Happy St. Valentine's Day! Read the story of his life....

History of St. Valentine

FR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS

Who was Saint Valentine and how did he come to inspire Valentine's Day?

In the early martyrologies, three different St. Valentines are mentioned, all sharing Feb. 14 for a feast day. Unfortunately, the historical record is sparse. The first St. Valentine was a priest and physician in Rome. He along with St. Marius and his family comforted the martyrs during the persecution of Emperor Claudius II, the Goth. Eventually, St. Valentine was also arrested, condemned to death for his faith, beaten with clubs, and finally beheaded on Feb. 14, AD 270. He was buried on the Flaminian Way. Later, Pope Julius I (333-356) built a basilica at the site which preserved St. Valentine's tomb. Archeological digs in the 1500s and 1800s have found evidence of the tomb of St. Valentine. However, in the thirteenth century, his relics were transferred to the Church of Saint Praxedes near the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where they remain today. Also, a small church was built near the Flaminian Gate of Rome which is now known as the Porta del Popolo but was called in the 12th century "the Gate of St. Valentine," as noted by the early British historian William Somerset (also known as William of Malmesbury, d. 1143), who ranks after St. Bede in authority.

The second St. Valentine was the Bishop of Interamna (now Terni, located about 60 miles from Rome). Under the orders of Prefect Placidus, he too was arrested, scourged, and decapitated, again suffering persecution during the time of Emperor Claudius II.

The third St. Valentine suffered martyrdom in Africa with several companions. However, nothing further is known about this saint. In all, these men, each named St. Valentine, showed heroic love for the Lord and His Church.

The popular customs of showing love and affection on St. Valentine's Day is almost a coincidence with the feast day of the saint: During the Medieval Age, a common belief in England and France was that birds began to pair on Feb.14, "half-way through the second month of the year." Chaucer wrote in his "Parliament of Foules" (in Old English): "For this was on Seynt Valentyne's day, When every foul cometh ther to choose his mate." For this reason, the day was dedicated to "lovers" and prompted the sending of letters, gifts, or other signs of affection.

Another literary example of St. Valentine's Day remembrances is found in Dame Elizabeth Brews "Paston Letters" (1477), where she writes to the suitor, John Paston, of her daughter, Margery: "And, cousin mine, upon Monday is St. Valentine's day and every bird chooseth himself a mate, and if it like you to come on Thursday night, and make provision that you may abide till then, I trust to God that ye shall speak to my husband and I shall pray that we may bring the matter to a conclusion." In turn, Margery wrote to John: "Unto my right well beloved Valentine John Paston, Squyer, be this bill delivered. Right reverend and worshipful and my right well beloved Valentine, I recommend me unto you, full heartily desiring to hear of your welfare, which I beseech Almighty God long for to preserve until His pleasure and your heart's desire." While speaking of the amorous flavor of Valentine's Day, no mention is made of the saint.

While it seems that the exchange of "valentines" is more the result of secular custom rather than the memory of St. Valentine, and that the celebration has been further paganized with cupids and the like, there is a Christian message that should be remembered. The love of our Lord, depicted beautifully in the image of His most Sacred Heart, is a sacrificial, self-less, and unconditional love. Such is the love that each Christian is called to express in his own life, for God and neighbor. Clearly, St. Valentine—no matter which one—showed such a love, bearing witness to the faith in his dedication as a priest and in the offering of his own life in martyrdom. On this Valentine's day, looking to the example of this great saint, each person should offer again his love to the Lord, for only by doing so can he properly love those who are entrusted to his care and any other neighbor. Each person should again pledge his love to those loved ones, praying for their intentions, promising fidelity to them, and thanking them for their love in return. Never forget Jesus said, "This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (Jn 15:12-13). St. Valentine fulfilled this command, and may we do the same.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Saunders, Rev. William. "History of Saint Valentine." Arlington Catholic Herald.

This article is reprinted with permission from Arlington Catholic Herald.

THE AUTHOR

Father William Saunders is dean of the Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College and pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Sterling, Virginia. The above article is a "Straight Answers" column he wrote for the Arlington Catholic Herald. Father Saunders is also the author of Straight Answers, a book based on 100 of his columns and published by Cathedral Press in Baltimore.

Happy New Year!

