- Weekend Mass notes
- Saint Valentine in the News
- Rejoice in the Lord - Cardinal Tobin's Biweekly Newsletter
- Holy Week, Triduum, and Easter Schedule
- Lenten Regulations - Fasting and Easter Duty
- Annual Appeal - 116.7% to our pledge goal
- Pictures
- Confirmation
- Bishop Cruz Visit
- Communion Breakfast
- Preparing for Palm Sunday
- Social Concerns - Easter Food Donation
- Events
- Online Calendar
- Blessing of Easter Food - April 16, 2022, at 11:30 AM
- Closing Mass for the 500th Anniversary of Philippine Christianity - May 1, 2022
- Athletic Club Golf Outing - All are welcome - May 10, 2022 (RVSP by May 3)
- Pray for Peace and Where to go to Aid Ukraine
- Mission Statement
Weekend Mass Notes
This weekend is Palm Sunday. Masses on Saturday at 5:30 PM and Sunday at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 12:00 PM.
Livestream Saturday April 9, 2022 @ 5:30 PM
This weekend's readings -
Extra envelope for Easter Flowers
Online Giving for the first and second collections are available at https://secure.myvanco.com/L-YVYY/home.
Our bulletin is available on our website at http://www.stvalentinechurch.com/.
Lent 2022 Link - Livestreams of events are here if you missed them or want to listen and pray again at home.
Saint Valentine in the News
The Archdiocese of Newark noticed our social media posts about the Saint Josaphat relic. He is the patron Saint of Ukraine. They published a press release about our parish and about the relic. See
Jersey Catholic:
Bloomfield Patch:
Rejoice in the Lord - Cardinal Tobin's Biweekly Newsletter
Cardinal Tobin reflects on Mary's role in our lives.
My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Last Friday, March 25, on the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Pope Francis invited all of us to join him in an Act of Consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Mary is the Queen of Peace and the Mother of Mercy. She prays constantly that each one of us will accept God’s gifts of love and mercy, and that we will recognize that we are all sisters and brothers regardless of our racial, national, economic and cultural diversity.
God’s closeness to us as individuals, nations and peoples is seen most perfectly in Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus Christ. The Blessed Virgin bore the Son of God in her womb. His humanity was formed from her flesh and from the heart of Mary’s faith-filled acceptance of God’s will. Through Mary, God became one of us. This is not an absent, remote or disconnected God. This God is Emmanuel, “God-with-us,” and draws us close to him through the intercession of a simple Hebrew woman chosen by God to be his Son’s mother.
The full newsletter is available at
Holy Week. Triduum and Easter Schedule
Palm Sunday—April 10
5:30 PM Saturday Vigil
8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM
Holy Thursday—April 14
No 12:00 PM Mass in the chapel
7:00 PM—Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Followed by an exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
10:30 PM—Night Prayer and Repose
Good Friday—April 15
9:00 AM Morning Prayer in the Church
No 12:00 PM Mass in the chapel
3:00 PM—Passion of the Lord with Holy Communion
7:00 PM—Stations of the Cross
Holy Saturday—April 16
9:00 AM Morning Prayer in the Church
11:30 AM - Blessing of Easter Food in the Church
No 12:00 PM Mass in the chapel
No 12:45 PM Reconciliation in the Church
8:15 PM—Easter Vigil Mass
Easter Sunday—April 17
8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM Masses
Lenten Regulations - Fasting and Easter Duty
1. The days of Fast and Abstinence during Lent are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. If possible, the fast on Good Friday continues until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast” to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily His Resurrection. The other Fridays of Lent are days of Abstinence.
- On a day of Fast, only one (1) full meal is permitted, and two (2) smaller meals, which, if added together, would not exceed the main meal in quantity. Those between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast.
- On a day of Abstinence, no meat may be eaten. Those who have reached the age of 14 are obliged by the law of abstinence.
2. The obligation to observe the laws of Fast and Abstinence “substantially”, or as a whole, is a serious obligation.
3. Time for fulfilling the Paschal Precept (Easter Duty*) extends from the First Sunday of Lent, March 6, to The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, June 12.
*Canon 920, §1. All the faithful, after they have been initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, are bound by the obligation of receiving communion at least once a year.
Annual Appeal
This year’s goal is $27,382. And 108 families have pledged $31,935 (116.7% of our goal), with $19,068.00 received as of March 31st. We exceeded our goal! Thank you!
Our parish receives back any donations over the goal. If we reach our goal in pledges by June 30th, we will receive 1% off our assessment rate, a savings of approximately $2000. If we collect our goal by that date, we receive 2%. That is a savings of roughly $4000.
