Weekly message

The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

Kathy Weekly message

This Sunday marks the solemnity of the Epiphany. In some cultures this is referred to as “little Christmas”. On this day what we celebrate is what we celebrated on Christmas which is the manifestation of God’s love, Jesus Christ, being physically present in our world. His birth presents humanity with a new sense of hope. The prophet Isaiah wrote: “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your Light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” The light that shines, Jesus Christ, is the hope for humanity. It is this light, Jesus Christ, in which God will provide, as Isaiah wrote, a light that will guide nations to a universal response to God, when all peoples and all nations will come together to live in faith and mutual respect.

 This hope expressed by Isaiah to become a reality we are invited to imitate the magi, let us give our love, fidelity, perseverance and sincerity to Jesus. Let us offer Him our prayers and our human weaknesses too. But specifically, like the magi and according to Bishop Socrates Villegas in his, Love Like Jesus, let us have the three S of this Feast of Epiphany. The first S is, to See. The wise men saw the star and they followed. God tells us not to see with our physical eyes but to see with our hearts because God is in our hearts, His favorite place within us.

The second S is Search. The wise men were searching for Christ. They wanted to find the meaning of life and they found it in Christ and in living for others. God wants us to live an exciting life and not just be satisfied with the monotony and the boredom of life. The last S is Submit or to obey. The wise men did this once they found Jesus and offered to Him the best of everything. Let us submit to His will and authority because His will and authority are the best for us.

Let us see, search and submit and surely we will find what we have been looking for all these years.

  

Happy New Year to All

 

   I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year celebration on December 31 and January 1. I pray that the Lord will bless us all with a faith-enriched, peaceful and prosperous New Year 2018. Though the gift of peace seems far away we continue to pray for peace in our families, communities, our nation, and for greater peace throughout the world.

 

In Christ,

Fr. Henry Rebello SAC

New Year 2018

Kathy Weekly message

Wishing you one and all A Happy New Year – 2018. Who knows what’s ahead of us in this New Year. No one knows what the New Year will bring. The one certain about the future is its uncertainty. But as we enter into the unknown, the church gives us, on this New Year’s Day, a feast in honor of Mary, the Mother of God; because Mary is, in a unique way, the woman of faith. Because her faith can inspire us to have the kind of faith we need for our journey into the unknown. And so as we begin this New Year, we need to have faith and believe in God’s plans for us, Faith to know that God will have the best for us.

 May God continue to walk with us on our journey each day of the New Year, and may He fill us with the gifts of Faith, Love, Peace and Joy.

God Bless you all.

Fr. Socorro Fernandes, SAC.

 

 A special thank you from your priests:

At this time of the year we would like to thank everyone who has treated us so kindly with love, greetings, gifts, prayers and best wishes. We also extend our thanks to all those who have contributed to make our Advent and Christmas liturgies so meaningful.

 The simple beauty of our parish celebrations comes together because of the rich personal gifts, talents and dedication of many in our parish, including decorators, musicians and choir members, ushers and altar servers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and sacristans. Thanks to parents for encouraging their children to take part in the Nativity play and the children’s choir. Words of gratitude to members of St. Vincent dePaul Conference, and Christian Service Committee, who were busy reaching out to various people and groups. Thanks also to all those who gave so generously in order to make someone else’s Christmas more joyful either by taking a tag from the Christmas tree or by donating to help a needy family. We would also like to mention our appreciation to our parish and school staff who give of themselves so generously through their dedicated service. For those of you who attended our celebrations and made it so lively by actively taking part in it – we want to say Thank You. Sincere thanks to all who have so generously contributed towards our 2017 Christmas offertory collection. May God bless each and every one of you, granting you joy and peace in your hearts and in your families always.

 God Bless you all.

Fr. Socorro  & Fr. Henry

Christmas Message

Kathy Weekly message

“For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.” (Lk.2:11) With these words an angel of the Lord announced to the shepherds the good news of the arrival of the long awaited Messiah. Christmas is a time to reflect upon the great love of our heavenly Father and His great gift to all.  There is no greater gift that anyone could give than the gift of one’s only child. The celebration of the birth of Jesus is therefore a celebration of the infinite love of our heavenly Father.

The materialism that accompanies Christmas can make it challenging to keep our families focused on remembering the ‘reason for the season’. It takes forethought and planning to preserve the meaning of Christmas especially for our little ones. Here is just a thought of how you can keep the spirit of Christmas alive in your own family:

 · Read the birth narrative (Luke chapter 2) maybe before gathering to eat and thank God for giving Jesus, the greatest gift to us. Probably it is a good time to remind our little ones that gift giving is done to imitate what our Heavenly Father gave us on Christmas day. 

· Also as a family it is a good time to pause and recognize the special gifts God has brought to your family this year, and thank the Lord for the gift of each person in your life.

 On behalf of Fr. Henry and the staff our prayer for all of you, may God Bless you and your loved ones with a joyful grace-filled Christmas amidst family and friends. Merry Christmas and May the love of Jesus enable you to have a 2018 full of blessings.