History of Our Lady of La Salette's Apparition and Shrine

HISTORY  &  BACKGROUND  OF  THE

NATIONAL  SHRINE  OF  OUR  LADY  OF  LA SALETTE  IN  ATTLEBORO,  MASSACHUSETTS

     Any La Salette story traces its beginnings to September 19, 1846 when the Blessed Mother appeared to two shepherd children at La Salette, a small hamlet in the French Alps.  Through the children she gave her message of “Reconciliation” to the world.  She insisted that this message be made known to all her people.  Consequently in 1852 the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette were founded to serve as a “perpetual remembrance of Mary’s merciful Apparition.”

   Hartford, Connecticut.  Since then the U.S.A. presence has grown to include four provinces stretching from the East coast to California and from Wisconsin to Texas.
  In 1892 two La Salette Missionaries arrived to explore possible settlement in the New World and ultimately settled in

    Attleboro, James Solomon was gathering herbs and roots in the woods on this property for herbal remedies that he concocted and peddled.  Although he was known as Dr. Solomon, he was not a medical doctor, but his dream was to build a great sanatorium on this spot where people would come to be healed of cancer.  In 1894 an engineer surveyed the grounds and by March of 1901 the walls stood in place to receive the giant roof, and a local businessman pledged the necessary financial backing to complete the project.  The sanatorium cost $400,000 to build!

Meanwhile, back in

     On April 25, 1903 Solomon’s Sanatorium was dedicated and the statistics in the day’s program included this information:  “Bricks – 475,709; windows – 309; panes of glass – 3,254; fireplaces – 21; rooms – 200; electric wire – 27 miles.”  The order of the day included a band concert on the Attleboro Common followed by a parade from the center of town.  A contemporary account describes the event:  “With the coming of the dark, Dr. Solomon’s dream sprang to life in a great blaze of electrical splendor; 1,800 electric lights outlined the exterior of the building, while an immense searchlight mounted on the roof threw its slender, graceful finger of light over four miles.”

     Unfortunately, in the years to follow lack of funds resulting in changes of ownership was to form a pattern.  In 1919, when the Methodist Church purchased it, the name was changed to Attleboro Springs, due to the natural spring on the grounds and it was under that name that it shut down in 1938.

     In 1942 the La Salette Missionaries bought the property as a major seminary and in 1952 the construction of the Shrine was announced.   On the Vigil of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 7, 1953, marked the official opening of the Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, coinciding with the beginning of the Marian Year promulgated by Pope Pius XII.  Highlights of that day included a fireworks display, an outdoor nativity scene, and the presence of 5,000 people.

     Since then the outdoor nativity display has grown to the present scope of the annual Christmas Festival of Lights, which features 300,000 dazzling lights and welcomes over 500,000 pilgrims.

    

A tragic fire on November 5, 1999 destroyed “The Solomon’s Sanatorium.”  The following year, the new Shrine Church of Our Lady of La Salette was dedicated on September 19, 2000.

Constant strands in the history of this Attleboro property do seem to be:  dream and struggle, hope and healing, dark night of the search and bright lights pointing the way. 

     November 15, 2003 the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops notified the shrine that it had been granted the new designation of “National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette.”

(Historical material on La Salette of Attleboro compiled by Rev. Donald Paradis, M.S.)    

8/11/13

WISHING YOU ALL MANY BLESSINGS ON 2014!

  Wishing You

 Many Blessings on this New Year
2014
Please Pray for Vocations

Father, you call each one of us by name and ask us to follow you.  Bless your Church by raising up dedicated and generous leaders from our families and friends who will serve your people as Priests, Deacons, Sisters, Brothers and Lay Leaders.  May they be inspired to heed the call of Our Lady of  La Salette to make this message known to all her people.

Inspire us as we grow to know you, and open our hearts to

hear your call.

We ask you this in Jesus’ name.

AMEN.

Our   Lady  of   La  Salette

Teach your people how to serve your Son

National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette

Vocation Office – Rev. Fr. Dennis Loomis, M.S.

947 Park Street

Attleboro, MA 02703-5115

Tel: (508) 222-5410 x 238  Fax: (508) 222-6770

 E-Mail: dennismsmma@aol.com

http://www.lasalette-shrine.org

HAPPY FEAST DAY TO ALL LA SALETTE MISSIONARIES!

Live mosdesty, Honor Jesus & Our Lady of La Salettte

Live La Salette Values... Make Our Lady Happy....Become a Saint!