Pallottine Mission Collection

Kathy From our Pastor
Next Sunday (Palm Sunday) we will have a second collection, which will be for the mission works of the Pallottines back in India. In the past years you have always been very generous, and we are grateful for that. Know for sure that your sacrifices will go a long way.
 have been appointed as the Mission Secretary for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (ABVM) Province here in this Country. A little extra work for me besides all that I am called to do but I took up this responsibility for the good of the Society. As I am in charge of this office, I have to collect funds so whatever we get is collected and sent to our Provincialate in Bangalore, India. From there they make the decision to help where it is most needed, and we know there is always a need.
As I have mentioned before, our ministry and all the funds that we collect from here helps our Province in India to continue and to support our missionary works including the formation of seminarians. Besides that here is a glimpse of some of the activities we are now engaging ourselves in:
Home for the destitute and the aged
Tuition Center’s in our missions
Educational scholarship
Educational outreach,
House construction for the less privileged as well as constructions of presbyteries in mission areas.
We as Pallottines of the ABVM Province are very blessed to have this opportunity to serve here in this Archdiocese and especially here at St. Valentine Parish for the past 15 years. Your prayers, words of encouragement and your support keep us going stronger. Thank you for all the sacrifices you make for the good of the parish.
My sincere thanks to each one of you for your generosity. May Mary Queen of the Apostles, our Patroness and St. Vincent Pallotti our Founder, continue to intercede for us as we all strive to make God’s Kingdom come on earth through our lives, prayers, faith and activities.
God Bless you all.

Fr. Socorro Fernandes

Third Sunday of Lent

Kathy Weekly message

Deserts can be lonely, isolated, and treacherous places. When a person wanders in a desert, they can easily get disoriented, dehydrated, confused, lost, and vulnerable. Temptation is at its peak, especially when confronted with something that may offer some respite or relief, even a mirage. Deserts can bring us to our weakest moment and tempt our faith. The Christian journey can be described as a desert experience as we vacillate back and forth, falling victim to the mirages of our lives versus the true, life-giving water offered by God. We need a burning bush experience in our lives that convinces us of the power of God and reveals Him as the “I am” of all existence.

Moses was leading his flock across the desert when he found himself at Mount Horeb. Mountains give us a fuller perspective of life, a panoramic view of what would otherwise be hidden from the limitations of our sight. That’s when Moses met God. We have to find our way to a mountain experience where our vantage point can take on a wider view of life. Many things can do this for us: the birth of a child, the death of someone we love, the joy that comes from marveling at the beauty of God’s work, the pondering of life’s mysteries, and the ache of longing found deep within our souls. There are many things in life that can wake us up, give us a clearer, better view of things and become occasions where a bush may burn and God’s presence as the eternal uncreated One is revealed.

God is very patient and gives us the time and space we need to figure things out and bear some good fruit. He doesn’t rush to cut us down or get frustrated with our barrenness. But we have to remember that the desert journeys of our lives come with some risks. The major risk is that we will mistakenly believe that the mirages are real. Thus, we fall victim to thinking that the respite and refreshment we seek is discovered in a place other than where it actually is. Our faith and the life of the Church are the safeguards we need to keep us properly orientated so that we don’t get lost or confused and

Happy Birthday, Father Socorro!

Kathy Parish Activities

 Father Socorro,

You are loved!

May the light of the Lord fill your heart as you are celebrated today. Your guidance lights the way for so many on their journeys of faith. May God bless you and keep you always.

Happy birthday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Valentine Church Prays for Peace

     All are invited to join us in church on the remaining Thursdays during Lent, to pray the Rosary for peace in the Ukraine and the world. We will begin the Rosary at 6:30 pm, after Thursday confessions.  Join us on March 17, March 24, March 31, and April 7.