From Father Steven - February 25, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • February 23, 2024


 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Have you ever felt the burden of past mistakes weighing heavy on your heart, leading to sadness and hopelessness? Confession, also known as the sacrament of reconciliation, offers a transformative path towards healing and renewal. While some may have doubts about approaching this sacrament, I assure you, as a priest, our focus is not on remembering your sins, but on offering God's forgiveness and guiding you back to the path of light. This week, I'd like to share insights on preparing for and experiencing the profound grace of confession.

 

The first step is to recognize that Christ entrusted to Peter the power to forgive sins (Whose sins you forgive, will be forgiven them – Jn 20:23). Thus, establishing the sacrament of reconciliation (and baptism) as the means through which sins are forgiven. While some may choose to confess directly to God, it is through this sacrament that God has chosen to grant forgiveness. This authority given to the apostles was passed down to their disciples (nowadays bishops). We, priests, have the power to forgive sins, because we share in the ministry of the bishops.

 

Now that we have established the need to be forgiven through the sacrament, we move on to the practicality. In preparation to receive the sacrament, we should ask the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comforts us, dispels our fears, and gives hope as we decide to return to the embrace of our Heavenly Father, much like the prodigal son returning home. Just as sins separate us from God, the sacrament re-unites us to Him, hence the name of “reconciliation.” We begin with an examination of conscience. Prayerfully, we should reflect on our actions since our last confession. Various guides are available to assist with this process, which can be found on our website under the sacraments section. It should only be a help to remember certain things that we did and may have forgotten. Whether you reflect on the 10 commandments or the seven capital sins, what is important is that, to the best of our abilities, we remember our sins. You may write them down, just please be very careful with where you write them. While remorse for our sins is natural, we should also be grateful for the grace of recognizing them and the opportunity for God's forgiveness. With a resolve to abandon sin, we are then prepared to approach the sacrament.

 

 For those who haven't confessed in some time, I recommend scheduling an appointment to allow ample time for reflection. When confessing, begin by making the sign of the cross, and saying “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been ___ amount of time since my last confession, and these are my sins.” Next tell the priest your marital status and if you have children living with you (as the priest may not know you). Then you tell the priest your sins. When confessing sins, there's no need for explicit details; simply name the sin and indicate its frequency. Once you finish confessing with the best of your ability, you may say “for these sins and the ones I don’t remember, I am sorry.” The priest may offer words of encouragement and assign a penance, designed not as punishment but as a means of spiritual healing and growth. It is a medicinal exercise to undo the harm caused by sin or to strengthen you to not fall back again into the same sins. Finally, you will be asked to say the act of Contrition (O my God, I am sorry for my sins. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin…there are many variations of it.), or the priest can ask you as well. Then, in the person of Christ, the priest will pronounce the words of Absolution to forgive your sins making the sign of the cross. He will dismiss you, allowing you to begin anew with the fire of the Holy Spirit rekindled in your heart full of joy and renewed hope, free from the weight of sins on your shoulders. Confessions are available here at the parish on Tuesdays 5-6pm Saturdays 1-3pm, or by scheduling an appointment at the office.

 

