From Father Steven - May 18, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • May 16, 2025

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

This Jubilee year has been incredible! We have a new Archbishop, a new Pope, a new Deacon, and a new Priest! So many blessings have already come our way—and there are still many more to come!


Among the priests here, we often say—jokingly but sincerely—that all the amazing “craziness” is part of the Jubilee grace. We’ve had countless hours of confessions, nearly 100 children receiving their First Communion, and over 100 people preparing for Confirmation. We’ve celebrated two ordinations and have more than 20 couples getting married this season—and the number keeps growing!


The Jubilee Talks have been nothing short of amazing. The speakers and topics have truly inspired us. This is a special year of grace! We’ve seen people return to the faith, others being healed from deep wounds of the past, and so much more. We could almost write a book—and it’s only May!

This weekend’s Gospel reminds us of Jesus’ command: “Love one another.” We were created out of love and for love. I once said in a homily that our spiritual DNA isn’t made of A-T-C-G—but L-O-V-E. Yet, we all know that love can be hard to live out. Past wounds, grudges, fears, and the inability to forgive can hold us back. But Christ wants to help us overcome those obstacles! He wants to lift every barrier that keeps us from reaching out to others. As the Psalms proclaim, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up our wounds. And as Jesus says in the Gospel of Luke: “He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Lk 4:18). Christ wants to help us be free—from anything that keeps us from fully living our identity as beloved sons and daughters of God.


That’s why I want to invite you to our UNBOUND Conference, happening next Saturday, May 24th, from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. This powerful ministry helps break spiritual bondage that can lead to sin, restoring peace and freedom in our lives. Sometimes, forces beyond our understanding keep us stuck in harmful patterns. But as Scripture tells us, “For freedom, Christ set us free” (Gal 5:1)! Jesus offers that freedom through deliverance—a mighty work of God that floods the soul with His love and mercy. It brings us into a deeper encounter with the Father, through the Face of Christ’s mercy and the power of the Holy Spirit. This is where we belong.


If you’ve been seeking a closer relationship with God, this may be the step you’ve been waiting for. And even if you feel you don’t need this in your own life, you likely know someone who does. Invite them! We’re still in the Easter season, a time to proclaim the Resurrection of Christ to the world—especially to those closest to us. There is a registration cost for the conference, but please don’t let that be a barrier. If financial assistance is needed, reach out to the parish office. We’re here to help.



Christ is passing by—and He wants to touch your life. He wants you to be free, to be healed, and to be joyful, even amid life’s struggles. Take full advantage of this Jubilee Year! Come to Adoration (daily from 6–7 PM), join our Wednesday Talks (7–8 PM), and go to Confession. Let’s give God another chance to work in us!

 

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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