Back Safe, Together!
R.W.J. Barnabas Health Institute for Prevention and Recovery’s Hope and Healing Program offers 4 meetings a week for seniors! While transitioning back to our lives, we still need connection and support. Our groups offer a place to engage with others, make new friends and learn new things! No registration necessary! Come join us any or all days! SENIORS – 4 Meetings a week, every day a different topic! Tuesdays at 3pm https://zoom.us/j/97426759376?pwd=emh4NVBxQkhORDk2VGhybDh1aHVYUT09 1 (929) 205-6099 Meeting ID: 974 2675 9376 Passcode: 275889 Wednesdays at 10am https://zoom.us/j/92508417386?pwd=RUFBZmhrUms0R08zOFgwbjZtTUZBdz09 1 (929) 205-6099 Meeting ID: 925 0841 7386 Passcode: 871829 Thursdays at 10am https://zoom.us/j/93629625609?pwd=NWhUQTAyZzhla0dpb0YwZFhiUnZxdz09 1 (929) 205-6099 Meeting ID: 936 2962 5609 Passcode: 202710 Fridays at 3pm https://zoom.us/j/95709779459?pwd=bG1Fd3JGa3U1RDBSWjJFQzBwc2E1dz09 1 (929) 205-6099 Meeting ID: 957 0977 9459 Passcode: 542469 My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Earlier this year, I published Returning to Grace: A Pastoral Letter on the Eucharist. In this letter, I offered some thoughts on the meaning of the Eucharist and its central place in our lives. I also tried to address in positive, hope-filled ways the challenges we face as we emerge from the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic and the many spiritual, social, physical and financial hardships it imposed on our people, our society and our Church. All of us—clergy, religious and lay faithful—have a responsibility to invite and encourage our fellow Catholics to return to the grace of the Eucharist. I see this as a stewardship responsibility, an opportunity “to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace" (1 Pt 4:10). To help raise awareness about the importance of Christian stewardship in our daily lives and in our pastoral ministry, I have written a “pastoral reflection” entitled Stewards of God’s Grace that contains ideas first proposed by the American bishops in the 1992 pastoral letter Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response. My reflections on stewardship are intended to reinforce the ideas contained in Returning to Grace, my pastoral letter on the Eucharist. I urge you to read my stewardship reflections, Stewards of God's Grace, in full. Returning to the grace of the Eucharist provides us with new opportunities to invite all our sisters and brothers in northern New Jersey to discover the richness and joy of life in Christ. Christian discipleship compels us to be good stewards of all God’s gifts, especially our Lord’s gift of Himself in the Holy Eucharist. As individuals, families, parishes and as a diocese, may we use this opportunity to renew our commitment to the spirituality of stewardship as a way of encouraging full participation in the Eucharistic Mystery. Sincerely yours in Christ the Redeemer, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R. https://www.rcan.org/stewards-gods-grace My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Earlier this year, I published Returning to Grace: A Pastoral Letter on the Eucharist. In this letter, I offered some thoughts on the meaning of the Eucharist and its central place in our lives. I also tried to address in positive, hope-filled ways the challenges we face as we emerge from the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic and the many spiritual, social, physical and financial hardships it imposed on our people, our society and our Church. All of us—clergy, religious and lay faithful—have a responsibility to invite and encourage our fellow Catholics to return to the grace of the Eucharist. I see this as a stewardship responsibility, an opportunity “to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace" (1 Pt 4:10). Read more at
https://www.rcan.org/sites/default/files/files/RTLvol3no2092421-ENGLISH.pdf Join us for a special Eucharistic Adoration Prayer Service on Sunday, Oct. 3, in anticipation of welcome back month activities and the opening of our Archdiocesan initiative, Vine & Branches. Each Auxiliary Bishop will celebrate in his county.
At these Eucharistic Adoration services, we will invoke the Holy Spirit to guide all our efforts and lead us all to a deeper appreciation of the Eucharist and our connection with one another. All will be engaged in prayer, sacred music, quiet reflection and at conclusion, a solemn Benediction. The service will take no more than one hour. Each Auxiliary Bishop will celebrate this Special Eucharistic Adoration Prayer Service as follows: Bergen County: 6 p.m., St. Luke Church, Ho Ho Kus Essex County: 4:30 p.m., Our Lady of the Valley Church, Orange Hudson County: 3 p.m., St. Joseph Church, Jersey City Union County: 4 p.m., St. Helen Church, Westfield
Annual Appeal Update.
Thank you and great work. Saint Valentine has reached its goal of $27,382.00 and in fact exceeded it by a few hundred dollars as of June 19, 2021. To put this in perspective, by going through all the data I have back to 2014: It is the first time we met our goal in that time frame. This is the most the parish has collected in that time span. It is more than double any year for the past four years. We have collected more in six months than in any of the past full seven years, but please honor your pledge commitment so we reach the full pledged amount. How did we do this? Many people gave what they could. Two-thirds of the pledges came from about 100 families ranging from $1-$525 and the other third came from 7 families who donated $1000 or more. That is the beauty of community and simply doing what we can. It all adds up regardless of what your personal situation is. Even if you couldn’t give, but said a prayer for this appeal.. THANK YOU!. Read 1 Corinthians 12 if you don’t believe me – We, the Church, are all one Body with Christ as our head. As a result of your generosity the Archdiocese will not require us to make up that difference. In fact by reaching the goal by June 30th the parish will save about $3000. We get to keep 1% of our collection that would have otherwise gone to the Archdiocesan Assessment, which is different from the appeal and based on yearly giving. On a personal note – Thank you – You made this new administrator very proud by your generosity and responding to my request. I am truly humbled and blessed to be here in such a wonderful parish. I look forward to continuing our work here at Saint Valentine…Can the Church say AMEN?!!!
Annual Appeal 2021 talk by Father Andrew on February 7, 2021. The parish is still trying to meet its goal. Please prayerfully consider donating if you have not donated this year. For more information and to donate please visit https://www.rcan.org/appeal
One hundred and fifty years ago, Blessed Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph as “Patron of the Universal Church.” To mark the 150th anniversary of this occasion, Pope Francis has proclaimed a Holy Year of St. Joseph from Dec. 8, 2020, to Dec. 8, 2021. In the Pope’s proclamation of the Year of St. Joseph, Patris corde (“With a father’s heart”), he drew connections between St. Joseph and the humble people working throughout the pandemic. “People who do not appear in newspaper and magazine headlines, or on the latest television show, yet in these very days are surely shaping the decisive events of our history.” The Holy Father notes, “how many fathers, mothers, grandparents and teachers are showing our children, in small everyday ways, how to accept and deal with a crisis by adjusting their routines, looking ahead and encouraging the practice of prayer. How many are praying, making sacrifices and interceding for the good of all.” St. Joseph was a man of sacrifice and prayer for the good of the Holy Family. Even today, he continues to inspire others to reach out to those in need, especially during this difficult time. For more information on the Holy Year of St. Joseph, please visit: https://www.rcan.org/joseph “St. Joseph, pray for us!” Stained Glass Window is from Saint Valentine, Bloomfield, New Jersey |