From Father Steven - August 17, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • August 14, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

As many of you know, a group of 50 youth from our parish recently participated in the Youth Jubilee with Pope Leo in Rome. I had the privilege of accompanying them on this incredible journey. This week, I’d like to share with you what we experienced, and next week, some of the youth will share their own testimonies with you.

 

We began our trip by arriving in Munich on Saturday, July 26th. Our first stop was the Marian shrine of Altötting in southeastern Germany, where we entrusted our pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary. This shrine is one of the oldest in Europe. From there, we traveled to the small Austrian town of Sankt Radegund to visit the church and tomb of Blessed Franz Jägerstätter. He was a farmer, husband, and father of three who refused to swear allegiance to Hitler. For his unwavering faith, he was imprisoned, tortured, and ultimately martyred. His powerful story is beautifully portrayed in the film A Hidden Life. He also had an incredible conversion before giving his life for Christ. The next day, we visited the Dachau concentration camp. There, we faced the harrowing consequences of hatred but also encountered inspiring testimonies of mercy and forgiveness. We had the honor of celebrating Mass at the Carmelite convent built on the grounds after the fall of the Nazi regime. That day happened to be the feast of St. Titus Brandsma, a Dutch Carmelite martyred in the camp and the only canonized saint from Dachau. Before he was killed by lethal injection, he gave his rosary to the nurse tasked with ending his life. In an act of love and forgiveness, he offered her an encounter with Christ. Years later, she repented and returned to the faith, moved by that very rosary.

 

That night, we stayed at a beautiful hotel in Trento, having crossed the Alps. The following day, we visited Venice and the tomb of St. Mark the Evangelist. While we didn’t get a chance to ride the gondolas, we did enjoy exploring the canals during our free time. After celebrating Mass, we were warmly welcomed by a parish in Bologna, where the pastor generously provided us shelter. Although we slept on a hard floor, it was a welcome break for our backs after many hours on the bus! Our next stop was Loreto, where we visited the Holy House of Mary. According to tradition, this is the very house from Nazareth where the Virgin Mary lived, transported miraculously to Italy. The following day, we visited the beautiful city of Assisi, where we prayed at the tombs of Blessed Carlo Acutis, St. Clare, and St. Francis. It was truly a blessing. On our way to Rome, we stopped in Cascia to visit the tomb of St. Rita and venerate an Eucharistic Miracle preserved there. We reflected on the themes of vocation—both to marriage and religious life—as well as the power of forgiveness, all central to St. Rita’s life.

 

We then spent four unforgettable days in Rome. On the first day, we visited St. Peter’s Basilica, entered through the Holy Door, and prayed at the tomb of St. Peter. Later, at Piazza Navona, we reflected on the life of St. Agnes and prayed before her relic. That day, we also visited the Colosseum, remembering the many martyrs who gave their lives for Christ.The next day, we joined over a million young people at a large field where Pope Leo addressed us. His message was truly inspiring—well worth reading—and his English flawless! That night, we camped under the stars with the other pilgrims. The following day, we attended a meeting of youth from the Neocatechumenal Way, with 120,000 participants. During the vocational call, four of our youth—three young men and one young woman—publicly expressed their desire to pursue a religious vocation. On our journey back, we stopped in Padua to pray at the tombs of St. Anthony, St. Matthias, and St. Luke. We concluded our pilgrimage with a final Mass at the Shrine of Altötting, joining 11,000 other American youth.

 

There are no words to fully express what we experienced. From the sacred places we visited to the saints we encountered, from witnessing the transformation of the youth to the daily presence of God we felt—this pilgrimage was a profound gift. We carried all of you and your intentions in our hearts throughout the journey. We are deeply grateful to God and to each of you who supported us through your prayers and encouragement. If you would like to see some of the pictures from the Pilgrimage, they are on our website.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

 

