From Father Steven - July 6, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • July 3, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

This weekend we celebrate the Independence of the United States of America. With this Jubilee year that we are currently celebrating one can’t help but think that the following year the United States will celebrate a jubilee of its own, 250 years!

 

Let this earthly liberation remind us of a much older spiritual liberation that took place some 2,000 years ago with the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. After the Fall of Adam and Eve we were at the mercy of the world, and the prince of this world who is Satan. The title prince comes from the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John to reference the real but limited power the devil has over this world and us who dwell in it. Christ, however, won us back through the shedding of his blood. Even when he was still with his disciples, already the kingdom of darkness was being destroyed as we hear in today’s Gospel, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.”

 

“He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (Col 1:13) Just in our parish alone we are from many different countries but we all belong to the same heavenly kingdom by virtue of the Lord’s crucifixion. Let this weekend remind us that we should always keep our eyes fixed on this heavenly Kingdom because ironically, although the war has been won, the battle is still very much present in our own lives. That is why St. Peter exhorts us, “stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith.”

 

Today, July 6th is the memorial of St. Maria Goretti. Although the Sunday takes precedence over her feast day, nevertheless we can see someone who was solid in her faith. Born in 1890 Corinaldo, Italy, Maria was the third of seven children. When she was just eleven years old a man named Alessandro made advances on her but she refused. As a result of her unwillingness to sin she was stabbed fourteen times. On her death bed, Maria said that she forgave Alessandro, “I forgive him, and I want him with me in heaven!”

 

Alessandro was sentenced to thirty years in prison and after several years in a dream he saw Maria handing him lilies. It was at this moment that he realized that he could be forgiven. Knowing that Maria forgave him, he began to accept the forgiveness of God. After twenty-seven years in prison he was released and went directly to Maria’s mother. To his astonishment, Maria’s mother forgave him and she said that it was because her own daughter had forgiven him. Alessandro became a Franciscan where he remained for the rest of his life. Maria was canonized in 1950 in the presence of her family and Alessandro.

 

