In conjunction with our Lenten theme Lord, This Time Change our Hearts and to ready ourselves for the miracle of the Resurrection, St. Valentine parish is offering opportunities for prayer, fasting, and alms giving, and to reflect on the Lord’s passion and message. We invite you to join us as we walk this Lenten journey together.
Daily Mass
St. Valentine – Mass is celebrated on Thursday and Friday at 8:30.
Our Lady of Loretto – Mass is celebrated on Monday and Tuesday at 8:30 am
St. John XXIII – Mass is celebrated Monday, Tuesday, Friday at 8 am, Wednesday at 6:30pm
St. Genevieve-St. Maurice – Mass is celebrated every day at 9 am except Tuesday at 7pm
Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel – beginning Sunday, February 18.
This year, instead of the traditional Evening Prayer, St Val’s will be offering a reflection service in the school chapel at 6:30pm on Sundays during Lent. A small group discussion on the Sunday Gospel Reading will include a reflection on the passage and how it relates to our lives today. The evening will end with prayer. A similar reflection process was offered at last year’s Soup Supper. Participants were very enthusiastic and asked for more opportunities for this type of faith sharing.
Stations of the Cross – beginning Friday, February 16
Stations of the Cross are prayed at St. Val’s, in the Church, Friday’s at 7pm.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Confessions are heard at St. Valentine parish on Thursday at 6:00 pm
Confessions are heard at Our Lady of Loretto parish on Saturday at 2:45 pm
Confessions are heard at St. Genevieve-St. Maurice on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday at 8:30 am. Tuesdays at 6:30 pm, and Saturdays at 3:30 pm.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be held at St. Val’s on Wednesday, March 13 at 7 pm.
Soup Suppers – Evenings of Community, Prayer, & Reflection
St. Valentine & Our Lady of Loretto parishes will each host an evening of prayer and
reflection that will begin with a light meal supper starting at 6 pm.
On Thursday, March 14 a soup supper will be offered at St. Val’s followed by a ½ hour video where Fr. John Ricardo will speak about the gospel (Kerygma) and its meaning for us.
On Wednesday, February 21, Our Lady of Loretto will offer a soup supper followed by a speaker and discussion.
Fasting, Prayer, and Alms Giving – the three disciplines of Lent
This year, at the weekend masses during Lent, parishioners are asked to use the second collection to deposit the Lenten alms they save through various acts of fasting. For example, if your family gives up going to a movie one week, the money normally spent would be placed in the second collection. Other examples might include having a light meal at home rather than going out to dinner one night, or delaying the purchase of a new item, or skipping a sporting event.
Benediction after Weekend Masses
St. Valentine will host an Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for ½ hour after the following weekend Masses during Lent – 5:30pm Mass on Saturday, February 17; the 8:30am Mass on Sunday, March 3, and the 12 Noon Mass on Sunday, March 17.
Watch for more information on these opportunities in future St. Valentine bulletins.
A stranger in a foreign land, I was exhausted and homesick as my summer Spanish immersion ended in Guatemala. The rusty minivan arriving outside my small residence filled me with joyful hope. I was flying home to the U.S. and would be, at long last, completely happy. Or so I thought. After about half an hour of being home, I thought to myself, “This place is boring. I want to go somewhere.” So, I hopped in my car and left to see my friends. As I drove, I wistfully wondered, “Where am I truly at home?” The feast of Epiphany has a lot to do with our notion of home. Where is our origin? Where are we going? When is our wandering done? Saint Matthew tells us of the Magi, “They were overjoyed at seeing the star.” This star will bring them home, to a place where their questing will end, and they will be satisfied. Their real home is neither in the East nor in the earthly Jerusalem. Somehow, their home is wherever this boy and his parents are. If you’re a teenager or older, you probably know by now that every physical home we have is temporary. So, we look up at the countless stars in our proverbial skies: things which bedazzle and beckon us to follow toward peace. The Gospel invites us to behold that — at long last — God has sent us a star to follow home, one that whispers, “Follow me! I will take you home!” Perhaps that star is your spouse. A friend. An opportunity. A cause. An intuition about a new direction. A prayer group. What is it for you? How will you know? It will lead you to Mary and Joseph and their son, and you will be home.
Christmas Eve Masses – Sunday, December 24th: