From Father Steven - May 25, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • May 23, 2025

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

We would like to congratulate Fr. Mateus on his Ordination last week! He has been assigned to St. Patrick’s Church in Brockton, MA. Please keep Fr. Mateus in your prayers.

 

I would like to share a letter that Bishop Henning recently wrote for the Pilot.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

———————————-

During my time as the Bishop of Providence, I came to appreciate the great importance of the Portuguese-speaking community in that state. Among the parishes of the Diocese of Providence, there are 10 that were established to provide pastoral care in Portuguese. The beautiful feasts of those communities are a beloved element of life in Rhode Island, with processions, music, and delicious food. The most important of those feasts is that of Santo Cristo (Holy Christ), the most popular devotion in the Azores and one that has spread to Portuguese-speaking communities around the world.

 

The feast of Santo Cristo dates to the late 17th century. At the time, a new convent was being established in the Azores, and the Holy Father gave the sisters an image of the suffering Christ at the moment that he is presented to the crowds after his scourging. This tradition of an "ecce homo" or "behold the man" painting or sculpture is a common theme in Christian art that depicts Christ at a moment of great physical suffering, even as his face shows tranquility. The particular image possessed by the convent in the town of Ponte Delgado in the Azores also includes beautiful robes placed about the shoulders of the Lord. This addition, not present in the biblical scene, came about as an act of devotion. The Portuguese Crown gave permission to honor the image of the Lord by clothing it in royal robes. Catholics of Azorean descent in places like New England will often send such robes to the feast to be blessed and then used at home to clothe replica statues of the Santo Cristo for their own churches and feasts.


Last year, while serving in Providence, I received a kind invitation to visit the Azores to take part in the feast Mass and processions of Santo Cristo. I agreed, as I had seen the great faith of the people in my ministry, and I felt a great desire to join in this beautiful devotion to the Lord Jesus at the place where it began. So next week, I will make a brief weekend visit to the islands to take part. While honored to be going, I will need a prayer or two as I have been asked to preach in Portuguese. Maybe I should ask for prayers for those who will have to hear me do so!


New England and California have the largest populations of Portuguese speakers in the United States. Immigrants from the Azores, Portugal, Cape Verde, and Brazil are an important part of our region and of our Catholic parishes and communities. I am so grateful for the lively devotion they have brought to our shores and for their witness of deep and abiding faith and strong family life. Of course, they have also made significant contributions to the wider community.


In the case of the immigrants from the Azores, many arrived in the 1950s and 1960s after a series of devastating volcanic eruptions in the islands forced many thousands from their homes. Then-Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts co-sponsored special legislation to receive refugees from the volcano, and many thousands arrived in New England, where they have made enormous contributions to the local economy. They have returned the welcome shown to them many times over with their hard work and service to the United States in the armed forces.


Over the many years of the Santo Cristo feast, the sisters of the convent point to a number of miracles that have taken place, including deliverance from earthquakes. As I make my pilgrimage to Ponte Delgado and the Feast of Santo Cristo, I will pray for our beautiful archdiocese and its families and communities. I will pray for all the immigrant communities that have brought their faith and contribution to the Archdiocese of Boston. I will pray that we will see the miracle of the Lord's own love and self-sacrifice and that it may touch our hearts with ever greater love for those in need. Over these last six months, you have been my miracle, and I will pray that God may grant you and yours many miracles.

 

From Father Steven - October 18, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • October 16, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week, we continue our observance of Respect Life Month in October. This weekend, I would like to share with you the importance of caring for the sick and the dying. Facing an illness can be very difficult and full of fear. It does not have to be a life-threatening illness; even a simple medical exam that detects some levels that are too high or too low can already cause anxiety. That is why caring for the sick is so important, all the more so when there is a serious illness. Last week, I injured my wrist while playing soccer and found myself in the emergency room. Many things were going through my head as I contemplated the possibility of having a broken bone. I have broken many bones before, and it was never much of a big deal. However, this time, there was the possibility of surgery. Additionally, having my arm immobilized would make life very difficult. I cannot imagine what goes through the head of someone having open-heart surgery, a hip replacement, or some other more serious intervention. In light of the difficulties we can experience with our health, we are always invited to lean on the Lord. He is our strength and our consolation. For those facing a serious illness, especially when there is a risk to life, Christ has given us a special sacrament, namely, the Anointing of the Sick. It is meant to help the sick live through their illness with faith, sustained by the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, the sacrament has become known as the Last Rites or Extreme Unction. As a result, many people are afraid of receiving it, thinking that it means they are going to die. However, as its name indicates, the Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament for the sick, not only for those who are dying. It is best received when the person is still conscious and alert and can receive the sacrament with faith and devotion. Therefore, we encourage anyone who has a serious illness, or who knows someone who is seriously ill, to ask for this sacrament. Please do not wait until someone is at the point of death to call a priest. If you or a loved one is facing a serious illness or a significant decline in health, contact the parish office (or the local parish) so that we can offer the sacraments and spiritual support when they are needed. Moreover, in danger of death the Church mandates in Canon Law that the sick should be receiving Holy Communion more frequently while danger lasts. The strength of the Body of Christ can help the person remain strong in faith and trust in God. The Eucharist is also food for the journey home to the Father. Prayer for the sick is also very important. We earnestly ask that if you ever become sick or are admitted to the hospital, please call the parish office and let us know. An important part of our ministry is to pray for all of you, which we do daily before the Blessed Sacrament. However, it is especially meaningful when we can pray for a specific intention and a particular person. Although our resources are limited, the parish also has some ways to help those who are sick. Along with prayer, caring for the sick is very important, not only medically but also emotionally. We have all been sick before, and we know how frustrating and lonely it can be. It is easy to become sad when we feel weak, isolated, or dependent on others. A phone call, a flower, or some other gesture of kindness can go a long way in caring for the sick. I am always impressed by how gentle nurses can be with their patients. They understand that the way they treat and interact with a patient is one of the most important elements of care. We should do the same with those we know who are sick. Caring for the sick is not always about ending or removing their pain. Sometimes, it is about giving them the strength and love they need to carry their cross and follow in the footsteps of Christ on Calvary. By dying with Christ, they can also hope to rise with Him, as St. Paul teaches us. Finally, I would like to offer you a challenge for this week: reach out to someone who is sick, whatever the illness may be, and try to make a simple gesture of love toward that person. It does not have to be anything extraordinary. Sometimes, a small act of kindness can make a tremendous difference. Additionally, we must remember the caregivers. At times, caring for someone who is sick can be very difficult, demanding, and even overwhelming. Let us pray for them as well, reassure them that what they do is important, and let them know that they are not alone. As for my wrist, it should take six to eight weeks to heal. Hopefully, I will not need surgery! Your prayers are always welcome, as it is very difficult to keep up with the rhythm of parish life with only one hand. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - October 11, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • October 9, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Please see the letter below from our new Deacon Rich Kearns. Our parish is blessed to have Deacon Rich assigned to us. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. God Bless, Fr. Steven --------------------- Dear Brothers and sisters, my name is Deacon Richard (Rich) Kearns and just four weeks ago, on September 12, I had the great blessing of being ordained a permanent deacon by Archbishop Richard Henning at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. I am deeply grateful that my first assignment is here at Immaculate Conception Parish. My wife Valerie and I have been part of this parish community since St. Ann’s closed in 2004. Over the years, we have been blessed to serve in many ways, including bringing Holy Communion to the homebound, sick, and those in assisted living and rehabilitation facilities. I grew up on Long Island, New York, and later moved to Arizona, where I met Valerie while we were both engineering students at Arizona State University. We have been married for 31 years and have three adult daughters. I spent more than 30 years working in the high-tech industry, primarily with Intel and later The MathWorks, before retiring in 2025. My journey toward the diaconate has been a long one. I first felt called to the diaconate while we were living in Arizona, but at that time our children were young and we were preparing to move to Massachusetts. I came to understand that the timing was not right. Many years later, during COVID, Valerie and I began bringing the Eucharist to people who could not come to Mass. Visiting them, listening to their stories, praying with them, and bringing them Communion renewed that call. The last five years of formation have been a tremendous blessing, and a tremendous challenge. I am grateful to the Lord for guiding me through the academics and discernment. But I have come to realize that formation is not primarily about gaining academic knowledge. It is about the formation of the heart. Through this journey, God has changed me in ways I could not have accomplished on my own. As part of my pastoral formation, I also spent three months ministering at Old Colony Correctional Center. I was deeply moved by seeing some of the men take steps toward Christ and grow in their faith. Those who came to the chapel were each at a different point in their journey. Some were just beginning to seek God, while others were growing deeper in their faith. It reminded me that we are not so different from one another. We all come to Mass from different places in our own journey toward Christ. Since my ordination, I have felt a new responsibility to bring the needs, concerns, and prayers of this community to God, to intercede for you. Not because I am anything special, but because I now hold the people I serve differently in my heart. I have already had the joy of serving at several Masses and preaching, and over the coming weeks I will be rotating through our different daily and Sunday Masses so that I can meet more of you. One of the ministries closest to my heart is visiting those who cannot come to church and bringing them Christ in the Eucharist. Valerie shares that passion with me, and we look forward to continuing that ministry together. I am truly grateful to be here. Please pray for me as I begin this new chapter of service, and know that I will be praying for you. Your brother in Christ, Deacon Rich