Prayer:
Let none of Our Lady of the Valley parishioners ever neglect or forget their devotion, faith, and love to our Blessed Lady who will continue to implore further blessings and graces from Her Divine Son, Jesus, as long as her Church will remain in the hallowed site of Orange Valley.
Accept, dear Mary, Mother of God, our lasting and heartfelt thanks with the renewed pledge ever to keep loyal and faithful until we meet again in Eternity.
Our Lady of the Valley Parish was organized on September 8th, 1873. Originally it was a mission to the "Mother Church" - St. John's Church in Orange. The trustees of St. John's purchased the Orange Valley Congregational Church, a small stone church at the corner of Nassau and Valley Streets. The first pastor assigned to the new parish was Reverend G.A. Vassaldo (1873-1874).
Reverend James A. Walsh became the second pastor on September 6th, 1874 and continued the pioneer work in the growing "Valley Parish." In his pastorate, funds were collected for a parochial house (1874-1877).
On June 10, 1877, Father Walsh was succeeded by Reverend Walter M.A. Fleming. As the parish grew, Father Fleming found it necessary to "extend, alter, and remodel" the church at a cost of $8, 570.00 to meet the demands of the expansion. (1877-1879)
On July 28, 1879, Reverend W.M.R. Callan became the fourth pastor. His immediate concern was the education of the children. He applied to Chestnut Hill, PA for the Sisters of St. Joseph and in September 1882, three sisters were assigned to come from St. John's in Newark to teach in Orange every morning. In December 1882, Father Callan purchased a little house on the hill above Scotland Road as the temporary convent for the three Sisters. Mother Raphael was placed in charge of the new mission. A year later, in 1883, a four story frame building at 518 Valley Street was built and the number of the Resident Sisters was increased from three to six. The care of the youth was uppermost in the mind of Father Callan and on December 11, 1891, a resolution was passed to erect a new building for the young men of the parish for their leisure hours. On October 29, 1895, the parish sustained a loss by fire and the plans for the building had to be temporarily put off (1879-1898).
Upon the death of Father Callan on February 25, 1898, Reverend Thomas A. Wallace succeeded him and served for five years, when he resigned to resume the official duties as Chancellor of the Diocese and Secretary to Bishop O'Connor. Father Wallace had relinquished these offices at the time of his appointment as pastor. During his pastorate, Father Wallace built and equipped the Lyceum for the young men - thus carrying out the hopes and plans of his predecessor, Father Callan.
The parish continued to grow rapidly. In 1909, construction was begun on the present Church and Rectory. The laying of the cornerstone of the new Church was on the site of the old and was solemnly blessed by Bishop John J. O'Connor. The estimated cost of the new Church was about $100,000. The new Church was dedicated on February 26, 1911.
(History information provided by the Our Lady of the Valley Archives)