We are in need of families to volunteer to take the Vocation Chalice home for a week. Please call Bonnie at the office 313-532-4394 x101 to volunteer. Thank you!
The Elect, Candidates along with their Sponsors who took part in the Rite of Election
The Elect, Candidates along with their Sponsors who took part in the Rite of Election at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament which was presided over by Bishop Arturo Cepeda
Elect: Christine Hainley-Peavley.
Candidates: Evan Peavley, Shawn Durrant, Barbara Lefevre, Susan Franz, Cassandra Barnes and Thomas Ryan Alexander.
Sponsors: Joseph and Jennifer Hainley, Jim and Connie Moran, Lisa and Tom Alexander and Suzanne Mote.
Reintroducing the Sanctus Bells at Mass
You are all familiar with Sanctus Bells. Though the bells are still heard in many parishes, many wonder about them. Some long to hear their joyful sounds; and some erroneously believe their use during the Mass is now prohibited.
Since we are a people of senses, sounds are important in our worship, whether in the quiet of the moment, the singing of a congregation, or the sound of the organ. The sound of bells does add to the reverence and the solemnity of the Mass. Most importantly, they highlight in a sensible way the sacred action taking place on the altar. Therefore, we have a tradition that is not only practical but also beautiful.
Sanctus bells have been rung as part of the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the mass for over 800 years. Most Sanctus bells are small handheld bells or assemblies of three or five bells that may be rung are directed in Chapter IV, paragraph 150 of the General Introduction of the Roman Missal:
“A little before the consecration, when appropriate, a server rings the bell as a signal to the faithful. According to the local custom, the server also rings the bells as the priest shows the host and then the chalice.”
We have to also keep in mind that the rubrics leave to the discretion of the pastor whether bells should be used or not. Nevertheless, the use of bells at Mass is a longstanding tradition in the Catholic Church and no one should ever think that their use has been suppressed. Actually, the common practice in the basilicas of Rome is for the bell to be rung at each elevation and then in a prolonged way when the priest genuflects after the elevation of the chalice.
Although, at St. Valentine the practical use of the Sanctus Bells has been diminished over time, we are in the process to reintroduce the bells for the weekend masses, as it has been already reintroduced for weekday masses. It can still serve another purpose as an extra aid to call attention at the moment of the elevation especially for those who become out-of-focus and it is an effective catechetical tool for children and adults alike. Altar Servers have been recalled and trained on how to ring the bells during the elevation of the Host and Chalice. A long-standing custom should not just be swept away unless more is to be gained by dropping it than retaining it.
As the 4th Sunday of Lent is called Laetare (Rejoice) Sunday, it’s a liturgically suitable day to reintroduce the bells at St. Valentine. Any quarries or concerns please don’t hesitate to write to me for further clarification at frhenry@stvalentineschool.com
Fr. Henry Rebello SAC
St. Valentine Mass Mob ~ February 7, 2016
For those who were not able to attend the Mass in person, or for anyone who would like to see highlights from this special event, please visit https://vimeo.com/154888711 for a short video. Thanks again to all those who helped make this celebration so special!
Lenten Friday Fish Fry Schedule
The best fish fry in town will be held on the Fridays during Lent at St. Valentine School Gym. See the flyer for details on menu items and special prices for seniors and children. Carry outs are available as well! Come and enjoy great food and fellowship on Fridays, February 12, 19, 26 and March 11 and 18 between 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm. Fish fry will take place from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Good Friday, March 25th.
The Second Luminous Mystery—The Wedding Feast at Cana
The miracle of this Sunday links with (and reminds us of) the past two weeks in our liturgy – the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord. In Cana, once again, Jesus is “revealed” – all three Sundays are epiphanies of the Lord. John depicts Mary as involved at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, and at the end he places her at the foot of the cross. Mary is thus associated with the whole ministry of Jesus but her role is always seen in relation to her son. She teaches us that our lives should always be seen in relation to Jesus. Perhaps, on this Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, we could ask ourselves are we, like Mary, involved in revealing Jesus to our world? Or do we find ourselves reserved, embarrassed and maybe even afraid to let others know that we are followers of Jesus?
If our faith is weak, or if we are afraid of sharing our faith with others, we should turn to Mary. Because of the miracle at the marriage feast at Cana, which Christ performed at his Mother’s request, his disciples learned to believe in him (cf. John 2:11). Our Mother is always interceding with her Son so that He may attend to our needs and show himself to us, so that we can cry out, “You are the Son of God.”
The Traveling Catholic Mass Mob
On February 7th, 2016, we have a wonderful opportunity to come together as one parish and celebrate our togetherness at the 12 noon Mass. Through Annamarie Barnes, the coordinator for the Traveling Catholic Mass Mob, we have this opportunity to welcome the Traveling Catholics Mass Mob to St. Valentine Parish. Let us not leave it to the traveling Catholics to fill up the pews; A full church would mark as making this Mass a special celebration. Pass on this information to your friends, relatives, former St. Valentine Parishioners, school alumni and invite people you know to attend.
As we have already announced, Rev. Bishop Donald Hanchon will be our Presider. So take it as a great opportunity to be a part of this Mob Mass. We all know that February 7th is Super Bowl Sunday, we can change the title and say February 7th is Super Val’s Sunday. We will need all the help we can get from all our Associations, Commissions, Committees, and all of you. So please be ready and willing to give us your helping hand. Look forward to more details in next week’s bulletin.
Blessings,
Fr. Socorro
School News
Dear St. Valentine Parishioners,
Each fall the students at St. Valentine School are given a series of standardized tests. One of the tests is the Archdiocese of Detroit Religion test given to all students in the Archdiocese of Detroit in grades 3, 5, and 7. While there is not a paper and pencil test that can measure a student’s faith, this Religion test is a measure of how much catechism knowledge students retain from their religion classes. We are very proud to report the following results.
St. Valentine Archdiocese of Detroit Religion Test Results 2015-2016
*Test results include ALL students, even those with special education needs.
6 students earned a perfect score of 100%
Building Average: 85.45% B
As always we are deeply grateful to St. Valentine Parish for continuing to support Catholic education to make daily immersion in our faith a possibility for the students in our community.
Many blessings,
Rachel Damuth
Principal