ORANGE — Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Orange commemorated its 150th anniversary with a week’s worth of celebrations that culminated in a bilingual Mass with Archdiocese of Newark Auxiliary Bishop Gregory J. Studerus, who has a lifelong affiliation with the church.
The festivities kicked off with 40 hours of continual Eucharistic adoration on the weekend of Sept. 1, during which parishioners could also pray before relics of Blessed Carlo Acutis, St. Paul, St. Francis of Assisi and others, according to a press release from the archdiocese, which said that the weekend also included a youth rally, a healing Mass and anointing of the sick, a couples encounter and an exhibition on worldwide Eucharistic miracles.
On Sept. 7, the parish gathered for a gala dinner that honored Bishop Studerus and four longtime parishioners — including Barbara Davis, Our Lady of the Valley’s secretary for more than 30 years.
The next evening, the parish’s actual founding date, Sept. 8, 1873, was recognized with a Mass featuring the dedication of a new niche in Mary Help of Christians’ name. That liturgy also celebrated the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary by welcoming a mariachi band to play the traditional Mexican birthday song “Las Mañanitas.”
Several teen parishioners performed an Ecuadorian dance in homage to Mary, as well.
Finally, on Sept. 10 Bishop Studerus presided over Our Lady of the Valley’s official anniversary Mass, which also served as a homecoming for himself.
The auxiliary bishop had his baptism, first Communion, confirmation and first Mass as a priest at the parish.
Afterward, the congregation gathered for a celebration reflecting the wide range of diverse cultures that make up the parish. Highlights included dances from Bolivia and Ecuador as well as parishioner-prepared meals from Nigeria, Central America and other global regions.
“This anniversary gave us a chance to renew and refresh our relationship with God and with one another in the parish,” said Father Miguel Angel Suarez, pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Parish, who estimated that 900 people took part in the week’s festivities — including many former parishioners who returned to celebrate after being away for years.
“It was wonderful,” he said. “Everyone had a lot of fun and they were so happy to be together because this was our first big event since COVID. And now that we’ve had this renewal, we want to move forward doing God’s will as a family of faith.”
For more information on Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Orange, visit www.olvsalesianchurch.org.
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