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

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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 - June 8, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • June 6, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This weekend, we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. We often associate this great solemnity with the coming of the Holy Spirit, the apostles gathered in the cenacle, and the tongues of fire descending upon them. While all of that is true, there is much more depth to this feast. To better understand its significance, we must first look back to the Old Testament, in the Book of Exodus, and then reflect on how this celebration speaks to each of us personally. The Feast of Shavuot—also known as the Feast of Weeks—commemorates the manifestation of God at Mount Sinai, where He gave the Law to the people of Israel. Through the Ten Commandments, God handed them a Way of Life . According to Jewish tradition, this was an expression of God’s love for His people. The Law was never meant to limit us with a list of do’s and don’ts, but rather to guide us toward true happiness and eternal life. However, due to Original Sin, we often mistrust God’s ways. We see anything that restricts our desires as a burden, leading to thoughts like, “I have to do this,” or “I should do that, but I can’t.” The reality is quite the opposite: every law of God should be interpreted as, “This is what will make me happy.” Take for example: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Only by living this way can we be truly happy and saved. The Prophet Jeremiah foretold that, when the Messiah comes, God would reveal Himself again—not by writing the Law on tablets of stone, but by writing it on our hearts (Jer 31:33). And that is precisely what happened in Christ: the Law of God is now written by the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, who speaks directly to our hearts. Jesus promised that the Spirit would remind us of all He taught (John 14:26), and the heart of His teaching is love—for God and for our neighbor. The Holy Spirit gives us God’s love . This love, revealed in Jesus Christ, is new: it does not resist evil, but forgives; it prays for those who persecute; it loves those who are hard to love. On our own, we cannot love this way. At best, we can tolerate those who hurt us. But forgiveness? That’s divine. True forgiveness is not simply “letting go,” but praying for those who wound us—just as Christ did on the Cross: “Father, forgive them.” The Holy Spirit comes to give us this love. If we want to be Christians—Christ-like—we desperately need the Holy Spirit. On our own, we cannot love like this. St. Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, recalls Psalm 44, saying that we are like sheep led to the slaughter. And in truth, this happens every day. We all face moments, big or small, that cause us suffering. In those moments, we need God’s love, because we cannot carry the cross on our own. That’s why it is so important to ask for the Holy Spirit! St. Paul also writes, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed... struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Cor 4:8–10). In other words, this Pentecost , God wants to manifest His love for the world through us . So I invite you: ask for God’s help. Welcome the sweet Guest of our soul. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew the face of the earth through love. Ask for His fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, modesty, and chastity. Only with His help can we become holy .  God Bless you all, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - June 1, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • May 30, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, You may have seen news reports about immigration officers arresting immigrants in Martha's Vineyard. This is happening across Massachusetts, including here in Marlborough. While I do not wish for this letter to be political or to focus on what is right or wrong, I do feel compelled to share with you what is happening to some of our parishioners here at IC. Initially, immigration officers (ICE) were arresting immigrants with criminal records or those involved in criminal activity. Many people in the Metro West area, including Marlborough, were affected. When ICE arrived to arrest these individuals, anyone undocumented in the household was also detained. These additional arrests were referred to as "collaterals"—unintended, but still a reality. Then, around Easter, a troubling shift occurred: individuals with no criminal record, nor deportation orders, began to be arrested. Multiple parishioners, who have families, pay taxes, and have never even received a parking ticket, were taken into custody. This triggered a wave of fear within the immigrant community. People began fearing deportation to their home countries. Good, hardworking individuals—some of whom may have sat next to you at Mass, sang at the trilingual Masses, or volunteered to help with church repairs—started to panic. Daily videos of arrests began circulating within the community, only deepening their fear. Some lost their jobs out of fear of leaving their homes; others lost employment because their employers were detained. Many now work with the constant fear that they could be pulled over and never return home. As a consequence of the fear, the Brazilian Festival that we have every year, with 10,000 people coming last year, is uncertain. I want to emphasize again that this letter is not a critique of the current administration, nor is it about politics. My intention is to share the current state of some of our people. Numerous families have reached out to the parish seeking letters of recommendation, legal assistance, financial support, and moral encouragement. After being detained for up to three weeks, some were granted a court hearing where they were able to post bail and regain their freedom. Others remain detained. This is an incredibly difficult time for our immigrant community. Many left their countries seeking refuge from hardship, with the hope of building a better future for their families. I hope you read last week's bulletin, where Archbishop Henning spoke about the positive contributions of the Portuguese community in the United States. The same can be said about our Latino population. I ask for your prayers and support for these families. We do not know how long everything will last, and Marlborough in particular, but they are here nearly every day. I know some of the parishioners who have been detained, and I can assure you that they have done nothing wrong—other than trying to build a better life, just as many immigrants have done throughout the history of this country. As Christians, we are called to care for the poor, the orphan, and the alien. The parable of the Good Samaritan reminds us of our duty to help those in need. As a parish, we are working to provide resources to support those who come to us. Along with St. Vincent de Paul, who have always assisted those in need, we also need financial help to support these families. One case involves a person who was detained, leaving behind a wife who is 32 weeks pregnant, along with their 6-year-old son. Several parishioners have already stepped forward to help this family, but it takes a village. When you come to Adoration, whether in the morning (6:30–7:30 a.m.) or in the evening (6:00–7:00 p.m.), please pray for these families. When you pray your Rosary, remember those who are incarcerated. When you come to Mass, pray for those sitting next to you. Besides prayer, if anyone is also able to contribute to the costs of supporting these families, please contact the parish office. As Christ loved us to the end, let us also love one another. God Bless,  Fr. Steven
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