist: it is the source and summit of our life.  And I mean the day-to-day human life we live as the Church, the local expression of the Body of Christ.  When we come together around the altar, we come from our homes, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our schools, our sports fields, our parties, our parish meetings and our Redford community.  We have prayed and played, sung and kept silence, grieved and rejoiced, argued and agreed, studied and taught, worked and rested – in all of it striving to be faithful to the call of Jesus to “love one another as I have loved you.” 

I will not even try to name names.  To do so would risk leaving out someone who has profoundly enriched me.  Each of you has touched me, whether by your presence, a simple word, or the example of your life.  I owe all of you a debt of gratitude.  Some of you have encouraged me and given me hope when I needed it.  Others have shown forbearance with my faults and failings.  Still others, however, have challenged, guided and corrected me, and for this I am extremely thankful.

 I am grateful for the honor of having served you, and can only hope that, when I stand before the Lord, I will be judged to have been a faithful servant.  This is not goodbye.  It is au revoir.

All my love in Jesus Christ,

Deacon Lawrence

Congratulations to members of Catholic Church!

Kathy Uncategorized

Congratulations!

On June 14th at the 9 am Mass three of our six Catechumens were brought into the Catholic Church. We congratulate Louis Martin, Jo’Van Martin and Jacob Frankmann. Louis and Jacob went thru the RCIA program held on Thursday evenings and Ja’von was instructed thru our School. We welcome these 3 fine gentlemen. Please be sure to send your congratulations to them when you see them in Church.

 

From the Archdiocese of Detroit;  Directives for Resumption of Public Masses: Phase II

I. Necessary conditions for public Masses in the Archdiocese of Detroit:

1.Face-coverings/masks are to be worn by the faithful in the church.

2.Cleaning and sanitizing of church facilities must be done using proper techniques before or after Masses.

3.Physical distancing is to be practiced in the church and on the church property.

4.Parish churches should not exceed 50% of total capacity for the church.

a. This limit should allow people to remain at least six feet apart.

b. Depending on church layout, this number may have to be less than 50% of the total capacity.

c. An additional location on the church property (e.g. social hall, parking lot) may be used as an “overflow” for additional people desiring to attend public Mass. Any such indoor area should not exceed the same 50% capacity for the space.

5.Outdoor Masses are permitted without a strict capacity limit provided physical distancing guidelines are maintained.

II. Funerals, Weddings, and Baptisms are permitted under the same conditions.

III. With the permission of the pastor, non-liturgical gatherings may take place indoors if they observe strict health and safety guidelines, face-coverings are worn, and the gathering not exceed 10 persons. Non- liturgical gatherings up to 100 people are permitted outdoors provided physical distancing is maintained.

IV. All the faithful in the Archdiocese of Detroit are dispensed from their Sunday obligation to attend Mass through Sunday, September 6, 2020.

V. Pastors have been given directions about Confirmations for the remainder of the calendar year.

12th Sunday in Ordinary time, “Do Not Be Afraid”

Kathy Uncategorized

Now that we are all aware that Fr. Kishore’s new assignment as the Administrator of St. Michael Parish, Monroe, begins on August 1, 2020. We have to live with the reality knowing that there will be only one priest for both the parishes from August onwards. We may have to do a little adjustment with a slight change in our Mass schedule. After expressing my thoughts and plans with the Parish Council through email, they were in agreement with the new schedule. Our Saturday Mass which was at 5:00 pm will be moved to 5:30 pm and on Sunday our first Mass will have to be at 8:30 am instead of 9:00 am, the 12 noon Mass will be at the same time.  At Our Lady of Loretto the Mass schedule was changed last year, and that is the schedule that will be followed, Saturday Mass at 4:00 pm and Sunday only one Mass at 10:00 am.

 With one priest not being able to be in both churches our weekday Mass schedule will change as well  – it will be like the summer schedule – Monday’s and Tuesday’s 8:30 am Mass will be at OLL, Thursday’s and Friday’s 8:30 am Mass will be at St. Val’s. At both the places daily Mass will be celebrated in the Church. Sacrament of Penance as of now we will keep it on Saturday at OLL beginning at 2:45 instead of 3:15pm. We will see how the confession schedule will work for now. If we have to make some changes, we can work that out as well.  

 I know none of us like change but lately we have seen that many things have changed with the fear of Corona Virus and we have all learned to make those adjustments knowing that it’s for our good and for the good of others.  If we are able to make the above-mentioned changes with a mind of working together, we will be able to move ahead smoothly.

This weekend’s Gospel is part of the instructions Jesus gives to his disciples after he has commissioned them to preach about the kingdom of God – Matthew 10:26-33. IN this Gospel passage we hear Jesus say three times, “Do not be afraid.” Jesus encouraged the disciples not to be afraid, not to give up on their mission of sharing God’s Good News with others. And he promises that we will never be alone in our efforts to do what is right.

What a beautiful piece of advice for all of us as we move forward. Let us not give up in doing what is right. The Lord promises to be with us and with Him at our side we have no reason to fear.

We wish all Fathers, Happy Fathers day and we ask the Lord to bless each one of you in your  roles as dads, godfathers, grandfathers and guardians.

 

A Prayer of Blessing on Fathers

Heavenly Father,
you entrusted your Son Jesus,
the child of Mary,
to the care of Joseph, an earthly father.
Bless all fathers
as they care for their families.
Give them strength and wisdom,
tenderness and patience;
support them in the work they have to do,
protecting those who look to them,
as we look to you for love and salvation,
through Jesus Christ our rock and defender. Amen.

 – Author Unknown

Blessings,
Fr. Socorro