From Father Steven - May 4, 2025

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

 

 

From Father Steven - July 5, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • July 2, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, I would like to reflect with you on the words, “One Nation under God.” I am not sure how much these words have meant in your life. They can be one of those expressions that we hear all the time but never stop to reflect on their meaning. I confess that I did not have time to research their historical origins as I usually do. However, these words have always impressed me because they are proclaimed publicly as part of the foundation of this country. To be ONE nation requires a unity that does not come from men alone. Unfortunately, because of original sin, there is always mistrust among people. There is also the temptation to take advantage of one another for personal gain. God inspired the Founding Fathers to live the apostolic life, that is, in communion with one another. Only Christ is capable of changing the human heart so that we may truly love one another. Therefore, whenever suspicion arises, only love can overcome it. It is the love of Jesus, who, though He is God, made Himself the Lamb in order to give us His life. He taught us that the true way is not to reign through power. Rather, true victory comes through the humility and love manifested on the Cross. While hatred and jealousy condemned Christ to the Cross, His love forgave and redeemed us. Finally, if we are to be ONE nation, love must reign in our hearts. At this moment, when politics and ideologies have polarized and divided our people, we are called to be signs of Christ's love, like the Lamb who is capable of uniting one person with another.  The second part of the sentence is also very important. To be “under God,” we must submit ourselves, our plans, and our expectations to Him. The moment we surrender everything we have to God, He can transform it according to His design of mercy. As much as we may desire holy things, God says through the prophet Isaiah: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Is 55:8–9). Yet, there are times when we hold on to our own plans for dear life. We believe that we know what is best for ourselves and for those around us. How many discussions have we heard in which people passionately defend what should or should not be done? And how many conversations have we heard about people sincerely discerning God's will and asking Him for wisdom to understand and accept His plans? I do not mean any disrespect, but even Jesus, in His humanity, struggled to accept the plan of God in the Garden of Gethsemane. Yet, in the end, He desired not His own will but the will of the Father. The Lord invites us to love Him with ALL our heart, strength, and life. In other words, He invites us to live under God with everything we are and everything we have. As Americans, we are also called to entrust our country and everything that is happening to God. Only He knows what is best for us in the long run. Only He sees the whole picture of what lies ahead. Therefore, He alone can prepare us for what is to come, so that His love may reign forever and His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven, beginning with us. As the Gospel tells us this weekend, we are also called to be grateful and thankful that God has revealed His mysteries to us, the little ones. If today you feel burdened and tired by everything that is happening in the United States—and throughout the world—then listen to His voice: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Finally, let us learn from Him, who is meek and humble of heart. If anything is ever going to change, let it begin with us! God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - June 28, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • June 26, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I hope you are doing well in these beautiful summer days! Please see the letter below from Fr. Victor about his experience here at Immaculate Conception. God Bless, Fr. Steven ============================== It is hard to believe that 24 months have already passed since I arrived here in Marlborough. Transitioning from a small but active parish in the Virgin Island to this huge and multi-cultural community was a “big & holy” shock for me. Life on the island moved with a gentle rhythm, but not here in IC. What impressed me right on my first day was the daily exposition of the Blessed Sacrament , an hour before the Mass. That means people start to come around 6:30 in the morning. It is not just a handful of 5-10, but an average of 30-50 people gathered every single morning is incredible. Even at the height of winter, maybe a third, but they still come. Again, astonishing are the number of couples receiving the sacrament of Matrimony . I am so happy & delighted to witness many weddings every month in our church. When I first arrived, the sacrament of confessions was 3 days a week. But last year during the Jubilee, the frequency was increased to 6. The schedule was adjusted after Easter, it is daily except Fridays & Sundays. Where are those penitents coming from? Being a multicultural community, we have Masses in English, Portuguese and Spanish. It is a great joy to be working with Stephen Hanley in OCIA [Order of Christian Initiation for Adults]. Through this ministry, I am reminded that everyone has their own unique faith experience and conversion stories to tell. I am so privileged to be a part in preparing them for the reception into the Catholic Church as well as the Sacraments of Confession, Eucharist and Matrimony. Truly, the Holy Spirit moves . I bring Holy Communion to our homebound brothers and sisters and administer the anointing of the sick when requested or necessary. Being with the sick together with their families reminds me what it means to be a shepherd with his flock through every season of life. Periodically, I also celebrate the Mass at five nursing and assisted living homes. This ensures our beloved elderly, isolated and frail residents are provided spiritual nourishment, strength and healing. I am grateful for our pastor’s vision of deep understanding of our community’s needs particularly to our seniors. Thus, the “Friends in Faith” was formed. Very grateful, as it came with 4 ladies: Margaret, Christine, Nancy and Delma equipped with their kindness, generosity, knowledge and expertise we began to “navigate” our way. We meet every 2nd Tuesday of the month. Activities vary, from getting to know the saints to topics that will enrich our faith. But most important of all is that we are able to interact with one another, build friendships, find some sense of belonging and family , and time to pray with someone and for one another. So far, we had 2 field trips, like a “mini-pilgrimage.” Last September Stephen H. organized an enriching trip aimed at tracing the early beginning of the Catholic Church in Boston. We visited many historical places and ended at the Holy Cross Cathedral. This June, we went to St. Benedict Abbey at Still River in Harvard, MA. Their collection of relics of saints is something to behold. It was like being “ in heaven while on earth,” surrounded by hundreds of saints. On both occasions, we concluded with the celebration of the Mass as our expression of praise & thanksgiving to God. I am always excited to see our diverse community gather together for a big feast as the Solemnity of Corpus Christi , the Body of Christ. The colorful sawdust carpet by our talented parishioners in front of our church, is not only a labor of love but a testimony of creativity . It was simply awesome! Our tri-lingual Mass in English, Spanish & Portuguese, followed by the Eucharistic procession ended at the foot of Immaculate Conception Church. The procession spoke beautifully, yet boldly of our core belief that Jesus Christ is truly present in that “small piece of host” - body, blood, soul & divinity. Jesus has kept his promise, “I will always be with you.” This very act reminds me of our spiritual journey towards our true home with God. For all these immense gifts, I bless God. Likewise, no word is enough to express my gratitude to all of you, truly our God is amazing! God Bless, Fr. Victor