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From Father Steven - February 4, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • Feb 02, 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 - May 19, 2024

By Father Steven Clemence • 17 May, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Please see the letter below from Deacon Mateus. He was recently ordained a transitional Deacon and is preparing to be ordained to the priesthood next year. Deacon Mateus is assigned to our parish for a full year and we welcome him to Immaculate Conception. God Bless, Fr. Steven Dear Parishioners of Immaculate Conception, As you may have seen me in these past two weeks, I am Deacon Mateus Martin. On May 4 th I was ordained a Transitional Deacon. Now, in gratitude to the Lord, I want to share with you a little about where I come from and how the Lord called me to the seminary. I am originally from Curitiba, a beautiful city in the southern part of Brazil. I am the youngest of six siblings, and I have 15 nephews and nieces back home. As the youngest of six children in a Catholic family, I grew up observing how my parents related to each other. Despite their occasional differences and challenges, they always forgave each other and moved forward together. On Sundays, they would pray Morning Prayer with us and teach us about the faith and its significance in our lives. As I grew older, my interest in the Church gradually faded. I thought my life revolved around my career as I pursued Mechanical Engineering until I attended the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro. I was struck by the words of Pope Francis’ homily: “Sing to the Lord a new song” (Psalm 95:1). I asked myself: what does this new song mean? I understood it was not just about music but the song of my life. At that moment, I felt that my ears were attuned to listen to and sing this “new song”; it seemed that my entire playlist had changed. I could understand that the song playing in my ears before was the song of me thinking only of myself. This powerful reflection awakened my desire to serve God, and I decided to pursue a life of service by entering the seminary. That same year, I arrived at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Boston and started learning English. Then, I pursued studies in Philosophy and Theology to prepare for the priesthood. During my formation at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, I have discovered many aspects of my life that were previously unknown to me. The Lord led me to discover that I am not alone, and that the mission in the Church He is entrusting to me is so much greater than I could have imagined. It is out of gratitude to the Lord, I felt compelled to serve others as He has served me. In fact, as part of my formation in the seminary, I spent four years in mission, starting in Hawaii and the Islands of Kiribati and ending in Louisiana and Laredo, Texas. These four years equipped me with many experiences that helped shape the mission I am living today. The Lord has given me the grace to find consolation in his word and to trust in his divine providence, even in times of doubt. Today, I can confidently say that He has always been by my side and has never failed me. The only thing I am sure of is that He already knows what is best for me and will provide everything I need in his own time. As you may already know, Cardinal Sean O’Malley assigned me to Immaculate Conception as a Transitional Deacon two weeks ago. This Parish has been the place that has always supported and nurtured my vocation. I have fond memories of celebrating Christmas, Easter and summer vacations at Immaculate Conception. Additionally, this is the Parish where I was assigned for my Neocatechumenal Way Community 11 years ago, which has been a cornerstone in my formation. They have known me since my first day in the seminary. The Ordination at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston on May 4th was a wonderful and joyous celebration, and my parents came all the way from Brazil to share it with me. I am grateful to the Lord for making that day so special for all those who participated. The joy I experienced was indescribable, and I look forward to celebrating Deacon Gabriel Hanley's upcoming priestly ordination. As the year goes on, I am confident that I will be blessed with countless moments of joy while serving as a deacon at Immaculate Conception Parish. I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for all the love, prayers, and support that you have offered me so far. Your encouragement means a lot to me, and I promise to do my best to serve you all with the help of the Lord. God Bless, Deacon Mateus 

From Father Steven - May 12, 2024

By Father Steven Clemence • 10 May, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters, To all the mothers, we wish you many blessings and may you always grow in grace and wisdom! Although we have only one mother, we can have many mother-like figures in our lives. One of these mothers, is our Holy Mother Church. I would like to reflect with you how the Church is our mother. The role of the Church is to educate us in the faith, help us to grow in grace, and to follow a path of holiness. Just as our mothers educated us to behave, to say "please" and "thank you," and have taught us right from wrong, so does the Church have the same role. Our behavior is molded according to that of Jesus and of the saints. Our spiritual "please" is our prayers directed to God, and "thank you" is attending mass, which is the greatest act of thanksgiving ("it is truly right and just, always and everywhere, to give you thanks"). The Church always teaches us what is right from what is wrong, through CCD, homilies, bulletin letters, and through the Magisterium (the collection of teachings/documents of the Church), especially through the Catechism of the Catholic Church. As a mother, the Church also needs to correct us and as children, we are not always fond of it. As an adult, it is funny how we come to the realization that our mothers were always right. For all the kicking and screaming and whining from our childhood was for no reason. Our parents had to help us to mature and not to do things on a whim. Sometimes when the Church speaks, we are not fond of its opinion either. There are some of its teachings that can be welcomed with long faces and indifference. As our mothers were older than us, and were able to use their experience to help, so does the Church with its 2000 years of experience and the treasures inherited from the Old Testament. One more thing that our mothers have taught us is to share. As children we were taught to share our toys with others, and as teenagers, we were called to share our time and talents with others. Well, today the Church invites us to share our good with other people. Also, the Church is called to care for everyone, regardless of who they are. One way we have to do that is through St. Vincent de Paul, who gathers funds and goes out to help those in need. Next weekend we are beginning a new way of helping people, the Community Fridge. It is a community based effort with the assistance of local organizations to provide relief to local individuals and families facing food insecurity, alleviating hunger. Located on the side of the church, the Fridge will be primarily operated by community and Rotary members. It will run entirely on solar power, ensuring self-sufficiency one of the first of its kind in the country. Maintenance check-ups on the solar equipment and fridge clean-ups will be coordinated weekly along with donations from local businesses. Our parish community is called to contribute this great initiative and those who are in need to be helped by it. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 19th after the 11:00am mass. Lastly, you may have seen the great devastation this last week in Brazil that has affected over 1 million people. It happened in my hometown, Porto Alegre, and the suburban area with a population of 4 million people. Due to historic amounts of rainfall, the rivers went up as high as 60 feet, displacing over 200 thousand people. Although I don’t have family members there, my friends and my original home parish have had their houses submerged by over 20 feet. Speaking with the Cardinal, he has allowed me to collect funds to send to the people on the fronts helping the victims. I have contacted a local parish that is donating food to the places sheltering people as well as feeding all the first responders. We would support their efforts as well as some local volunteers who are going to the supermarkets buying what people need (food, mattresses, medicine) and delivering in the shelters. I will make sure that all this money is given to those in need. For anyone who would like to contribute to this cause, you can write a check to the parish with the memo: “Brazil Relief.” We will be doing a special collection next weekend for the victims. Therefore, we will move the seminary collection of Pentecost to the following weekend. To those who give through Online Giving, there is an option to donate also called “Brazil Relief”. There is also an option through text 2 give, where you can text 508-859-7970 or scan the QR code. BRAZIL RELIEF FUND To all mothers, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY God Bless, Fr. Steven 
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