From Father Steven - May 19, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • May 17, 2024

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Please see the letter below from Deacon Mateus. He was recently ordained a transitional Deacon and is preparing to be ordained to the priesthood next year. Deacon Mateus is assigned to our parish for a full year and we welcome him to Immaculate Conception.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

Dear Parishioners of Immaculate Conception,   

 

As you may have seen me in these past two weeks, I am Deacon Mateus Martin. On May 4th I was ordained a Transitional Deacon. Now, in gratitude to the Lord, I want to share with you a little about where I come from and how the Lord called me to the seminary. 

 

I am originally from Curitiba, a beautiful city in the southern part of Brazil. I am the youngest of six siblings, and I have 15 nephews and nieces back home. As the youngest of six children in a Catholic family, I grew up observing how my parents related to each other. Despite their occasional differences and challenges, they always forgave each other and moved forward together. On Sundays, they would pray Morning Prayer with us and teach us about the faith and its significance in our lives.   

 

As I grew older, my interest in the Church gradually faded. I thought my life revolved around my career as I pursued Mechanical Engineering until I attended the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro. I was struck by the words of Pope Francis’ homily: “Sing to the Lord a new song” (Psalm 95:1). I asked myself: what does this new song mean? I understood it was not just about music but the song of my life. At that moment, I felt that my ears were attuned to listen to and sing this “new song”; it seemed that my entire playlist had changed.  I could understand that the song playing in my ears before was the song of me thinking only of myself. This powerful reflection awakened my desire to serve God, and I decided to pursue a life of service by entering the seminary. That same year, I arrived at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Boston and started learning English. Then, I pursued studies in Philosophy and Theology to prepare for the priesthood. 

 

During my formation at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, I have discovered many aspects of my life that were previously unknown to me. The Lord led me to discover that I am not alone, and that the mission in the Church He is entrusting to me is so much greater than I could have imagined. It is out of gratitude to the Lord, I felt compelled to serve others as He has served me. In fact, as part of my formation in the seminary, I spent four years in mission, starting in Hawaii and the Islands of Kiribati and ending in Louisiana and Laredo, Texas. These four years equipped me with many experiences that helped shape the mission I am living today. The Lord has given me the grace to find consolation in his word and to trust in his divine providence, even in times of doubt. Today, I can confidently say that He has always been by my side and has never failed me. The only thing I am sure of is that He already knows what is best for me and will provide everything I need in his own time.   

 

As you may already know, Cardinal Sean O’Malley assigned me to Immaculate Conception as a Transitional Deacon two weeks ago. This Parish has been the place that has always supported and nurtured my vocation. I have fond memories of celebrating Christmas, Easter and summer vacations at Immaculate Conception. Additionally, this is the Parish where I was assigned for my Neocatechumenal Way Community 11 years ago, which has been a cornerstone in my formation. They have known me since my first day in the seminary. The Ordination at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston on May 4th was a wonderful and joyous celebration, and my parents came all the way from Brazil to share it with me. I am grateful to the Lord for making that day so special for all those who participated. The joy I experienced was indescribable, and I look forward to celebrating Deacon Gabriel Hanley's upcoming priestly ordination. 

 

As the year goes on, I am confident that I will be blessed with countless moments of joy while serving as a deacon at Immaculate Conception Parish. I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for all the love, prayers, and support that you have offered me so far. Your encouragement means a lot to me, and I promise to do my best to serve you all with the help of the Lord. 

 

God Bless,

Deacon Mateus

 

