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 - August 10, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • August 8, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I hope that you are all enjoying your summer with your loved ones! Please see the letter below from Deacon Javier. God Bless, Fr. Steven ============================ Dear Brothers and Sisters, This will be the first time that I write to you as Deacon Javier. I am happy to have this opportunity to share with you all a bit of my experience so far as a deacon. Just as a quick catch-up for everyone, right before the ordination in May, I was wrapping up my itinerancy in Samoa. Part of my formation in the seminary is to go on mission for a period of three years. I began in Washington DC for some months before being moved to Samoa for the remainder of my itinerancy. After this summer, I will return for one final year of school before the ordination to the priesthood next year. One thing about the mission that translates to being recently ordained is how everything feels new. Samoan culture is very much alive and landing in the midst of it having no prior experience can feel a bit overwhelming. In Samoa I felt like I was learning something new everyday about the culture or the language. In a similar way I now find myself in the parish where, oddly enough, even though it’s been my home parish for the duration of my formation it feels like I have to learn everything over again and then some. Regarding language, I’ve been trying to practice Portuguese at the 9am Mass. With some practice I can proclaim the Gospel but it might be another while before I can give a homily in Portuguese. I hope to take advantage of the remainder of this summer because it has flown by quickly. I am just coming back from a pilgrimage for the Jubilee. The Jubilee Year has left its mark on me. Through it I am reminded of the mercy and patience God has had with me. There was a moment in the seminary that I felt that I could no longer continue but I saw how God fought for me and for my vocation. He did so by giving me more than what I deserve because when I gave up, God did not give up on me. To have been ordained and enter the clergy in the Jubilee Year has been for me a sign of love and comfort. Love because I can see God’s election over my life to the priesthood. Comfort because with this election comes the graces necessary to live my vocation well. At the Prayer Vigil for Young People last Saturday the Pope invited all to say these words to the Lord: “Thank you, Jesus, for calling me. My desire is to remain as one of your friends, so that, embracing you, I may also be a companion on the journey for anyone I meet. Grant, O Lord, that those who meet me may encounter you, even through my limitations and frailties.” I can’t think of a better way to put into words what my experience has been this far. I’m grateful that the Lord called me to this vocation and in doing so saved me from many sufferings I would have caused myself, but there are those moments where I can’t help but smile at God’s sense of humor. We see many times in the Bible and in the lives of the Saints how God can work with any and every human limitation. In the end, I pray for one thing, that I may be an instrument in this orchestra of God that is the Church. I look forward to this year with you all! God Bless! Deacon Javier

From Father Steven - August 3, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • August 1, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Please see the letter below from Jackie, one of our parishioners, who is a FOCUS missionary at the University of Rhode Island. God Bless, Fr. Steven ============================ Dear Parishioners, My name is Jacqueline (Jackie) and I’ve been serving as a FOCUS missionary at the University of Rhode Island for the past year- you may recognize me from last summer when I gave a short talk about the mission. Thank you so much for your generosity in your prayers and financial gifts, the mission work we do would not be possible without you. FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) is an apostolate that sends missionaries to college campuses in order to share the Gospel and make disciples. We fulfill the Great Commission through the little way of evangelization. Each missionary invests deeply in a few and teaches them to do the same. We build them up in the habits of Christian disciples- helping them to grow in the life of prayer, the Sacraments, the teachings of the Church, and fellowship. Then we send them out to make more disciples. This is how we will reach the entire campus and the entire world. There was a team of missionaries at UMass Amherst while I was there for my undergraduate degree. Through their example of true Christian friendship and their witness to the faith, I was led to an encounter with Christ. The Father had begun to strip away any false images I had of who God was and who I was, leading me to security in the Truth, Jesus. In my junior year at UMass, I had opportunities to lead Bible studies and lead other women in the faith. My heart came alive while serving God and His Church, and I desired to answer the call to be His missionary. As I reflect on this first year of mission, I am in awe of the transformation in Christ I’ve seen in my students and in myself. To be invited into my students' lives and to be with them in the joys and sorrows is something I cherish deeply. I’ve gotten to teach them the beauty of our faith and the importance of a personal relationship with God. The Father wishes to bring home many of his children in this jubilee year of hope and we as missionaries get to share in the ache and the joy of this journey. I am blessed to be returning for another year to serve the students at the University of Rhode Island. FOCUS missionaries are responsible for fundraising their entire salary each year. If you would like to hear more about the mission or how you could support me with your prayers or financial gifts, please send me an email at jacqueline.chung@focus.org . Thank you in advance for your prayers, and be assured of my prayers for you. In the Hearts of the Holy Family, Jackie Chung