God Bless, 

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - July 19, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • July 17, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, As you may remember, Fr. Gabriel and I were away on a retreat in Italy these past few weeks. I would like to share a bit of my experience with you. Hopefully, in the near future, he will be able to share his experience as well. You may know that the three of us priests were formed in a missionary-diocesan seminary called Redemptoris Mater , which is a seminary that was first created by Pope Saint John Paul II in Rome. His desire was to have priests who belonged to the diocese and, at the same time, were missionaries (either outside the diocese or within it) to assist in the new evangelization born after the Second Vatican Council. Also, the vocations to this seminary come from the Neocatechumenal Way, which is an itinerary of Christian formation that is present all over the world. This way, those who feel called by God to this specific mission can also continue the growth of their faith in this reality. From Rome, other bishops also desired to have such priests in their own dioceses. In 2005, Cardinal Seán requested that this seminary begin here in Boston, and that's how we all ended up here. Well, this retreat we attended was for all the priests ordained in the approximately 40 Redemptoris Mater seminaries present throughout the Americas (North, Central/Caribbean, and South). We were about 800 priests who were able to be there. It took place in Porto San Giorgio, which is on the Adriatic Sea. The initiators of the Neocatechumenal Way were there to give us a word of encouragement, to help us convert, and to rest. We were given a special place in St. Peter's Square for the Pope's Audience, and later we celebrated Mass inside the Basilica, at the Chair of St. Peter. We also went twice to Loreto, which houses the walls of the house of Mary in Nazareth. We also had the opportunity to be sent throughout all of Italy to announce the Kingdom of God two by two for four days, like the Apostles, without money, a cellphone, extra clothes, or a place to sleep... no securities, except God. We only took the Bible and the breviary. I was assigned to the city of Trent, where the famous council took place 500 years ago. After the retreat, I was able to visit the house of St. Maria Goretti, her tomb, and the place where she died. On my way back, I had a 24-hour layover in Barcelona, where I got to visit the Basilica of the Holy Family and the Shrine of Montserrat. What impacted me the most was being reminded of what God has done in my life. There were a few old friends from my childhood and people whom I have met along the way (Fr. Adriano sent his greetings to everyone). At every step of the way, He was there leading me, comforting me, and lifting me up when I fell. It was good also to rest in the Lord. No, I did not watch the World Cup games, but I had something much better: a time of intimacy with God. Running around all day, every day sometimes takes the focus away from my mission. Like Martha, we can tend to important things and leave the Lord behind. If anything, it is by being close to Christ that I will be enabled to help some people. Lastly, we were also presented with a beautiful symphony performance. In it, they sang the words of St. Victorinus of Pettau, who is an impressive saint from the early Church: "Having come as the Lion to conquer, He became the Lamb, taking upon Himself the wickedness of man, so that He might lead him from death to life."  The mission of the priest is to be Christ to the people. As we heard last week, Jesus is meek and humble of heart. The only answer to the suffering of people is to become a lamb and die for them out of love, just like Christ. The Lion came to conquer and was made the Lamb to die because He loves me. In the retreat, I see that God gives me His Spirit to (hopefully) be a lamb who dies for others. Please keep praying for me and be patient, as I still have a long way to go! God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - July 12, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • July 10, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week I would like to bring to your attention a very important matter. Recently, electronic cigarettes were developed, and they have become widely popular among teenagers today. Also known as vaping, they can have all sorts of shapes and colors, but they are nonetheless nicotine-based cigarettes that are immensely harmful to consumers. Here in town, there is a petition to ban the sale of nicotine products to the younger generation (the ban would be for anyone born after Jan. 1, 2010). Vaping is like smoking cigarettes; however, vapes are odorless, widely accessible, and very discreet. The electronic device can be as small as a USB drive. You may have seen people with a pen-like device that produces a white smoke, at times with a sweet smell. Many of the flavors come in fruit and candy flavors that appeal to youth. E-cigarettes produce an aerosol, which users inhale from the device and exhale. The aerosol can contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, including: nicotine; ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs; flavoring such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease; volatile organic compounds; cancer-causing chemicals; and heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, e-cigarettes are not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women, or adults who do not currently use tobacco products. E-cigarettes have not been approved by the FDA as a smoking cessation device, and additional research is needed to help understand the long-term health effects of e-cigarette use. Furthermore, e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. According to the Surgeon General, because the brain isn’t fully developed until the mid-20s, youth and young adults are uniquely at risk for long-term effects of exposing their developing brains to nicotine. These risks include nicotine addiction, mood disorders, and permanently lowered impulse control. Nicotine also changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning. Another danger is that other substances may be used with vaping, such as cannabis/marijuana or other CBD or THC products, which could cause a person to become high. The latest reports from the CDC from 2024 show that 43.6% of students (both middle and high school) report current use of vaping. Another study reports that 63.9% of students who currently use e-cigarettes reported wanting to quit or having tried to quit. I have seen firsthand the destructive power of vaping among our youth. Unfortunately, many parents are not aware of their use. They even hide and use them in their schools. They are too young to understand the harm caused by vaping and the future consequences it can have. Nicotine pouches are increasingly more popular among youth. Therefore, in order to help them, we are supporting the Nicotine-Free Generation program that is currently being revised by the Board of Health, and it will be presented to the mayor. The idea behind it is to aid those already using nicotine products. The city will offer robust smoking cessation programs, ensuring adolescents and adults alike have the resources to quit. Additionally, by restricting access to nicotine products, we can deter adolescents from starting to use these harmful substances, significantly reducing the risk of lifelong addiction and potential cancer.  Therefore, at the end of the Masses for the next two weeks, we will be collecting signatures from those who would like to support this petition. God Bless, Fr. Steven