From Father Steven - January 28, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • January 26, 2024

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

For a long time, I have wanted to share with you some thoughts about grief and dealing with the passing of our loved ones. I would like to reflect this week over this difficult subject from a Christian, hope-filled, realistic perspective.

 

None of us like losing anything. We all feel sad for losing ten dollars, a key-chain, and some other small objects. We feel even worse by losing something that has some emotional value to us, whether a special rosary, a gift from someone special, or anything that is irreplaceable. We feel sad and it’s ok to feel sad, because we lost something valuable. Depending on the person, they can deal with their emotions in a controlled or an uncontrolled way…and sometimes it’s not even up to us to control it. Now imagine how much harder it would be to lose someone, instead of something, whether this person was close to us, as a special friend, relative, parent, sibling, or a child. In one way our Christian faith tells us that we should be happy for them, because their suffering has ended, we hope they are in heaven with God. Having that in mind, we can feel guilty for feeling sad or can think that it is wrong. Emotions are not right or wrong, because they come from the heart. Fr. Mike Schmitz in one of his videos, uses the comparison of the sense of smell with our emotions. We cannot control the sense of smell on the streets, whether it’s pleasant or unpleasant. It is not a matter of good or bad, they are just there. At times they can also indicate something about reality. If you smell fresh coffee it may be an indicator to wake up, or if you smell food, you know it’s time for supper. At the moment of death, our hearts can reveal things of a deeper reality that we were not aware of. Maybe we can come to the realization that we loved that person even more than we imagined. It can reveal wounds from past losses or grudges we held for that person that we were not able to deal with and we feel sad for that. It is ok to feel sad, it is ok to grieve.

 

We don’t have Christian emotions. We have human emotions. In the Scriptures we can see how different characters loved, rejoiced, wept, grieved. Depending on the situation, they were happy or sad. It is a natural reaction. Having said this, once we experience those reactions, we can also have supernatural reactions, those are God-given feelings. St. Paul exhorts us to grieve, but not like those who don’t have hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). Because Jesus conquered death, it no longer has the last word. Everyone who dies in Christ will rise again. Then hope appears! A God-given virtue that helps us to look at our loss differently. Surely the death of our loved one hurts, but it is not the end. Like a bad smell that is unpleasant, as long as we keep breathing, it will go away. The memories remain though…and those can be tricky. We certainly miss having our loved ones around, their stories, laughs, smiles etc. However, they are signs from God to us to be grateful for having such a great person around us. We don’t care about losing a penny, because it is insignificant to us. That will not change our lives. However, the people we lose, they can be significant. They did change our lives. They gave our hearts an opportunity to love, and love is eternal. Then, we will also love that person, whether they have passed or have moved on from our lives. It is ok to miss that person, as we may miss our childhood friends, but God wants us to have hope of seeing them again, either in the mall or in heaven. And love is always stronger than grief.

 

Therefore, as we battle our emotions, let our reason and our faith assist in this struggle. Reason will tell us that it was good to have had that person in our lives, and we are grateful for it. Faith invites us to believe that their lives are not over, but “changed” as we pray in the funeral mass. Faith will also tell us that we shall see them again, when we also rise at the resurrection of the dead. Let us, then, make sure that we also go to heaven, lest our loved ones make it and we don’t. Finally, don’t be ashamed of your tears, because they are signs of great love. It’s ok to cry, but with the hope that we will be reunited!

