From Father Steven - May 26, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • May 24, 2024


Dear Brothers and Sisters,


Our parish community has experienced a range of emotions lately. We've celebrated joyful moments

like First Communions and the Crowning of Mary, but also faced sorrow in farewells like Fr.

Kevin's departure and personal struggles. How do we find strength through these ups and

downs? The answer lies in the very heart of our faith: the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ,

Next week we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi. A feast that reminds us of the incredible gift

Jesus left us.


Just as we prepare for a journey, Christ prepared for ours by leaving His Body and Blood. Before

his sacrifice, He established the Eucharist as our sustenance on our pilgrimage to heaven. Communion

nourishes our souls like food nourishes our bodies. Imagine if we didn't have access to this

essential nourishment! The Eucharist is like the sun for our souls – vital for our spiritual well-being.

Without this “energy pill,” we become weak and succumb to the smallest temptation. With it, we become

Christ-like, by loving, forgiving, helping others, giving without counting the cost. Now imagine

that instead of receiving this “pill” once a week you were able to receive it during the week? This is

why we have mass every morning at 7:30am!!! Come and join us!


To fully receive this gift, we need to prepare ourselves. Proper preparation is key. Think of the Eucharist

like a special family dinner. We wouldn't attend in dirty clothes. Similarly, we need to prepare

our hearts through the sacrament of Confession. Serious sin, like missing Mass or one of the 7 capital

sins, separates us from God's grace. Confession allows us to restore communion and receive

the Eucharist worthily. St. Paul says that when we receive communion in mortal sin we partake of

our own condemnation. Please, understand that it is not a matter of being worthy of receiving communion,

because no one is. It's not about being perfect, but about being prepared. The Church recommends

annual confession at least, but more frequent reconciliation is always encouraged. If you

need to confess your sins, we can help you.


Finally, it is important to share the understanding of the Eucharist with others. Many people, including

Catholics, do not believe that the consecrated host is the Body of Christ, often thinking it is

merely symbolic. There have been numerous instances where the consecrated host bled in the

hands of the priest or the blood of Christ coagulated in the chalice. Some of these occurrences have

happened recently.


Next week, we will hold a grand celebration to honor the Body and Blood of our Lord. We will have a

mega trilingual mass outside (rain or shine) at 11 a.m., followed by a procession through the streets

of Marlboro. So we will not have the 9:00am or the 1:00pm masses. Despite the challenge posed by

the car show on Main Street, we trust in Our Lord to provide for us. A special sawdust carpet, following

the tradition of some South American countries decorated to welcome our Lord, will be created

on Prospect Street (which will be closed for traffic on Sunday). Some parishioners have been

preparing for this moment for months. I invite you to attend the mass and join our procession, bringing

Jesus to the streets of our city. See you next week.


