Live Stream Mass for this weekend

Twenty-Ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time Saturday October 16, 2021 @ 5:30 PM

The Second Collection this weekend if for Word Mission Sunday - Propagation of the Faith...all of us committed to the worldwide mission of Jesus

Our bulletin is also available online on our website at http://www.stvalentinechurch.com/

The following is taken from https://www.rcan.org/cardinal-tobins-pastoral-letter-introduces-synod-synodality-faithful-archdiocese

October 11, 2021 

TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NEWARK 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! This past weekend Pope Francis launched a two-year “synod on synodality,” a call to all the members of the Catholic Church across the world to enter a process of listening to the Holy Spirit and to each other in order to discern the path we must walk together. Yesterday, Pope Francis celebrated the Eucharist in St. Peter’s Square as the first solemn act of the Synod. Next Sunday, October 17 in dioceses across the world, bishops will celebrate the opening of the synodal process in their respective dioceses. On that day, I will preside at the Eucharist in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart at 12 Noon and would be delighted if you might join us.

The word “synod” traces its roots to the first centuries of the Church. Coming from Greek words meaning the “same road,” synod and synodality are expressions of the fundamental mystery of the Church: people who are gathered from every corner of the earth to be “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2,9).

While the Synod of Bishops has taken place up until now as a gathering of bishops with and under the authority of the Pope, the Church increasingly realizes that synodality is the path for the entire People of God. That means making pastoral decisions “that reflect the will of God as closely as possible, grounding them in the living voice of the People of God.” 

The present synod will take place in three stages. From now until next April, every diocese in the world is expected to promote a special time of prayer, listening, dialogue and recommendations. After April, this dialogue will continue at national and continental assemblies of Catholics. Finally, in October 2023, bishops and others will gather in Roma with the Holy Father to chart the future of our Church.

Who can participate in this synod? Is this just for the clergy? No. All of us baptized are invited. Pope Francis never tires of reminding us that the participation of all must be an undeniable commitment of the whole Church. 

Sister Donna Ciangio, OP, the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, and Father Bismarck Chau, the rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, have agreed to coordinate the synodal process throughout our Archdiocese. Together with their team, they will ensure that every parish will have the opportunity to participate in this important moment in the history of the Church. But they will also be concerned with voices from the “periphery,” voices that are easily and often overlooked in Catholic discussions. The Holy Spirit is moving throughout the Church and we need to listen. 

As a result of the diocesan consultation, a report will be written that will collect our voices. But the most important thing will not be answering a questionnaire or attending a meeting, but living synodality, that is, experiencing Church as walking with others. Each fellow pilgrim has received a call and gifts given by the Holy Spirit for the good of the Church. Through this blessed time, the Holy Spirit will enrich the magnificent mosaic that is the People of God, making us a gift for the life of the world. 

Let us begin a time of prayer and listening. A time in which all – bishops, priests, deacons, men and women religious and laity – will try to answer two fundamental questions: How are we living this “walking together” in our Archdiocese and what steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow?

Sincerely yours in Christ the Redeemer, 

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R. Archbishop of Newark

The following is taken from https://www.rcan.org/archdiocese-newark-reconnect-disengaged-catholics-through-new-initiative

The Archdiocese of Newark will launch its new Vine and Branches initiative on Sunday, October 10, to inspire Catholics in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties to return to Mass now that most pandemic-related restrictions have been lifted.

Spearheaded by Auxiliary Bishop Michael A. Saporito and priests of the Archdiocese, Vine and Branches will see parishes host numerous special events and online engagement throughout the year to reconnect with congregation members who stopped attending Mass due to COVID-19. Additionally, the initiative will attempt to build relationships with non-parishioners through outreach efforts inviting them to join the Church.

“The parishes within our Archdiocese reopened their doors for in-person Masses months ago,” said Bishop Saporito. “This effort is designed to open our doors wide to our communities and re-introduce to all that receiving Christ’s Body and Blood through the Eucharist is the most sacred and vital gift a Catholic can receive.”

Though the Archdiocese oversees the Vine and Branches initiative, each participating parish is planning its own programming after forming committees focused on community outreach, social events, missionary work, digital strategy, and “welcome back” activities. Upcoming gatherings are expected to include special Masses, concerts, coffee hours, and other types of social parish events. Emphasis also will be placed on communicating through technology and social media platforms in order to better reach people in today’s digital world.

“By offering these fun, faith-filled and creative activities, we hope our parishioners will recognize that it is safe to attend Mass again while appreciating the value of gathering together in community,” said Bishop Saporito.  The Archdiocese continues to maintain and promote health and safety policies in compliance with state mandates. “And if you’ve never been to church, these programs are the perfect entry point to start exploring your faith.”

Through it all, the Vine and Branches back-to-Church initiative will seek to foster a spirit of welcoming so churchgoers will feel comfortable embracing their faith and revitalizing their relationship with Jesus.

“In the Gospel of John, Jesus stated that He is the vine, and we are the branches,” Bishop Saporito said. “Many of us are in need of faith, prayers, and a connection to Christ as well as to one another. Given that we all have experienced this pandemic together, we are all working together to renew ourselves. And I hope people see that there is no better place to do that than church, where we can worship and heal as one.”

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R, Archbishop of Newark, has released a pastoral reflection on the role of Catholics as "stewards of God's grace." This follows a previous pastoral letter from Cardinal Tobin in which he looked forward to an eventual return to in-person worship. Now that vaccination has become more widespread and statewide restrictions against in-person gatherings have lifted, Cardinal Tobin is encouraging Catholics to reunite in celebrating the Mass.

"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," Cardinal Tobin writes in Stewards of God's Grace. "I see this as a stewardship responsibility, an opportunity 'to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.'"

Throughout the pandemic, the Archdiocese of Newark has taken a leadership role in developing and maintaining protocols to preserve the health and safety of its parishioners and parish communities. The Archdiocese continues to maintain policies that comply with applicable state guidelines.

"As stewards of God's grace, we have an obligation to serve as teachers and role models for the children of our community, who have begun to gather safely at school each day for in-person instruction," Cardinal Tobin adds. "In a similar way, we can and must return to celebrating the Eucharist together, to show future generations of Catholics the countless benefits of uniting as a Church."

In developing Stewards of God's Grace, Cardinal Tobin built upon ideas proposed by the American bishops in a 1992 pastoral letter titled Stewardship: A Disciple's Response. To read the full text of Cardinal Tobin's pastoral reflection in English and Spanish, visit https://www.rcan.org/stewards-gods-grace.