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

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