God Bless,

Fr. Steven




From Father Steven - October 26, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • October 24, 2025
Dear Brothers & Sisters, We all had superheroes as part of our childhood. They had incredible powers and wore striking costumes with their emblem and a cape. Yet, not all superheroes wear capes. Some wear uniforms, and others are ordinary people who often go unrecognized. I imagine each of us grew up with a favorite superhero—whether it was a cartoon, an action figure, or even a poster on our walls. Some were ordinary people who received extraordinary gifts, like Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, Captain America, or the Flash. Others were born with special powers, like Hercules, Superman, Thor, Aquaman, or Asterix. The difference between them and their archvillains is that they used their powers to serve others, never for themselves. Their mission often demanded great sacrifice—even the risk of their own lives. They understood their calling and never turned away from it. But there are also heroes without superpowers or capes. They are ordinary citizens who respond to the call to serve and protect—firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and other first responders. They leave behind their loved ones to help people in danger and need. These are the real superheroes. They don’t have superhuman strength; their power comes from their hearts. This weekend at IC, we commemorate and honor them through the celebration of Firefighter Sunday. These men and women often go unnoticed when out of uniform. On most days, they live ordinary lives—but when danger strikes, they are the ones who show up and save the day. They pull people from wrecked cars, walk into burning buildings, dive into freezing waters, and expose themselves to hazardous situations. They sacrifice Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, graduations, and countless family moments to remain ready to serve. Having served as their chaplain, I am deeply impressed by how they work together. They depend on one another completely. Each person uses their unique skills to support the team and accomplish their mission. Even when they cannot save someone, they remain there for each other—to console, to lift up, and to keep going. No matter the hour, day or night, they are always there for one another—and for us. There is yet another group of heroes whose powers surpass all others. They wear no capes and drive no shiny trucks, but their courage, love, and faith make them extraordinary. Who could be braver than firefighters, stronger than the Hulk, or more courageous than Superman? The one who loves his neighbor more than himself. The one who is merciful, forgiving, and willing to give his life for another. These are the Saints—Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Maria Goretti, Maximilian Kolbe, and so many others. They did not act only when called upon or faced with danger; they lived their mission every day—quietly, humbly, and faithfully. They made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives daily in love. Their strength came from a source that never runs dry. Their “sidekick” was greater than themselves—they walked with God and triumphed in every battle. Though they lived in the past, their presence remains alive among us. Next Saturday, November 1st, as we celebrate All Saints’ Day , (this is not a holy day of obligation this year), we invite you to join us in honoring these holy heroes. We will have our regular 7:30 a.m. Mass, followed by a trilingual Mass at 9:30 a.m. We will also have the opportunity to venerate many relics. And of course, we cannot forget the Virgin Mary—the greatest superhero of all. Like every loving mother, she helps even before we ask. She anticipates our needs and arranges help for us. She was the saints’ secret weapon, guiding and protecting them throughout their lives. If we desire to become saints ourselves, answering God’s call as they did, we need her assistance—now and at the hour of our death. On Wednesday, November 5th , we will begin a 33-day Consecration to Jesus through Mary , using 33 Days to Morning Glory by Fr. Michael Gaitley. Though you can make the consecration privately, we invite you to journey with us. Just as firefighters rely on their team, we too need each other on this spiritual journey. As the old saying goes, it takes a village. God Bless,  Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - October 19, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • October 17, 2025
Dear Brothers & Sisters, Imagine a world where billions of people have never heard the name of Jesus. Picture villages where people walk miles to attend Mass because there is no church nearby. Envision communities where faith is alive yet fragile—tested by poverty, isolation, or persecution. And imagine churches filled to capacity every Sunday, even when those attending know they are targets of terrorists simply because of their faith. These are places where preaching the Gospel and bearing witness to its truth is no easy task—where believers are mocked, opposed, despised, or, at best, merely tolerated and pitied. Yet, for that very reason, these are precisely the places where our missionary outreach is most desperately needed. The absence of faith is often tragically accompanied by a loss of life’s meaning, a neglect of mercy, grievous violations of human dignity, the disintegration of families, and countless other wounds afflicting our society. Celebrated each year on the second-to-last Sunday of October, World Mission Sunday is the day when Catholics around the world unite to support the missionary work of the Church. Established by Pope Pius XI in 1926, it remains the only annual global collection that directly supports the 1,124 mission territories where the Church is young, struggling, or persecuted. On this day, every parish, in every diocese, in every country, joins in prayer and generosity to ensure that missionaries can continue their vital work—building churches, forming priests, supporting catechists, and serving communities in need. Pope Francis—before his passing—left us a powerful theme that resonates profoundly in this Jubilee Year: “Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples.” In his message, the Holy Father reminds us that hope lies at the very heart of the Christian mission, calling every baptized person to become a “messenger and builder of hope” in a world so often overshadowed by uncertainty and despair.  Today, there are many places where the Christian faith is regarded as absurd—something for the weak or the naïve. In such settings, other securities are prized: technology, money, success, power, or pleasure. But who will announce God’s love to them if not us? Christ Himself has chosen and commissioned us to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that He has commanded” (Mt. 28:19–20). Let us not be afraid to live our faith boldly. This does not mean parading it about like a political banner—no need to wield your rosary like a sword at the grocery store—but it does mean standing firm for what we know to be true: the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death, and the enduring dignity of every human person. As Jesus prayed before the great events of His life, let us also begin with prayer—both personal and communal. This Wednesday, we will have an opportunity to come together from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for adoration, praying for peace in our world. From there, let us become missionaries of love and hope first in our own homes and among those nearest to us. And finally, let us set the world ablaze with the fire of God’s love—through our words, our deeds, and perhaps even a smile that makes others wonder what divine secret we’re keeping—just as St. Ignatius inspired Francis Xavier on his journey to the Far East. God Bless, Fr. Steven