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 - May 11, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • May 9, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This Sunday, as we hear the Gospel of the “Good Shepherd,” I invite you to reflect on another figure who cares for us with great devotion—our mothers. Mother’s Day offers a special moment to recognize their love and sacrifices. Yet, we don’t always take the time to truly appreciate them. Mothers are often like the Blessed Virgin Mary—not in the spotlight, but always present, working behind the scenes. They are attentive to the needs of others, making sure those around them are cared for. Their love goes beyond their immediate families and often extends to the broader community. As Mary “intercedes for us now and at the hour of our death,” so too do mothers, always watching, guiding, and supporting in ways seen and unseen. On this Mother’s Day, may we take time to be truly grateful. For those whose mothers are no longer with us, we carry them in our hearts. For those who are still among us, let’s show them our love, gratitude, and support. They don’t ask for much—just to be loved in return. Let’s also remember mothers who are struggling, offering our help through prayer, support, and respect. While they may not be perfect, they often give their all. We lift them up in prayer, asking our Blessed Mother to strengthen and bless them in their vocation to care for and sanctify their homes.  This week, Bishop Henning gathered all the priests of the Archdiocese of Boston for a meeting. He began by sharing his personal journey to Boston, speaking honestly about his initial hesitation and his trust in God’s call. He arrives without a fixed plan, choosing first to listen, observe, and learn. When asked about his vision for the future of the Archdiocese, he simply said: “to preach Christ crucified.” Bishop Henning aims to visit every parish within three years to better understand the local Church before making major decisions. He emphasized the vital role of priests, recognizing both their dedication and the challenges they face. His goal is to support—not replace—the pastoral work already being done. He stressed the importance of unity, fraternity, and mutual support among clergy. He also noted hopeful signs of spiritual revival, especially among young people. He encouraged improved communication, including greater engagement through social media, parish bulletins, and promotion of The Pilot . He addressed concerns about parish finances, real estate, and the burden of taxation, announcing plans to form a commission to oversee real estate matters. Recognizing the concentration of authority, he expressed his intention to delegate more responsibility moving forward. Other priorities include addressing the cost of Catholic school tuition, strengthening the seminary, forming an Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, and reviving parish-based philanthropy. He emphasized the importance of safe environments in our parishes to protect both children and adults. On political matters such as immigration and legislation that contradicts our faith, he promised to address these thoughtfully—not through direct confrontation, but in ways that can be more effective and pastoral. He concluded by inviting feedback from clergy and encouraging them to support one another in joy and unity as they serve the mission of Christ. Brothers and Sisters, we each have our own mission, and we also share in Christ’s mission to love and to save souls. Let us encourage and help one another, especially those most in need of God’s mercy. May our Blessed Mother continue to intercede for us and care for us all. Happy Mother’s Day! God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - May 4, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • May 2, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This is a joyful weekend for our parish family! Our children will be receiving their First Holy Communion, our seminarian Javier will be ordained a deacon, and we are awaiting the election of our new Holy Father. Every time we celebrate First Communions, we are reminded of the beauty and significance of this sacrament. As we reflect on the many blessings of Pope Francis’s pontificate, I am reminded of a homily he once gave on the Feast of Corpus Christi. In it, he spoke of the “stupendous gift” of the Eucharist, warning us not to fall into the habit of receiving Christ in a passive or mechanical way. Can you imagine the joy of Japanese Catholics who received the Eucharist for the first time after more than 200 years? Or the martyrs who risked everything in places where having a priest was forbidden? We are encouraged to receive the Eucharist as if it were our first, last, and only time. This quote is often attributed to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, though surely many saints lived with this awareness in their hearts. It is truly a profound and special gift to receive Jesus Himself in the Eucharist. We rejoice with the children who will receive their First Communion this weekend— congratulations! We are also thrilled that our seminarian, Javier, will be ordained a deacon. As you may know, the diaconate is one of the final steps before priesthood. Javier will be ordained as a transitional deacon, which differs from a permanent deacon (who may be married). During this year, he will serve at the altar, visit the sick, baptize children, bury the dead, and carry out other duties as he prepares for priesthood. God willing, he will be ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Boston next year—just like Mateus. Speaking of Mateus, I encourage everyone to attend his priestly ordination . Archbishop Richard Henning will ordain him on the morning of Saturday, May 17 , at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. Our parish will be providing buses to make it easier for everyone who wishes to attend. Please see the next page for more details. This is a rare and grace-filled opportunity to witness the miracle of a man being conformed to Christ in the priesthood. We are blessed to have walked with them on their journey. Finally, many of you are following the news of the upcoming papal conclave . The conclave will begin this Wednesday, with all cardinals under the age of 80 gathering at the Vatican. They will begin with the celebration of Mass, invoking the Holy Spirit to guide their discernment. After taking an oath of secrecy, they will begin voting. A two-thirds majority is required for election. The cardinals cast their ballots in the Sistine Chapel, beneath Michelangelo’s Last Judgment . As each one votes, he prays: “I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.” If no one is elected, the ballots are burned and black smoke appears. When a candidate receives the necessary votes and accepts the call, white smoke rises from the chimney, and he chooses a papal name. Soon after, he will appear on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to be presented to the world.  I invite you to pray for the cardinals —that they may be guided by the Holy Spirit—and for the man whom God has chosen to lead His Church. Do not be misled by media speculation, which often distorts the sacredness of this process. I strongly discourage watching films like The Conclave , which falsely portray the Church as purely political. This is not a game of power—it is a work of the Spirit. God will give us the shepherd we need in this time, even if we don’t yet know who that is. Our Archbishop has invited us to “pray fervently that the Holy Spirit might guide the Cardinal Electors in their discernment of the next Holy Father.” He also asks that we “pray each day for the man who will be elected and assume the burden of the office of Supreme Pontiff.” He is Peter in our midst, weak, poor, like all of us, but with the heart decided to love Christ as he can as we hear in this weekend’s Gospel. God Bless, Fr. Steven
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