From Father Steven - April 20, 2025

Father Steven Clemence • April 17, 2025

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

CHRIST IS RISEN, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!!!

 

I pray that during these next 50 days of the Easter season, you may truly experience the resurrection of Christ in your life. The resurrection is not something magical, as though Christ waves a wand and suddenly we are converted. Lent is our preparation, a spiritual journey that leads us to the moment of Jesus passing through our lives at Easter.

 

According to the Gospels, on Easter morning only Mary Magdalene encounters the Risen Christ. No one else does at first. Over the coming weeks, we will hear different Gospel accounts of others meeting the Risen Lord in a variety of places and situations—reminding us that Christ reveals Himself in many ways, often when we least expect it.

 

We live in a world that doesn’t like to wait. We’ve grown accustomed to instant everything. It’s funny to think how different things were not so long ago—waiting through commercials on TV, or sending letters by mail that took days or weeks to arrive. Today, we can get deliveries within hours and watch any show, anywhere, anytime. Yet, when we read Scripture, we discover that God often calls His people to wait.

 

Abraham waited most of his life for God to fulfill His promises. Then he waited again to hear His voice. The Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert. Clearly, God is in no rush. He could have created the world in an instant, yet He chose to take seven days. After our Lenten preparation, now we enter the season of hope and anticipation—waiting for the Lord to appear. We don’t know when or how, but we trust that He will come. Let us not be like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, who walked and spoke with Jesus without recognizing Him.

 

Each year, Christ seeks to free us from the lies and chains of the enemy. We are often tempted to believe that we are not good enough, that we cannot forgive ourselves for past mistakes, or that a certain person will always remain a painful burden in our lives. The suffering we see around us can deepen that grief. The disciples, too, experienced this kind of “death” of the soul—sadness, confusion, even despair.

 

But in the midst of this brokenness, Christ appears. He comes to reveal that those things no longer have power over us. He breaks the chains of darkness. A better image might be this: Christ has flung open the doors of our prison cell—but we must choose to walk out. The Holy Spirit comes to give us the strength to take that step into freedom. The freedom to forgive. The freedom to see how valuable and loved we truly are. It doesn’t matter if we are “good enough”—God loves us as we are. He knows we have our struggles. I like to say, respectfully and with humor, that we are sometimes God’s “high-maintenance children.” Yet He loves us just the same!

 

So now that we have heard the news of the Resurrection—what do we do? Peter and John ran to the tomb. They left the place where they were and sought Christ. We are invited to do the same. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been coming to church regularly, or if this is your first time here in a while—the invitation is for everyone.

 

This Jubilee Year is a special time of grace. Come out of fear and into the freedom of the Risen Christ! Encounter Him in the many opportunities offered in our parish:

Daily Mass (Monday to Saturday at 7:30 AM), Adoration (6:30–7:30 AM and 6–7 PM), Confessions (6–7 PM), Jubilee Talks every Wednesday (7–8 PM), Tuesdays in Spanish, Thursdays in Portuguese Upcoming retreats: Unbound in English (May 24), Brazilian retreat (May 24–25), Spanish couples retreat (June 1), Join one of our many ministries—Cenacle, Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, Neocatechumenal Way, Bible Study, Friends of Faith, Bereavement Ministry—or serve at Mass as a catechist, lector, singer, or Eucharistic minister.

 

Maybe the wait is over. The Risen Christ is already here, waiting to encounter you. He will free you. He will give you new life. Come and see!

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven



 