From Father Steven - April 12, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • April 10, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, HAPPY EASTER!!! We are still celebrating Easter (and we will continue until Pentecost!). I would like to share with you this weekend the article that the Archdiocese has written in response to some media requests to comment on the rise of people coming back to the faith. Over the past 4 years we have seen a steady and significant increase in non-Christians [or unbaptized] becoming Catholic during the Easter season. Regarding specifically catechumens participating in the Rite of Election, these are the numbers for the Archdiocese of Boston: 2023: we had 299; 2024 - 360; 2025-438; 2026-680. What’s the reason? Probably a combination of factors including a fundamental need to be closer to God. The first observation is that we believe it to be the direct action of the Holy Spirit, and not simply a sociological phenomenon or the success of some program or another. In fact, Archbishop Henning has said that “this seems to be something that the Lord is doing - the Spirit of the Lord is always at work in the world and in the Church and we are happy to see such a response in people’s hearts to Jesus’ call to follow Him.” The Archbishop notes that ”we seek to cooperate with the action of the Spirit; but it is His work, not ours.” Has Pope Leo had an impact? Yes. It’s not just being the First American Pope; it is that he has captured a sense of community with Catholics across the world and very clearly in the US Catholic Church. The wave had been growing before his election but is now picking up speed and size. There is a sense of spiritual renewal in the Archdiocese of Boston. We have seen it in our parishes across the Archdiocese. Archbishop Henning has put an emphasis on engaging with Catholics across the archdiocese at the parish level and in our schools, with a particular focus on youth and young adults. In a recent interview, Patrick Krisak, the archdiocese’s director of faith formation and missionary discipleship said, “There may not be a revival across the country, but there are revivals,” he said. “And at what point do all of those pockets of revival that we’re seeing all over the country add up to a revival?” The two main categories of folks we see being welcomed into the Church are children/adolescents, who mostly did not receive their sacraments on the typical schedule, and adults. A key component is the work at the parish level in welcoming and accompanying families where adults and children seek to join communities of faith. In addition, Rev. Eric Cadin, Director of Vocations with the Archdiocese, said that “among college age young people, there is a profound openness to the big questions. This includes questions such as, where do I come from? What is my purpose? What does all this mean? More importantly, so many who are exposed to division and even cruelty, especially online, as well as in real life, are actively resisting and moving away from that. And it leads them to an openness to faith, especially one that promotes love your enemy. That is a radical truth, that captivates young people, especially in the world in which we live. They meet people in the church who engage their real questions with generosity and grace and mercy, and it is very attractive to them.” Here in the parish we are happy to announce that 39 people received Baptism on Easter, and 3 people were welcomed into the Catholic Faith (they were baptized Protestant). Some of them were children, others teenagers, and some adults as well. They were baptized, confirmed and received their first communion all together. Please continue to pray for them as they really began their journey and for those who are still being called into the faith. Congratulations to all of you that received your sacraments and we look forward to walking along with you!  Finally, I would like to invite you all to the Divine Mercy celebration that will take place this Sunday at 3:00pm in the Church. If you have never attended, it is a beautiful moment! If you are not familiar with it, search about and be ready to be marveled by it. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - April 5, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • April 2, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Easter! The other day, Archbishop Richard Henning shared an example during the Chrism Mass that stayed with me: the image of a broken clock. While I will take the idea in a slightly different direction, it offers a helpful way to reflect on the meaning of Easter. A clock is a remarkable piece of craftsmanship. It is made up of springs, gears, dials, and wheels, all carefully designed and assembled. Once everything is in place, we call it a clock. It may come in different shapes, sizes, and styles, but its purpose is the same: to tell time. But what happens when it stops working? Do we still call it a clock? Is it only a clock when it functions properly? In a similar way, we can reflect on our own lives. Each of us has been wonderfully made, with a complexity far greater than any clock—our bodies, our minds, our souls, all working together in harmony. And we, too, have a purpose: to love. Yet there are times when we fail. There are moments when we struggle to love as we should. But do we cease to be who we are because of that? Of course not. Just as a broken clock is still a clock, we do not stop being children of God—created in His image and likeness—even when we fall short. This is precisely why Christ comes to us. Through His Resurrection, He does not simply “fix” us in a superficial way. He comes to restore us completely—to make us whole. He does not just replace a part or patch us up; He offers us new life. He gives us His Spirit, a life that can overcome sin, temptation, and despair. A clock cannot repair itself, and neither can we. We often think that if we just try harder, we can fix everything on our own. But what we truly need is the One who made us. We need God to restore in us what is missing. And He desires to do so—if only we allow Him.  The Gospel of the Resurrection tells us about Mary Magdalene going to the tomb of Jesus. She and the other women wondered who would roll away the stone. It seemed like an impossible obstacle. And yet, when they arrived, the stone had already been removed. The angel announced to them that Jesus was no longer among the dead. Later, Mary encountered the Risen Lord, though at first she mistook Him for the gardener. How often do we experience something similar in our own lives? We see obstacles that feel immovable—stones we believe we cannot roll away. But Easter proclaims to us today that the stone has already been moved. What seems impossible to us is not impossible for God. This message is like the voice of the angel speaking to each of us: do not be afraid. The Risen Christ is near. But we must be willing to seek Him. Among all those who knew Jesus, it was the women—those who went looking for Him—who first received the joy of encountering Him alive. It is not a matter of worthiness or merit, but of desire. Those who long for Christ, who seek Him, will find Him. Those who remain indifferent or closed off may miss the grace that is being offered. So today, we are invited to make a decision. Do we want to remain as we are, or do we want to be made new? Christ rose from the dead to give us a new life—life in abundance—for all who are willing to receive it. And this life is given so that we may love one another as He has loved us. Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all who made these Holy Week celebrations possible: our staff, volunteers, musicians, and all who worked so generously behind the scenes. Please keep them in your prayers. And to all of you who have come today—whether you attend Mass every week or are here for the first time in a long while—know this: you belong here. This is your home. If there is anything we, as a parish, can do for you, please reach out. We may not be perfect, but we promise to give you our very best. Christ is Risen! Alleluia! He is truly Risen Alleluia, Alleluia! God Bless, Fr. Steven