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - October 19, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • October 17, 2025
Dear Brothers & Sisters, Imagine a world where billions of people have never heard the name of Jesus. Picture villages where people walk miles to attend Mass because there is no church nearby. Envision communities where faith is alive yet fragile—tested by poverty, isolation, or persecution. And imagine churches filled to capacity every Sunday, even when those attending know they are targets of terrorists simply because of their faith. These are places where preaching the Gospel and bearing witness to its truth is no easy task—where believers are mocked, opposed, despised, or, at best, merely tolerated and pitied. Yet, for that very reason, these are precisely the places where our missionary outreach is most desperately needed. The absence of faith is often tragically accompanied by a loss of life’s meaning, a neglect of mercy, grievous violations of human dignity, the disintegration of families, and countless other wounds afflicting our society. Celebrated each year on the second-to-last Sunday of October, World Mission Sunday is the day when Catholics around the world unite to support the missionary work of the Church. Established by Pope Pius XI in 1926, it remains the only annual global collection that directly supports the 1,124 mission territories where the Church is young, struggling, or persecuted. On this day, every parish, in every diocese, in every country, joins in prayer and generosity to ensure that missionaries can continue their vital work—building churches, forming priests, supporting catechists, and serving communities in need. Pope Francis—before his passing—left us a powerful theme that resonates profoundly in this Jubilee Year: “Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples.” In his message, the Holy Father reminds us that hope lies at the very heart of the Christian mission, calling every baptized person to become a “messenger and builder of hope” in a world so often overshadowed by uncertainty and despair.  Today, there are many places where the Christian faith is regarded as absurd—something for the weak or the naïve. In such settings, other securities are prized: technology, money, success, power, or pleasure. But who will announce God’s love to them if not us? Christ Himself has chosen and commissioned us to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that He has commanded” (Mt. 28:19–20). Let us not be afraid to live our faith boldly. This does not mean parading it about like a political banner—no need to wield your rosary like a sword at the grocery store—but it does mean standing firm for what we know to be true: the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death, and the enduring dignity of every human person. As Jesus prayed before the great events of His life, let us also begin with prayer—both personal and communal. This Wednesday, we will have an opportunity to come together from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for adoration, praying for peace in our world. From there, let us become missionaries of love and hope first in our own homes and among those nearest to us. And finally, let us set the world ablaze with the fire of God’s love—through our words, our deeds, and perhaps even a smile that makes others wonder what divine secret we’re keeping—just as St. Ignatius inspired Francis Xavier on his journey to the Far East. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - October 12, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • October 10, 2025
Dear Brothers & Sisters, I write to you this week to share a powerful and life-changing devotion that has brought countless blessings to individuals, families, and entire communities throughout the centuries—the Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary . This spiritual practice is more than a simple act of piety; it is a profound commitment to grow closer to Jesus through His Mother, Mary. Why consecrate ourselves to Mary? As Catholics, we believe that Mary plays a unique role in the plan of salvation. She is not only the Mother of Jesus but also our spiritual Mother, given to us by Christ Himself as He hung on the Cross (John 19:26–27). Just as she nurtured and guided Jesus in His earthly life, she desires to nurture us in our spiritual lives, always pointing us to her Son. When we consecrate ourselves to Mary, we are not worshiping her—we are entrusting ourselves to her motherly care and guidance, allowing her to form us into better disciples of Christ. As St. Louis de Montfort, one of the foremost promoters of Marian consecration, beautifully put it: “To Jesus through Mary.” He taught that by giving ourselves entirely to Mary, she gives us entirely to Jesus, in the most perfect and pleasing way. This consecration is a voluntary act of love. It is a renewal of our baptismal promises, made with Mary as our model and advocate. Many saints and popes, including St. John Paul II, who took “Totus Tuus” ("Totally Yours") as his papal motto, have emphasized the transforming grace that comes from Marian consecration. St. Maximilian Kolbe called it “the quickest, easiest, surest and most perfect way to become a saint.” Practically speaking, consecration involves a period of preparation—traditionally 33 days—during which we reflect on Scripture, Marian devotion, and the call to holiness. Various methods exist. One of the most famous is by St. Louis de Montfort. Here in the parish we will use Fr. Michael Gaitley’s 33 Days to Morning Glory which is spiritually enriching and accessible. There is a book which we will encourage people to purchase that will guide us through this process. If someone has any difficulty in acquiring this book, please contact the parish office. I encourage every member of our parish family, whether young or old, to prayerfully consider making this consecration. Whether you are seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus, struggling in your spiritual life, or simply looking for a way to grow in faith, turning to Mary is a sure path. She is a gentle, powerful intercessor who will never lead us astray. One could do this consecration by oneself. However, we are planning to begin a parish-wide preparation for Marian Consecration next month, starting on Wednesday November 5 th . All three communities will do this consecration together. It will conclude with an Act of Consecration during the Trilingual Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec 8 th . Additionally, Bishop Reed has also invited us to serve as one of the host churches for a special “Day of Prayer for Harmony in Our Nation and Peace in the World.” On Wednesday, October 22, from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Immaculate Conception will be open for Eucharistic Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. What a blessing it is to welcome such a day of prayer! In a time marked by deep division in our nation and turmoil across the world, we are called to bring everything before Jesus, the Prince of Peace. As we sit in silence before the Eucharist, we are reminded that true harmony and reconciliation are possible—not through our efforts alone, but through Christ, who tears down walls of division and unites us, when we open our hearts to Him. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the altar throughout the day, concluding with Benediction at 7:00 PM in the Upper Church. Morning Mass will be held as usual in the Lower Church. In order to support this day of Adoration, we ask that at least two adorers be present for each hour while the Eucharist is exposed. I encourage parishioners to consider committing to one hour of prayer during this sacred time. To help coordinate coverage of 2–3 people per hour, an online sign-up is available through our website via Signup Genius, or you may call the parish office directly. While all are welcome to come and pray at any time, we rely on scheduled commitments to ensure continuous presence before the Blessed Sacrament throughout the day. God Bless, Fr. Steven