From Father Steven - April 28, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • April 26, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

This Sunday and the following one we will be having our first communions here in the parish. In preparation for that, I began reading some testimonies about receiving communion that were very beautiful. Here I would like to share with you a conversation that Pope Benedict XVI had with some children regarding receiving communion.

 

Dear Pope, what are your memories of your First Communion day?

 

I would first like to say thank you for this celebration of faith that you are offering to me, for your presence and for your joy. I greet you and thank you for the hug I have received from some of you, a hug that, of course, symbolically stand for you all. I remember my First Communion day very well. It was a lovely Sunday in March 1936, 69 years ago. It was a sunny day, the church looked very beautiful, there was music.... There were so many beautiful things that I remember. There were about 30 of us, boys and girls from my little village of no more than 500 inhabitants. But at the heart of my joyful and beautiful memories is this one - and your spokesperson said the same thing: I understood that Jesus had entered my heart, he had actually visited me. And with Jesus, God himself was with me. And I realized that this is a gift of love that is truly worth more than all the other things that life can give. So on that day I was really filled with great joy, because Jesus came to me and I realized that a new stage in my life was beginning, I was 9 years old, and that it was henceforth important to stay faithful to that encounter, to that communion. I promised the Lord as best I could: "I always want to stay with you", and I prayed to him, "but above all, stay with me". So I went on living my life like that; thanks be to God, the Lord has always taken me by the hand and guided me, even in difficult situations. Thus, that day of my First Communion was the beginning of a journey made together. I hope that for all of you too, the First Communion you have received in this Year of the Eucharist will be the beginning of a lifelong friendship with Jesus, the beginning of a journey together, because in walking with Jesus we do well and life becomes good.

 

In preparing me for my First Communion day, my catechist told me that Jesus is present in the

Eucharist. But how? I can't see him!

 

No, we cannot see him, but there are many things that we do not see but they exist and are essential. For example: we do not see our reason, yet we have reason. We do not see our intelligence and we have it. In a word: we do not see our soul and yet it exists and we see its effects, because we can speak, think and make decisions, etc. Nor do we see an electric current, for example, yet we see that it exists; we see this microphone, that it is working, and we see lights. Therefore, we do not see the very deepest things, those that really sustain life and the world, but we can see and feel their effects. This is also true for electricity; we do not see the electric current but we see the light.

 

So it is with the Risen Lord: we do not see him with our eyes but we see that wherever Jesus is, people change, they improve. A greater capacity for peace, for reconciliation, etc., is created. Therefore, we do not see the Lord himself but we see the effects of the Lord: so we can understand that Jesus is present. And as I said, it is precisely the invisible things that are the most profound, the most important. So let us go to meet this invisible but powerful Lord who helps us to live well.

 

What good does it do for our everyday life to go to Holy Mass and receive Communion?

 