 

Welcome

As Archbishop mentions in his letter “Unleash the Gospel” – “For evangelization to have its effect we must ensure that our communities extend a warm welcome to everyone who walks through the door.”

 I would like to extend an open, grateful heart of welcome to all those who will be returning back to this parish even though you have not been here regularly – you have 2018 to look ahead and to make new decisions. 

 If you are a member of this parish, I hope to see you taking a more active role in the mission of the parish “sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ so that all may come to know God”. 

 We also remember those who may be sick, lonely or bereaved and we pray for those who have died. May we share in the Peace and Joy of God’s presence.

 Christmas Blessings to all,

Fr. Socorro Fernandes SAC.

 

 From the School Principal

Dear St. Valentine Parishioners,

“Stay Awake! Be Ready! You do not know the hour when the Lord is coming” are the words to an advent song we sing each week when we light the school advent wreath. The children of St. Valentine School have prepared their hearts for Jesus by putting Jesus first and caring for others before ourselves. They have also learned about the hope that we have in Jesus. Students are working to see Jesus in each and every person they meet. In the spirit of giving and service our school children, together with the faith formation children, participated in “elf day” by giving a small monetary donation of $369.25 to help families in our community. Our 8th grade National Junior Honor Society members held a pajama drive for Redford Interfaith Relief collecting 63 pairs of pajamas for families in need.

 Our third and fourth grade students have also worked together to present the Nativity which was presented on our last school day before break and will be presented at the 4:00 Christmas Eve Mass together with the faith formation students and the voices of our St. Valentine Children’s Choir. We have celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation in grades 3-8 and are so excited for Christmas!

 Our Christmas concert on December 19th was a huge success- the children’s voices and our young band students playing holiday music has really put us all in the holiday spirit. An annual favorite is over 100 students on the stage together singing “Silent Night”. It is a beautiful sight and is a perfect example of the blessing of a Catholic School, a place where Christ is not only the reason for the season but is the focus of our school.

We are keeping St. Valentine parish in our prayers and request that you keep our parish school in your prayers. All of the faculty, staff, and students at St. Valentine School extend to you our warmest wishes for a wonderful, blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Mrs. Rachel Damuth, Principal

Our school website is: www.stvalentineschool.com

 

Third Sunday of Advent

Kathy Parish Activities, Weekly message

The Third Sunday of Advent is often referred to as Gaudete (“Rejoice”) Sunday. The title comes from the beginning of the Latin introit for this Sunday, “Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete” (“Rejoice in the Lord; again I say, rejoice,” Philippians 4:4, from the second reading for this Sunday).

  With only one more Sunday before Christmas, the liturgy takes on a more eager and urgent sense of anticipation. The option of rose vestments and a rose candle for the third candle of the Advent wreath help heighten this emphasis. It is not surprising that the verbs “sing” and “rejoice” (synonyms for a musician) are heard over and over in the readings for this Sunday.

 Right from the first reading, we hear this note of rejoicing from the prophet Isaiah. He is rejoicing because God had shielded him in all the ways.

 Paul, in the second reading, begins by telling us what we must do at all times. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). At all times and in all circumstances we must rejoice, pray and give thanks. He adds that this command reflects the will of God for those who come to Him through Jesus Christ. As followers of Christ we know that life on earth is not always rosy, but life after death is bliss. Our hope is not in this life only. That is why we are able to rejoice in good times and in bad, as Jesus himself did.

 Paul invites us to be holy. The life of holiness to which Paul invites us this Advent is the life of God in us. It is God in us who makes it happen. Our part is mainly to say yes to God, to surrender totally to Him. It is hard for us to live a life of rejoicing always, but the One who calls us to this life is one who always gives us what He commands. He is faithful, and He will do it in our lives.

Waiting for The Lord.

Fr. Henry

 

St. Valentine Parish Council Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, November 21, 2017

 

Old Business

Selection of New Officers:

Chair/Vice Chair : Mary Anthony and Ron Fron discuss and decided that Ron would be Council Chair and Mary would be Vice. There was no objection

 

Fund Raising

● Gym was open for the dates discussed in previous meetings (Lisa to send dates)

● Ideas for events

○ Silent Auction (Is this event sustainable every year?)

○ Craft Show (OLL is doing in 2018, St. Valentine will consider in years that OLL are not)

○ Dinner dance (Didn’t raise enough by itself, but was good source of fellowship)

○ Raffle (Action Item: Ron to explore possible arrangement with local dealership)

○ Horse Racing (Action Item: Ron to discuss with Mike Kelly)

 

Commission Reports

Pastoral Update

· Synod – Father has implored the council to read the Synod letter as it contains a lot of directives that need to be addressed in coming years

http://www.unleashthegospel.org/

● The Parish Mission Statement needs to be addressed in 2019

● Fr. Socorro has selected the 5 people to attend seminar for leadership

● 16 new altar servers have been trained (10 from the school and 6 from Faith Formation)

 

Finance

● Committee meeting met last month

● We are about 2% to the good on the budget so far this fiscal year

● We have paid down $22,000 from the debt so far this fiscal year

● Total debt is now ~$260,000

● The committee will produce a 1 page summary for the parish in the coming months

● The council agreed that this was a success story that needs to be shared more with parish as a whole

Worship

● Mike asked council members to take advantage of the many activities during Advent

· “Lessons and Carols” service will be held on January 7, 2018 at 7:00 PM.