From Father Steven - April 13, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • April 11, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Not long ago, we sang with joy, “O Come, Let Us Adore Him.” . Though this beloved hymn celebrates the response of the shepherds to the birth of the Savior, it echoes once again this Palm Sunday. Today, we are also invited to come and adore Him —this time as He enters Jerusalem, not as an infant, but as the suffering King. The child born in Bethlehem came with a mission: to give His life for the salvation of humanity. From the very beginning, the Nativity foreshadowed the Passion. In traditional Greek icons of the Nativity, Jesus is wrapped in swaddling clothes—foreshadowing the burial linens He will later wear. He is born in a cave-like stable, reminiscent of the tomb in which He will be laid. In Jesus’ time, the dead were placed in stone-cut tombs, not buried underground. The Gospel notes that the tomb of Nicodemus “had not yet been used,” emphasizing its sacred role in God’s plan. Even the reactions to Jesus’ birth and His triumphant entry into Jerusalem are strikingly similar. When Herod heard of the newborn King, he was "greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him" (Mt 2:3). Centuries later, as Jesus enters Jerusalem amid palm branches and acclamations, the entire city is once again shaken—stirred by the arrival of a King who does not come with power and might, but with humility and love. This is no coincidence. Everything in salvation history unfolds according to God's perfect plan. It prompts us to reflect: What is the image we hold of Christ as King? Do we see Him as the one who should take away our sufferings, fix our problems, and restore order to the world? While Christ certainly brings healing and hope, He often does so in ways we do not expect. He is not a King who comes to conquer with force, but one who walks alongside us—through our struggles, pain, and even death—inviting us to place our full trust in God. To grasp the depth of God’s love, consider the image of a parent keeping vigil by their sick child, or a spouse caring tenderly for their beloved in illness or death. These acts of love go beyond obligation—they are a gift of self. In the same way, Christ enters Jerusalem not with glory as the world defines it, but with compassion —literally, "to suffer with." He doesn’t remove suffering from our lives, but instead enters into it with us. Emmanuel— God is with us —even in our darkest hours. We are not alone. Christ calls us to accompany others in their pain, to bring His presence to those who are suffering, and to love as He loves. Only love has the power to conquer sin and death. Palm Sunday’s liturgy begins with celebration—the waving of palms, the joyful acclamation of Christ the King. But it moves swiftly into the solemn reading of His Passion. This contrast invites us to welcome the King who comes not to reign from a throne, but from the Cross. He comes to suffer with us, to carry our sins, and to free us—not from Roman oppression, as many in His time expected—but from the grip of sin and death itself. So, dear friends, let us enter this Holy Week with faith, love, and hope. It is easy to go through the motions, to let these sacred days pass by. But Christ desires to live this time with us and in us . As St. Paul reminds us, “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him” (Rom 6:8). Let us then walk this path with Christ—through the Cross, into the joy of the Resurrection. May this Holy Week transform us, renew us, and prepare our hearts to truly celebrate the miracle of Easter.  God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - April 6, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • April 4, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, We would like to thank everyone who helped us with our recent 24Hr Adoration and mass with Bishop Reed! All the servers, the lectors, our Choir and the Knights of Columbus! Everything was beautiful! I would like to bring your attention to some very important upcoming activities we are having here at the Parish: Our Annual Fish Fryday will be held on April 11th at 5:30pm in Meehan Hall . We will be serving Fish & French Fries. The tickets are $15.00/per adult and $10.00/per child . Please purchase your tickets ahead of time so we can prepare the right amount of food. You can purchase tickets after mass or at the parish office (they will also be available at the door). Next week we will have a very important and powerful workshop led by Deacon Joe Cooley who has been here in the parish before. Please see the announcement below. Please see our Holy Week and Easter Schedule on the next page. Our new IC Bereavement Ministry will begin on Tuesday, April 29th at 10:00am in the Lower Church . Please stay tuned for more information on this ministry. God Bless, Fr. Steven On Fire: Identity Workshop Friday, April 11th and Saturday, April 12th in Lower Church Deacon Joe Cooley Please join us for an On Fire: Identity Workshop on Friday night, April 11 and Saturday, April 12 in the lower church . Connect with Jesus in a way that will transform your life immediately and permanently! Uncover the truth of who the Lord says you are! The following testimonies from people who have attended this event in the past demonstrate the possibilities: · “The On Fire workshop was a whirlwind of blessings. The weekend surpassed all my hopes and expectations. I have been so blessed by the people I was privileged to meet, the profound experiences in prayer and Adoration, and even receiving extraordinary healing! On Fire was truly an experience of Heaven kissing earth.” · “Praise the Lord!! The Father downloaded my identity as a beloved daughter into my heart and soul. I experienced His love and mercy flooding into the core of my being.” · “What a powerful workshop. I so love the work being done.” · “ON Fire Identity Workshop was a powerful workshop. The kind of workshop where the word of God and the encounter of the Holy Spirit will stay with you long after the workshop is over.” Use the QR code to learn more and register for the workshop. You can also register at the door. 
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