It centres life. We live amid so many things. And the people who do not go to church, do not know that it is precisely Jesus they lack. But they feel that something is missing in their lives. If God is absent from my life, if Jesus is absent from my life, a guide, an essential friend is missing, even an important joy for life, the strength to grow as a man, to overcome my vices and mature as a human being. Therefore, we cannot immediately see the effects of being with Jesus and of going to Communion. But with the passing of the weeks and years, we feel more and more keenly the absence of God, the absence of Jesus. It is a fundamental and destructive incompleteness. I could easily speak of countries where atheism has prevailed for years: how souls are destroyed, but also the earth. In this way we can see that it is important, and I would say fundamental, to be nourished by Jesus in Communion. It is he who gives us enlightenment, offers us guidance for our lives, a guidance that we need.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - May 31, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 29, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This year our nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence. Many celebrations have been taking place throughout these past months and will continue in the months ahead. The Catholic Church is also organizing events to mark this important milestone. A National Eucharistic Pilgrimage began in St. Augustine, Florida, and will travel through several cities significant to the history of the United States. Boston will host three days of the National Pilgrimage. On Friday, June 26, there will be celebrations in Plymouth. On the following day, there will be a Eucharistic Procession along the Freedom Trail, beginning at Boston Common at 10:00 a.m., followed by Mass at 4:30 p.m. at the Cathedral. On the final day, there will be Mass, Adoration, and a procession in Lexington. We would like to organize a group from the parish to participate in some of these events. We will publish more information at a later date, but you may also find details online. Another important event will take place on Friday, June 12 . All the bishops of the United States have decided to dedicate our country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Following their call and the encouragement of our Archbishop, we will also consecrate our parish and ourselves to the Sacred Heart. To prepare ourselves for this consecration, we will pray the Novena to the Sacred Heart in all three languages. We will pray the first day together on Wednesday, June 3 , after Benediction at 7:00 p.m. (The novena prayers will be available at the entrances of the church beginning this weekend.) We will conclude the novena and make the Act of Consecration on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday, June 12 , also at 7:00 p.m. It will be similar to the consecration to Mary that we made last December. Although many people have seen the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus—such as the statue to the left of the main altar—some may not be familiar with the devotion itself. In 1673, during a time when the world had grown cold and had forgotten the tenderness and mercy of Christ’s love, Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque on the feast of St. John in Paray-le-Monial, France. He revealed to her His Heart burning with love for humanity. In these visions, Jesus asked her to spread devotion to His Sacred Heart and instructed her on how the devotion should be practiced. The devotion as we know it today is largely based on these revelations to St. Margaret Mary. Jesus’ profound love for us is demonstrated through His willingness to sacrifice His life for our sake. The love flowing from His Heart motivated all His actions—His inner life manifested in His virtues, compassion, and sacrifice. Yet this great love is often met with indifference and ingratitude, even among the faithful. The purpose of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is to focus our hearts on receiving and returning His love with gratitude—with all our heart, soul, and strength—so that He may be glorified. From a theological perspective, consecration is not considered magic, protection from all hardship, or a guarantee of prosperity. Rather, its purpose is surrender, transformation, and the alignment of our lives with Christ’s love by becoming more patient, forgiving, compassionate, and self-giving toward others. On a different note, NEXT SUNDAY we will celebrate our annual trilingual Corpus Christi Mass at 11:00 a.m. There will be no 9:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. Mass that day. We will gather outdoors in the parking lot—rain or shine—to celebrate the greatest gift: the true Body and Blood of Christ. After Mass, we will process with the Blessed Sacrament through downtown Marlborough, singing and praising God. This year the procession will coincide with the car show, so please plan ahead and arrive early to find parking. Hopefully, as in past years, we will have a large crowd. If there are volunteers who would like to help with the sawdust carpet, please arrive around sunrise. God Bless you all, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - May 24, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 22, 2026
A Call to Pray for Priests Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This weekend, as we celebrate Pentecost, we are all called to be with the Virgin Mary and the apostles praying in the Cenacle for the revelation of God through the Holy Spirit. A long-time parishioner has asked me to share with you a letter she wrote about a special ministry that she is promoting here in the parish. Please read her letter below. God Bless, Fr. Steven =============================== How privileged we are as a parish to have celebrated recently the ordination of Father Javier. What a joy and gift a priest is to God’s people! Priests accompany us at some of the most intimate, joyful and difficult moments of our lives. These self-sacrificing shepherds, our brothers, carry not only the full weight of our burdens but their own as well….please pray for them. We parishioners have a great privilege and duty, out of love, to pray for priests, especially those who serve us so tirelessly and unselfishly here at Immaculate Conception Parish. We all need prayer. It is the start of holiness. No one can become a saint without praying. Our priests need prayer too! They are our brothers along with us on this path to holiness, all as members of The Body of Christ with Jesus as the Head. On Friday, June 12th, the Church will celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. How grateful I am for this day to remind us to pray for our priests. Recently I was introduced to a beautiful apostolate dedicated to praying for priests: The Seven Sisters Apostolate. The Seven Sisters Apostolate is a call to strengthen the Church by ensuring that a Holy Hour is prayed each day of the week for the sole intention of a specific priest or bishop, a “holy wasting” (cf. Mt. 26:10) or lavishing of prayer for his deeper conformity to Christ. Seven women each commit to one holy hour a week on a specific day, praying exclusively for a particular priest and his priesthood for one year: A Seven Sister, One Holy Hour, One Day, One Priest, Each week, One Heart of Prayer. Since its founding in 2011, Seven Sisters has established sisterhoods praying for bishops and priests worldwide. The ultimate goal is for every priest and bishop in every diocese to have a sisterhood covering them in prayer. Each group is started by an Anchoress who recruits members, passes on needed information, and communicates the existence and intentions of the group to the particular priest. There are also opportunities for men to support this apostolic work by substituting for Sisters to make a holy hour and also by fasting on one given day a week for the priest. I have always prayed for priests but not in this particular way. I think my attraction to the Seven Sisters Apostolate is the fruit of my prayers and nudges from the Holy Spirit during the many hours of Adoration and opportunities for confession I have enjoyed here in our parish. Everyone can pray for priests. You do not need to belong to any kind of group or apostolate, although that is an encouragement for keeping one’s commitment to pray. Keep on with your prayers without ceasing. Pray every day for God’s priests who suffer the same struggles, temptations, discouragements and sorrows that we all do. Wrap them in your prayers, fasting, and sacrifices. Beg the Blessed Virgin Mary to keep them pure and holy for her son, Jesus Christ. You only need to do it.  There will be a Q&A meeting for those interested on Wednesday, May 27th at 7:00pm in the Upper Church. If you would like to find out more about The Seven Sisters Apostolate visit their website: www.sevensistersapostolate.org or email Christine Lehane: cmolehane@gmail.com .