As we can see, we are still in the midst of a battle where the devil can lead us to sin. However, God’s mercy and love is far greater than what we can imagine and he can lead us from slavery to sin to the freedom belonging to the children of God.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - June 29, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • June 27, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I was deeply edified to see all three of our communities come together to celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi! It was an amazing day—celebrating Mass as one family and processing shoulder to shoulder behind our Lord Jesus Christ, present in the Blessed Sacrament. The beautiful carpet prepared for the Lord’s arrival at our church was truly astonishing! Many of our parishioners came at 3:30 a.m. to begin working on it. Needless to say, the dyeing of the sawdust alone took days of effort by many dedicated people. Seeing everything come together left us speechless. If you missed it, mark your calendar now: next year’s celebration will be on June 7th, 2026 (rain or shine)! This week, we had another wonderful experience: an appreciation dinner for all our catechists. Over 70 people from all three communities joined us once again. When we say “it takes a village,” it truly does. During the dinner, we presented highlights from all the events that took place at IC over the past year. Our Faith Formation program served 402 students, and 39 adults received sacraments—bringing the total to an incredible 441 people! Speaking of sacraments, we celebrated 74 First Communions and 81 Confirmations this past month. Nearly 20 retreats were held over the course of the year. At our Lenten retreat for children alone, we had 242 attendees ! Our Jubilee Talks—currently on pause for the summer—had an average weekly attendance of 155 people across three nights: Tuesday in Spanish, Wednesday in English, and Thursday in Portuguese. We also had an average of 250 people coming to confession each week. Offering confessions daily has truly been a blessing for our parish. If you haven’t come yet, there is still time. We will continue offering daily confessions! This year, in honor of the Jubilee Year , and because we believe God wants to pour out many blessings on all people, we are excited to host a new event for the entire parish—and for the greater Marlboro community: CATHOLIC FEST ! This all-day event will feature delicious food, games for children, and a powerful talk by Sean Forrest , an incredible speaker and musician with an inspiring conversion story. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. , and everyone is welcome ! Believe it or not, many people in town still don’t know where the Catholic Church is—we have a real opportunity to open our doors and show God’s love to our neighbors. Food and entertainment will be ticketed, but we’re working hard to keep everything affordable. We’re currently seeking event sponsors—if you own a business or your family would like to help, please contact the parish office. Yes, we know it’s summer and you may already have plans. But consider adding Catholic Fest to your summer schedule. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to come together as a community and be inspired. Finally, as we wrap up the year, I want to thank all our countless volunteers who make everything happen. Some may not be “official volunteers,” but they contribute greatly—whether by maintaining the parish, supporting various ministries, or praying faithfully for our community. Nothing can be done without love and the help of God. Please continue to pray earnestly that our parish may fulfill its mission to be the light of the world . God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - June 22, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • June 20, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, commonly known as Corpus Christi. This feast is a longstanding tradition of the Church, which began in the 13th century in Italy following the Eucharistic Miracle of Orvieto. On this special occasion, I would like to reflect on the Real Presence of Christ in the consecrated host. Fr. Peter of Prague, a German priest, was on a pilgrimage to Rome. While celebrating Mass in a small chapel in Bolsena, he began to doubt whether Christ was truly present in the consecrated Bread. As he pronounced the words of consecration—“Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my Body, which will be given up for you”—the host began to bleed. Unsure of what to do and aware that Pope Urban IV was nearby in Orvieto, Fr. Peter brought the matter to his attention. The Pope listened to the priest’s account, granted him absolution, and sent emissaries to investigate. Once the facts were confirmed, the Pope ordered the Bishop of the diocese to bring the consecrated Host and the linen cloth, now stained with blood, to Orvieto. In a solemn procession attended by archbishops, cardinals, and other Church dignitaries, the Pope received the relics and placed them in the cathedral. The linen corporal, still bearing the bloodstains, is reverently enshrined and exhibited in the Cathedral of Orvieto to this day. Interestingly, Pope Urban IV had been involved in the Eucharistic Revival in Liège, Belgium, twenty years earlier—where the first celebration of Corpus Christi was ever observed. One year after the miracle of Bolsena, the Pope commissioned St. Thomas Aquinas to compose special prayers and a Mass for the feast and instituted the Solemnity of Corpus Christi for the entire Church. Inside our church over the next few weeks, we are displaying information—in all three languages—about other Eucharistic miracles from around the world. These accounts can deepen our faith and help us to better appreciate the mystery of the Eucharist. “A Christian is not obliged to believe in Eucharistic miracles,” As Monsignor Raffaello Martinelli explains. “However, Eucharistic miracles can encourage us to understand, appreciate, and love the Eucharist… They can help a person discover the mystery, the beauty, and the richness of the Eucharist. We must never forget nor fail to mention that the Eucharist is the true, great, inexhaustible daily miracle. It is indeed true that the most important and astounding miracle is the one that takes place whenever the Eucharist is celebrated, during which Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist in a unique and incomparable way. He is present in a true, real, and substantial way—with His Body and Blood, with His Soul and Divinity. In the Eucharist, therefore, Christ is present sacramentally, under the appearances of bread and wine, whole and entire: God and Man (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 282). In making His Sacrifice on the Cross present and actual, He becomes our food and drink—uniting us with Himself and with one another, and becoming our viaticum on our earthly pilgrimage toward our eternal homeland.”  As we celebrate Mass this weekend, I invite you to reflect on the importance of what happens at Mass—and on the Mass itself. If what we believe is indeed true, then we are called to approach the Eucharist with deeper reverence and preparation. Let us consider arriving a bit earlier, taking time to meditate and prepare spiritually, dressing appropriately, and maintaining a posture of reverence during the liturgy. One essential way to prepare is through the Sacrament of Confession. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church §1385 teaches, anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must receive sacramental absolution in Confession before receiving Holy Communion, because receiving the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin is a sacrilege. May this celebration be a true Eucharistic Revival—for our parish and for each of us personally. God Bless, Fr. Steven
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