Please use the envelopes in the pews or donate online at https://support.rcan.org/a/donate.
Photos
Our Youth Program Pictures
Confirmation Retreat
Our eight Confirmation candidates were on retreat on April 3rd. Thank you to Fiat Ventures who ran the retreat and St Thomas for accommodating us. There was adoration, reflections, some games, and food. Thank you and please continue to pray for them. We will ask our candidates to pray for you.
First Reconciliation Congratulations to our faith formation students who received the sacrament of reconciliation on March 23rd, 2022. Thank you to the teacher who prepared them, the parents who encouraged them, and Father Andrew, who administered the sacrament.
Visit from Bishop Cruz
Thank you Bishop Cruz for meeting with Father Andrew, Father Dennis, the staff, the Pastoral Council and the Finance Council at Saint Valentine on Wednesday April 6. It was a wonderful evening of dialogue, fellowship, faith and charity. #listeningchurch
Thank you Bishop Cruz for meeting with Father Andrew, Father Dennis, the staff, the Pastoral Council and the Finance Council at Saint Valentine on Wednesday April 6. It was a wonderful evening of dialogue, fellowship, faith and charity. #listeningchurch
Bishop Cruz spending time before the relic of Saint Josaphat, patron Saint of Ukraine, during his pastoral visit to Saint Valentine Parish on April 6, 2022.
Athletic Club Communion Breakfast
Additional pictures available on
Preparing for Palm Sunday
Food for Easter
Social Concerns Ministry- Food Pantry - Thanks for your donations that keep our food pantry stock. On Friday, bags were prepared to give to families in need for Easter. Thanks to those who volunteered preparing the bags and dropping them off. God Bless.
Events and Parish Online Calendar
There are many events at Saint Valentine, especially during Lent, Holy Week and the Easter Season . Use our online calendar to keep track of the latest events and updates. Thank you.
Closing Mass for the 500th Anniversary of Philippine Christianity
Sunday May 1, 2022 at 2:00 PM
Pray for Peace and Where to go to Aid Ukraine.
Please continue to pray for the people of Ukraine.
Visit https://www.rcan.org/where-give-help-ukraine for information about how to provide financial support and other aid.
Saint Casimir, Patron Saint of Poland, Pray for Us. Saint Josaphat, Patron Saint of Ukraine, Pray for Us.
Saint Casimir (Kazimierz in Polish). His Feast Day is March 4. He is the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. Read more on our website at http://www.stvalentinechurch.com/saint-casimir.html.
Saint Casimir (Kazimierz in Polish). His Feast Day is March 4. He is the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. Read more on our website at http://www.stvalentinechurch.com/saint-casimir.html.
Saint Josaphat is the patron Saint of Ukraine. Relics are physical objects directly associated with our Lord or a canonized saint. Saint Valentine Church is a steward of the relic of Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych, O.S.B.M. He was a Polish–Lithuanian monk and archeparch of the Ruthenian Catholic Church. He was born in Ukraine and is the patron Saint of Ukraine.
All prayer is vital for Catholics because it connects us to God and others. There are many ways to pray - sometimes we go to a special place to pray or ask someone to pray for us. Prayer in front of a relic contains aspects of both.
First, we go off to a special quiet place to pray to be close to pray to someone who is recognized as Holy. There is also a closer spiritual connection when we are physically near someone. A relic, Latin for "remains," is a physical remnant of a canonized saint, either part of their body or a personal effect.
Second, we ask this person in heaven, recognized as a Canonized Saint, to pray for a particular intention, precisely an intention close to their heart - their patronage. Saint Josaphat is the patron Saint of Ukraine, and the Church recognizes this person as someone to pray to for this specific intention.
We are all asked to pray on behalf of the people of Ukraine, no matter what form that takes. As a family in your homes, gathered at church on the weekends, privately in your room, before the relic or before Jesus in the Eucharist.
Saint Valentine was founded in 1899 as a parish to serve the religious needs of the Polish community in Bloomfield and the surrounding area. While the church community is now very diverse and inclusive, its building has many Polish Saints depicted in its artwork. All are welcome to come to Saint Valentine to also pray for the people of Poland who have been so generous and heroic in their support of Ukraine.
Mission Statement
The Roman Catholic Community of Saint Valentine is called to be a visible sign of God's presence in the world. Through celebration of the sacraments, especially through reconciliation and the Eucharist, we are sent out to proclaim and witness to the Gospel by our lives.
We are therefore dedicated to serving others within our church, local communities and throughout the world. By loving God, neighbor and self we deepen our response to the Lord and to announce the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ.