From Father Steven - February 4, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • February 2, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

It is with great joy that I would like to share with you some of the testimonies of the youth that went to the pilgrimage of the March for Life. There were 40 people from our parish and we were joined with another 13 from another parish. The theme of our pilgrimage was “It is good that you exist.” With that in mind, we departed from Marlboro at 6am on Thursday Jan 18th towards the Shrine of St Frances Cabrini in NY. There we celebrated Mass and had an opportunity to listen about her life. From there we headed to Washington, where we stopped at the St. Matthew’s Cathedral for a time of praise and worship with adoration and confession. On the following day, we woke up early to go to a youth rally that had 6,000 people! There were also lots of priests and nuns there. After that, we went to the National Mall to join the march. Cardinal Sean O’Malley marched with us and he led us in the rosary as we were walking. It was one of the best pilgrimages I ever participated in. It was brief, but it felt like we were together for a month. I asked the youth to write something that I could share with you. So here are some quotes that they wrote:

 

“Before the pilgrimage, I didn’t feel the presence of the Holy Spirit because I was committing a lot of bad sins. At the cathedral I had the opportunity to confess and I did. I can now feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life.”

 

“I confessed every sin i had done and now i feel like a new person.”

 

“I enjoyed when we went on the march because it made me get a better understanding that abortion is not right and realize that it’s still a baby. it was such a wonderful experience.” 

 

“This pilgrimage not only helped me increase my faith. But it also helped me understand that all lives matter and that we should stand up for those who can’t speak for themselves. It also helped me become closer to God and understand that we were all made with a purpose for our life and that it is good that we exist. For me personally this pilgrimage was a sign from God that it is time that I really focus on my faith and continue on this path to heaven. My faith is so much stronger now than it was before this trip and I am so grateful.”

 

“I loved the retreat and what we did on it, but what changed throughout the retreat or made me look at things in a different way were the people who went on it with me. The way they love the Lord, so openly, made me realize that I can love him so much more. So I think that this retreat was a wonderful experience in the aspect of the theme and why we went on it and for the fact that even the people that are there with you can change you.”

 

“The pilgrimage gave me a realization of what abortion really is. After listening to some stories about people who have had it and the regrets they had, it changed my perspective from pro-choice to pro-life”

 

“I returned so happy and very loved by God, I had a great opportunity to talk to God and tell him everything I wanted. The event not only showed me that abortion is not the way to go, but it also showed me that my life has a meaning and that God himself put me on earth. I came back very happy to have had the opportunity to really only talk to him and only to him in that chapel, because there I was not distracted by the world outside, because the world outside does not have great news to bring us, only God. God will always be the one who will satisfy you. I invite all those who have not yet gone, because it will be the most memorable memory of your life, it will be an unforgettable experience.”

 

This is only a little summary of some of the experiences that they shared. We would like to thank everyone who prayed for us, and those who helped us financially. A special word to the Knights of Columbus for their support. We look forward to attending next year’s March for Life.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - April 19, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • April 17, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I hope you are having a blessed Easter season and were able to enjoy some of the beautiful weather we had recently. This week, we will be launching our annual parish raffle, as we do each year. This is one of our main parish fundraisers. Although our parishioners are always very generous, this year we have incurred unexpected expenses due to snow removal and increased utility costs. This raffle helps us cover some of those expenses. In addition to supporting our parish, the raffle also contributes to the priestly formation at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary. Years ago, several pastors came together and saw this as a meaningful way to support both our parishes and the seminary. You can find more details online, but approximately 60% of the proceeds from tickets sold remain with the parish, 20% covers expenses, and 20% supports the formation of new priests for the Archdiocese of Boston. It is truly a win-win-win situation. Each ticket costs $20. The prizes include a 2026 Honda Ridgeline (pickup truck), a 2026 Honda Civic Sport, and $15,000 in cash prizes (five prizes of $2,000 and five prizes of $1,000). The drawing will take place on September 27th. The success of the raffle depends greatly on parishioners who are willing to help sell tickets to family and friends. You will have until September 13th to sell tickets and return the envelopes to the parish office. For the first time, we are offering an incentive: whoever sells the most tickets will receive a $400 prize. During the initial phase, which will take place this weekend and next, we will offer envelopes containing 20 tickets for those who would like to take them home to sell. Additional envelopes will be available at the parish office. At a later date, tickets will also be sold at Mass (before and after the summer). For those who would prefer to purchase individual tickets, they are always available at the parish office through Lee Ann. We invite you to consider helping us this year. Last year, our parish raised $18,045 in profit from the raffle. Altogether, participating parishes contributed $115,000 to support the seminary. We hope to surpass that amount this year. Please feel free to reach out if you need more information. I would like to thank you for your continued generosity to the parish, to those in need, and for all that you do quietly and faithfully. It is a privilege to witness your kindness. Additionally, I ask for your prayers for the upcoming celebrations of the sacraments. Next week, children from the Brazilian community will receive their First Communion on Saturday, followed by the Spanish community on Sunday. The English community will celebrate First Communion the following week at the 11:00 a.m. Mass. Many couples will also be receiving the sacrament of marriage in the coming months. Finally, our youth will receive the sacrament of Confirmation on May 29th in Portuguese and on June 5th in English & Spanish. That same season, we will celebrate our annual Eucharistic procession on the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) on June 7th. If you have never participated, I encourage you to mark your calendars and join us. Some parishioners begin preparing a sawdust carpet in the early hours of  the morning and finish just in time for the procession. It is a beautiful tradition that honors the Body and Blood of Christ. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - April 12, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • April 10, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, HAPPY EASTER!!! We are still celebrating Easter (and we will continue until Pentecost!). I would like to share with you this weekend the article that the Archdiocese has written in response to some media requests to comment on the rise of people coming back to the faith. Over the past 4 years we have seen a steady and significant increase in non-Christians [or unbaptized] becoming Catholic during the Easter season. Regarding specifically catechumens participating in the Rite of Election, these are the numbers for the Archdiocese of Boston: 2023: we had 299; 2024 - 360; 2025-438; 2026-680. What’s the reason? Probably a combination of factors including a fundamental need to be closer to God. The first observation is that we believe it to be the direct action of the Holy Spirit, and not simply a sociological phenomenon or the success of some program or another. In fact, Archbishop Henning has said that “this seems to be something that the Lord is doing - the Spirit of the Lord is always at work in the world and in the Church and we are happy to see such a response in people’s hearts to Jesus’ call to follow Him.” The Archbishop notes that ”we seek to cooperate with the action of the Spirit; but it is His work, not ours.” Has Pope Leo had an impact? Yes. It’s not just being the First American Pope; it is that he has captured a sense of community with Catholics across the world and very clearly in the US Catholic Church. The wave had been growing before his election but is now picking up speed and size. There is a sense of spiritual renewal in the Archdiocese of Boston. We have seen it in our parishes across the Archdiocese. Archbishop Henning has put an emphasis on engaging with Catholics across the archdiocese at the parish level and in our schools, with a particular focus on youth and young adults. In a recent interview, Patrick Krisak, the archdiocese’s director of faith formation and missionary discipleship said, “There may not be a revival across the country, but there are revivals,” he said. “And at what point do all of those pockets of revival that we’re seeing all over the country add up to a revival?” The two main categories of folks we see being welcomed into the Church are children/adolescents, who mostly did not receive their sacraments on the typical schedule, and adults. A key component is the work at the parish level in welcoming and accompanying families where adults and children seek to join communities of faith. In addition, Rev. Eric Cadin, Director of Vocations with the Archdiocese, said that “among college age young people, there is a profound openness to the big questions. This includes questions such as, where do I come from? What is my purpose? What does all this mean? More importantly, so many who are exposed to division and even cruelty, especially online, as well as in real life, are actively resisting and moving away from that. And it leads them to an openness to faith, especially one that promotes love your enemy. That is a radical truth, that captivates young people, especially in the world in which we live. They meet people in the church who engage their real questions with generosity and grace and mercy, and it is very attractive to them.” Here in the parish we are happy to announce that 39 people received Baptism on Easter, and 3 people were welcomed into the Catholic Faith (they were baptized Protestant). Some of them were children, others teenagers, and some adults as well. They were baptized, confirmed and received their first communion all together. Please continue to pray for them as they really began their journey and for those who are still being called into the faith. Congratulations to all of you that received your sacraments and we look forward to walking along with you!  Finally, I would like to invite you all to the Divine Mercy celebration that will take place this Sunday at 3:00pm in the Church. If you have never attended, it is a beautiful moment! If you are not familiar with it, search about and be ready to be marveled by it. God Bless, Fr. Steven