 

Rountable

● December meeting will be changed to the second Tuesday due to the school choir concert on the third Tuesday

● Jeff indicated that he was involved in the Confirmation Retreat that our confirmation class attended at St. Kenneth. There were 18 attendees from St. Valentine who along with their teacher (Megan) represented our parish very well. We should be proud of this group.

· Frank wished to thank the school for installing enthusiasm for the Blessed Fr. Solanus Casey. His grandson watched the entire mass with enthusiasm. Great Job to the school for installing this enthusiasm.

 

Next Meeting is December 12 – 7:30 PM

Second Sunday of Advent

Kathy Parish Activities, Prayer Opportunities, Weekly message

 As I was reading some reflections, I came across this thought from a preacher named Daniel Houghton and it piqued my interest (since I know nothing about hunting) when he described the difference between turkey (or deer) hunting, and pheasant hunting. In one you sit and “wait passively” in a concealed “blind,” and hope a target comes along. In the other, you get out there to be seen, “actively wait” for a target while walking the fields, and make things happen.

 In this weekend’s readings we hear two commands from the Lord: Give comfort, and prepare the way for the Lord. One is from a prophecy of Isaiah, the other from Mark’s gospel quoting Isaiah. Both are commands, calling us to be “active,” not passive involvement in the work of living and spreading the Good News.

 According to Daniel the preacher, “active waiting” for the Lord would mean taking our prayers and turning them into action. Active waiting turns our prayers for the hungry into food boxes, our prayers for the homeless into soup kitchens, or helping the needy accordingly. Active waiting turns our prayers for the sick and the lonely into visits and invitations. Active waiting transforms individuals and parishes into doers of the Word, and not just hearers only.

 St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Whatever you do in your family, for your children, for your husband, for your wife, you do for Jesus.”  Every night when we go to bed, let us ask ourselves, “Where have I found Christ today?”  The answer will be God’s Advent gift to us that day. By being active and waiting we will receive an extra gift:  Christ himself.  Let us remember the saying of St. Thomas Aquinas: “Without God, I can’t.  Without me, He won’t.”  

 Happy Advent, Happy waiting.

 Penance Service:

 This coming week we have a wonderful opportunity to take part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as we will have the Advent Penance Service on December 13th at St. Valentine Church. This service will begin at 7 p.m. with a little preparation followed by individual confession. Besides Fr. Henry and myself there will be Fr. Rick Hartmann and Fr. Sal Briffa from the Clergy Village and Fr. Pat Brennan from St. Paul of the Cross. Advent is a good time to heal all that keeps us from experiencing the divine love and mercy.

 

Christmas Collection:

 This is my yearly gentle reminder about your Christmas Contribution. Every year I was surprised by the amount we collected at Christmas. You always surprise me. I want to thank you for your contributions throughout the year and especially at Christmas. As you know we get to keep 100% of this collection whereas we only keep 93% of the regular collection. So this year too you can serve and honor God with a special gift for the Christmas, and I ask you to be as generous as your situation allows. Know for sure that every dollar you contribute will be used for the good and betterment of St. Valentine Parish Community. Thank you in advance.

 Blessings,

Fr. Socorro

 Evening Prayer Reminder – Sundays During Advent

Prepare for Christmas; and join fellow parishioners as we pray:

  “Come Lord Jesus, Come”

Where: School Chapel—please use the Dow street entrance.

When:   5pm on these Sundays:  December 10 and 17

 

Check this Out!!! – Continued Video Presentation Today

Today we will be viewing Religious Mysteries, Volume 1, Episode 1, The Secret of Bernadette. (47 minutes)

December 17th: The Story of the Nativity. (The story is told as if the events were happening for the very first viewers, the Jewish people, and it connects every event with the prophecies foretold in the Old Testament. 59 minutes)

We will take the Christmas holiday off and resume on January 7, 2018.

Parish Office Hours Christmas/New Year 2017-2018

The parish office will observe the following schedule during the Christmas Holidays.

Monday, December 18— Thursday, December 21: 8:30 am – 4:00 p.m.

Friday, December 22— Tuesday, December 26:  OFFICE CLOSED

Wednesday, December 27: 8:30 am – 11:30 am

Thursday, December 28: 8:30 am – 11:30 am

Friday, December 29— January 2 : OFFICE CLOSED

Wednesday, January 3 – Resume office hours of 8:30 am—4:00 pm

The parish office has a voicemail system that will take messages when the office is closed. Messages will be returned in a timely fashion. Please speak slowly and clearly when leaving a message. Thanking you in advance for your understanding and patience.  The office phone number is 313-532-4394.

 If you have an emergency, please, enter extension 106.

Staff phone extension directory:

Fr. Socorro – 105

Fr. Henry – 102

Mrs. Sue Daly – 100

Mrs. Bonnie Danic – 101

Ms. Kathryn Potts – 103