As National Marriage Week came to an end earlier this week, the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee marked Valentine’s Day. 

The diocese marked both events with a social media post wishing its congregation a happy Valentine’s Day. 

“Today is also the culmination of #NationalMarriageWeek,” the diocese said in a Facebook post on Valentine’s Day. “May we remember the reason we love and to strive to love one another the way Christ loves us.”

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops noted on its website that Valentine’s Day this year fell at the conclusion of National Marriage Week, which was recognized from Feb. 7-14. The website also noted that the week also encompassed World Marriage Day on Feb. 13 and added that its theme of “Called to the Joy of Love,” presents a change to honor the joy and love connected with marriage and family.

While the true identity of St. Valentine may be hazy, according to History.com, the website points out that Feb. 14 honors the feast day of Saint Valentine of Rome, who died around the year of 270, and is the patron saint of couples and marriages. Moreover, the website also noted in its post that St. Valentine was a temple priest ultimately beheaded by Roman emperor Claudius II for his penchant for promoting marriage among Christian couples. History.com also noted that there are approximately 12 St. Valentines and one Pope Valentine, who the website noted served for just 40 days in about 827.  

St. Valentine's Day was first celebrated, according to Britannica, as a festival for lovers in the 14th century. However, History.com pointed out that that the Catholic church no longer carries out a liturgical veneration of St. Valentine, with that practice ending in 1969, though his name today remains among the list of saints officially recognized by the church.