Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of June is set apart for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “From among all the proofs of the infinite goodness of our Savior none stands out more prominently than the fact that, as the love of the faithful grew cold, He, Divine Love Itself, gave Himself to us to be honored by a very special devotion and that the rich treasury of the Church was thrown wide open in the interests of that devotion.” These words of Pope Pius XI refer to the Sacred Heart Devotion, which in its present form dates from the revelations given to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

The devotion consists in the divine worship of the human heart of Christ, which is united to His divinity and which is a symbol of His love for us. The aim of the devotion is to make our Lord king over our hearts by prompting them to return love to Him (especially through an act of consecration by which we offer to the Heart of Jesus both ourselves and all that belongs to us) and to make reparation for our ingratitude to God.

An Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

 Most sweet Jesus, humbly kneeling at Thy feet, we renew the consecration of our family to Thy Divine Heart. Be Thou our King forever! In Thee we have full and entire confidence. May Thy spirit penetrate our thoughts, our desires, our words and our deeds. Bless our undertakings, share in our joys, in our trials, and in our labors. Grant us to know Thee better, to love Thee more, to serve Thee without faltering.

 Prayer: O Heart of love, I put all my trust in Thee; for I fear all things from my own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

Divine Mercy Vestment from Rzeszow, Poland

  On Sunday, May 22 at the 12 noon Mass St. Valentine Parish was presented with a Divine Mercy Vestment. This beautiful vestment comes all the way from Rzeszow, Poland and is a gift from Adam and Anna Kurdziel of Rzeszow who were in Redford visiting their cousins, Bob and Eleanor Bielenda. We thank the Kurdziel Family for thinking of our parish and for their most generous gift. We look forward to wearing this new vestment on Divine Mercy Sunday.

Congratulations!

At the 12 noon Mass today we are  honoring those who have graduated from high school and college. We congratulate you on your accomplishments. Congratulations to the graduates of 2016!

On May 28/29 weekend we will be celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ – This year on this solemn feast we will be having a procession with the Eucharist after the 12:00 noon Mass. I would like to encourage as many as possible to take part in this celebration. This is a time when we as faithful Catholics can show our love for Christ in the Real Presence by honoring Him in a very public way. It is also a wonderful way in which we can show our love for our neighbors by bringing Our Lord and Savior closer to them. So many conversions are a result of Eucharistic Adoration experienced from inside the Church. How many more there would be if we could reach those who only drive by the church by demonstrating our love for the Eucharist, by devoutly taking part in this procession. Children who have received their First Communion this year are encouraged to attend in their suits and dresses. It will be even nice to have as many altar servers dress up in their altar servers robes. Please join me in making this solemn procession a very important occasion for our parish.

Ordination Congratulations

On May 14 ordination took place at a liturgy at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 9844 Woodward Avenue, Detroit. Those being ordained were greeted by family and friends following the ordination Mass. Following are details about the men ordained:

Deacon Paul Graney, 31, is the son of Paul and Judy Graney. He entered Sacred Heart Major Seminary from his home parish of St. Joseph the Worker in Lake Orion. He will begin his priestly ministry at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Farmington.

Deacon Dominic Macioce, 30, is the son of Ronald and Dina Macioce. He entered Sacred Heart Major Seminary from his home parish of St. Jane Frances de Chantal in Sterling Heights. He will begin his priestly ministry at St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Allen Park.

Deacon Kevin Roelant, 26, is the son of Paul and Amy Roelant. He entered Sacred Heart Major Seminary from his home parish of St. Anne in Monroe. He will begin his priestly ministry at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica Parish in Royal Oak.

Deacon David Tomaszycki, 30, is the son of Art and Joan Tomaszycki. He entered Sacred Heart Major Seminary from his home parish of Immaculate Conception in Anchorville, and has been in formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Following ordination he will continue his studies in Rome.

Deacon Timothy Wezner, 35, is the son of Diane and the late Christopher Wezner. He entered the seminary from his home parish of SS. Cyril and Methodius Slovak Parish in Sterling Heights. He will begin his priestly ministry at St. Hugo of the Hills Parish in Bloomfield Hills.