Ordained in 1951 in Albany, NY, Father Stephen's first assignment was in a mid-city parish in Binghamton, NY, where his primary work was developing the character of young people of the parish. In 1955, he found the Catholic Information Center in that city and put all of his efforts into convert instructions and public relations for the Catholic Church. During this time Father Stephen entered into the field of communications to spread the Faith through radio and television; he also entered into the ecumenical ministry and established a dialogue group of Catholic priests and Protestant ministers.

In 1966, Father Stephen became the chaplain at the State University of New York at Binghamton, working diligently to foster the Faith of the Catholic students.

In 1973, he was granted a sabbatical where he spent a year in Assisi, Italy, studying the prayer life of St. Francis. After the year was up, he returned to establish Mount St. Francis Hermitage in Maine, NY, having received permission from his major superior to imitate more realistically the life of his founder. At this facility, Father Stephen was able to nourish the Faith of thousands of people who came to the hermitage from the entire east coast of the United States and Canada.

After more than seventeen years living a very rugged and deeply spiritual life, he entered into a preaching ministry traveling through the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia, sharing with hundreds of thousands what he had learned at the hermitage where he had spent his time listening to and carrying out the prompts and nudges of the Holy Spirit.

Father Valenta has earned a Masters in psychology.

For years he has, and continues to give retreats to Mother Teresa's Sisters throughout the world.
Father Stephen has crossed the oceans a hundred times leading pilgrimages to many holy shrines around the world.

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