From Father Steven - May 17, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 15, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This weekend we celebrate the ordination of Father Javier! It is always a great privilege for us to witness the transformation of a young man into a priest, a servant of God configured to Christ. This weekend, I would like to reflect with you on the different vocations to which God calls His people. The first vocation, as we see in the Book of Genesis, is matrimony. We hear that God created man and woman to complement one another. “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Therefore, it is natural for a man and a woman to be united in marriage. However, marriage is not about seeking the satisfaction of one’s own needs in another person. Rather, the sacrament of matrimony is a sacrament of self-giving and service. Husband and wife are called to serve one another in love. Matrimony is defined as “the covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, and which is ORDERED TOWARD THE GOOD OF THE SPOUSES and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament” (Canon 1055 §1). Marriage, then, is a path by which God sanctifies us through self-giving love, just as Christ gave Himself for us. Spouses become a gift to one another, and it is in this gift of self that true joy is found. Some people receive a different call. If it is natural for a man and woman to be united to one another, then it is supernatural for a person to be united entirely to God. The religious vocation anticipates the reality of heaven by seeking union with God already in this life. One can be called to become “eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven,” living celibacy for the love of God and His Kingdom. This includes consecrated virgins who live in the world while dedicating their lives entirely to the Lord and those who do not get married. Others are called to religious life as sisters, nuns, brothers, or monks. There are many religious communities and institutes through which a person is consecrated to God according to a particular charism or mission. Some are called to serve through teaching, serving the poor, caring for the sick or children, immigrants, or those most in need. There are also contemplative communities whose principal work is prayer and total dedication to the Lord, often lived in cloistered monasteries. Finally, we also have the priestly vocation. This call invites men to act in the person of Christ the Head ( in persona Christi capitis ) in the world. Through ordination, a man is configured in a profound way to Jesus Christ. This does not mean that the individual ceases to be himself; rather, by the grace of God, he is united to Christ in a unique and sacramental way. The priesthood is not only for a select few. Many saints throughout history have spoken about how God calls many men to this vocation. Sometimes there is hesitation because a person feels unworthy or inadequate. Yet throughout Scripture we see that God often chooses ordinary people with weaknesses and imperfections. The Apostles and the saints were not extraordinary because of their own abilities, but because they allowed God’s grace to work through them. As the saying goes, God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called. As you can see in Fr. Gabriel, Fr. Victor, and myself, we are very ordinary and imperfect men. It is the grace of God that enables us to do what we do. A man may feel incapable of becoming a priest or discouraged by his sins and limitations. Yet, just as Peter told Jesus, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man,” we remember that it is not we who choose Christ, but Christ who chooses us. Ultimately, our primary vocation is holiness. We are all called to become saints. The particular path we take—whether marriage, religious or single life, or priesthood—is secondary to the greater call to holiness. Those called to matrimony are called to holy matrimony, to become holy husbands and holy wives. Those called to religious life are called to become holy sisters, brothers, monks, and consecrated virgins. Those called to the priesthood are called to become holy priests. Each vocation is not an end in itself, but a path by which we are led to heaven and united more fully with God. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - May 10, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 8, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Since leaving high school, I do not think I had ever opened the Britannica Encyclopedia again. Yet while preparing for this weekend’s theme, I came across a very interesting entry: Mother’s Day. I had never really wondered how this celebration began. After doing some research, I discovered how it developed through different cultures and times, including a tradition in England when the faithful would visit the church where they had been baptized — their “mother church.” The modern observance of Mother’s Day traces back to Anna Jarvis, who honored her mother, Anna Jarvis, in 1908. After the Civil War, Anna Jarvis promoted reconciliation between Union and Confederate veterans. One day, she offered a prayer during Sunday school that her daughter never forgot: “I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial Mother’s Day commemorating her for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life.” Those words remained deeply in her daughter’s heart. After her mother’s death, Anna Jarvis began advocating for a special day dedicated to honoring mothers. In 1908, the first Mother’s Day service was held at her mother’s church in West Virginia. A few years later, every state celebrated Mother’s Day, until President Wilson declared it a national holiday. In many ways, the figure of a mother resembles Christ Himself, who “came not to be served, but to serve.” Mothers are often behind the scenes, taking the last place and putting the needs of others before their own. Much of their hard work and countless sacrifices may go unnoticed, yet God, “who sees in secret, will repay you.” Certainly, it feels good to receive recognition and praise, but our first calling is to please God. Jesus commands us to love one another as He has loved us, and He says nothing about seeking recognition. In fact, throughout the Scriptures, Jesus repeatedly avoids drawing attention to Himself. Many times, He even tells people not to speak about what He has done. In our digital age, when people often share everything publicly, Jesus reminds us of the beauty of doing good quietly and humbly. The Gospel also tells us that the Son of Man came to serve and “to give His life.” In a similar way, mothers are constantly giving their lives for others. The sacrifice of self-denial is among the greatest acts of love. Just as Christ died so that we might live, mothers often deny themselves so that others may flourish. Whether it is caring for the home, cooking, cleaning, gardening, helping the children, finding everything for everyone, or all of the above, their daily sacrifices make an enormous difference, even when they go unnoticed. Therefore, regardless of our age, let us take a moment to reflect on how often our mothers denied themselves for our sake. Let us remember all they have done in loving service to us. They may not have been perfect, but in most cases, they gave us way more than their best. Today, inspired by Anna Jarvis, let us honor mothers “for the matchless service [they render] to humanity in every field of life.” To all mothers — those here on earth and those already in heaven — THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.  God Bless, Fr. Steven