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 - February 22, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • February 20, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, We begin this holy and wonderful time of Lent with the image of the desert, as we will hear in the Gospel. The time of Lent is like a desert, or like the exodus of the people of Israel passing from the slavery of Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land. The image of the desert is very important for the people of Israel. In the Scriptures, it is a privileged place to meet the Lord. There is no food, no comfort, no distraction—only sand and more sand. It is in the desert that God reveals Himself. He speaks to the people. In the Hebrew tradition, it is in the desert that God marries His people. In our daily lives, we get lost with so many worries, projections, and expectations. In the desert there is nothing. We are forced to depend on God, even though we do not like to depend on others. We prefer to be independent. There, either you trust God, or you die. In this strange place, God provides food (manna and quails), shelter (the cloud that accompanied the people), and water (from the rock). As in marriage the couple becomes one, so it is with the Lord, who wants to be one with us. The time of Lent is a spiritual desert. We do not eat meat on Fridays, we fast, we abstain from electronics, we give up activities that we like, we become poor by giving alms—and only then can we see God more clearly. However, if we do not empty ourselves this Lent, we will not see the Lord, much less listen to Him. Like the people of Israel, we will be circling around for a long time. We began Lent with the imposition of ashes. We were reminded that we are dust and that we need to convert. Through vices, sins, and bad habits, we are not as free as God wants us to be. At times we do things only to please others, out of social pressure, or to keep up an image. In this way (and in other ways), we are enslaved in order to fit in. We are incapable of loving with 100% of our hearts. This Lent, God wants to make the journey of exodus with us. For that, we need to begin in Egypt. As Moses listened to God and did His will, so we are called to do the same. Therefore, we will need to silence the noise and the distractions around us. Like in the episode of the burning bush, we are called to draw closer to the Lord and “see the marvelous sight.” That is called prayer. It is not a matter of only reciting words; it is a dialogue with God. Which means that as we speak, we also need to listen. Today, no one teaches us how to contemplate what God is doing in our lives. Stop for 20 minutes each day and think or contemplate what graces you have received recently, what difficulties God has helped you overcome through these years. What is going to be the next step on your journey? In which direction is God pointing you? What will be your next mission? Unless we stop and simply listen to Him, we will be deceived by our own thoughts and by temptations, like Adam and Eve. We will also have a great opportunity to listen to Him during the one-day Lenten Mission that Sister Olga will lead for us on February 28th. She is a very inspired woman. It is a great privilege for us to be able to host her. It will be free, but we do ask you to register so that we can have an idea of how many people will attend. That morning, she will also have a special time with the women. Do not miss this opportunity. Last but not least, like last year, we will be giving out Lenten boxes to help us give alms. As Jesus says, “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” All the money collected will be given to St. Vincent de Paul to help the poor of the parish and of the city of Marlboro. Additionally, if you give up coffee or soda during Lent, put in the box the money that you are not spending. Be aware that there are a lot of people who need help, more than ever. So if you would like to make an additional contribution, you can use the poor boxes located at the exit of the church. May the Lord assist you in this holy campaign of Christian service as we take up the battle against spiritual evils, and may we be armed with the weapons of self-restraint. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - February 15, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • February 13, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, We all know that God is love and that He does everything to help us attain salvation. However, we are not always aware of the graces He has prepared for us. At other times, we do not take advantage of the opportunities when they are offered to us. This week, I would like to briefly highlight some special opportunities that will be given to us in the coming days. This Sunday, after the 11:00am Mass, we will offer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for those who need it. For a long time, it was known as the Last Rites or Extreme Unction. Therefore, it still carries the taboo that only those who are dying should receive this sacrament. The Rite of Anointing tells us that there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. As its name indicates, this sacrament is for those who are facing serious illness, undergoing surgery, or experiencing the frailty of old age. When the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is given, we pray that, if it be God’s will, the person may be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is spiritual healing, by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age. It is very important for those who are facing something serious to receive the grace of the sacrament in order to be helped by God. Therefore, we urge anyone who needs it to ask for the sacrament. If you know someone who is in a nursing home, they should also receive the sacrament while conscious in order to be helped by God. Unfortunately, sometimes people wait until it is too late. This Sunday, after the 11:00am Mass, we will have a small celebration for anyone who needs the sacrament. It can also be scheduled by calling the office. From Sunday to Monday, we will have the opportunity to spend time with Jesus during 24 hours of adoration. Considering that Monday is a holiday, it is a special moment to slow down our lives and recharge the battery of our soul. This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. There will be other opportunities to continue receiving God’s grace, such as praying the Stations of the Cross on Fridays. Next weekend we will be holding a retreat for couples to help and sanctify their relationship. Do not miss it. Finally, on Saturday, 2/28, Sister Olga will be leading us in a Lenten Parish Mission from 12:30–2:00pm. Finally, I would like to touch very briefly on something that I will later dedicate more time to expanding upon. In this week’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about adultery as when a person who was married before, and after a divorce marries another person. This is different from separation. The promise made before God is to be faithful in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, all the days of one’s life. Therefore, that promise cannot be broken until death. If there are problems that lead to a separation, there are still ways to live a holy life. We have prepared a team to assist couples who would like to begin the process of nullity of their marriage. Soon, I will write a bulletin letter with details about what it is and what it is not, and set up a meeting to explain it better. I also take this opportunity to encourage anyone who has not received the Sacrament of Marriage (who was not married in the Church) to do so. It can be a very simple process to receive an immense grace!  Let us not pass up these opportunities to receive God’s grace. He walks with us every step of the way and sustains and strengthens us with the Sacraments and through the love and concern of the Church. He also respects our free will. If we are not open to grace or simply refuse it, then there is very little He can do. He will never give up on us! Let us not give up on Him either! God Bless, Fr. Steven