From Father Steven - April 7, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • April 5, 2024


Dear Brothers & Sisters,

 

Please see the attached letter from Deacon Joe Cooley about the Unbound Conference here at the parish on April 20th.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

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Dear Immaculate Conception Parishioners, 

 

Blessed Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday! My name is Deacon Joe Cooley. I’m married and was ordained in 2016 to the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of Boston. I’m passionate about seeing people come alive in their identity and gifting as a son or daughter of an amazing Father. To that end, I’ve founded the nonprofit HOMe Ministries (Houses of Mercy). We teach, equip, and activate people in freedom and the ways of the Gospel and seek to move faith from the head to the heart and home. I am excited to see what the Lord is stirring at Immaculate Conception. This is my favorite time of year when we celebrate the Lord’s goodness and victory over Satan, sin, and death–for love of you and me! This season of the Church calendar is a profound time of grace in which the Lord is inviting us deeper into healing and freedom in mind, body, and spirit. Jesus died with what we deserve so that we might live with what he deserves–a life filled with an abundance of joy and all the fruits of the Holy Spirit! Thank you, Lord! I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your warm welcome during the Lenten Mission this past March 12-14. In my short three evenings with you, I experienced the beauty of the church building and even more, the beauty of the people of Immaculate Conception. The Lord touched us powerfully as we encountered his goodness! Thank you Jesus, and thank you all!

 

I also want to personally invite you to an Unbound Freedom in Christ Conference on Saturday, April 20 at the parish. This is NOT just another “event” but an opportunity to allow the Lord to bring fresh healing and freedom to our hearts! The following testimonies demonstrate the possibilities from a wide variety of people who have attended a conference or experienced Unbound prayer:

 

· “This is the best day of my life.” –A 10-year-old boy

· “[The Unbound prayer session] was incredibly powerful and, for the first time in a long time, I could laugh with genuine pleasure with my family tonight and have a conversation with a friend without growing distracted by fear and anxiety. The feeling of being under attack has abated and I can breathe.”

· “I arrived home exhausted. I felt like I haven't slept in decades. I think the anxiety from all the years of torment left me today. I felt peaceful and in need of resting with the Lord. I feel fresh and rested now and ready for where the Lord is going to take me next.”

· “I believe for the rest of our lives, this conference will be the linchpin we point to that saved our marriage!”

"Jesus has set me free! And, I did not think I was in dire need of help. I only knew the Holy Spirit was prompting me to ask." Use the QR code to learn more details and register (or register at the door) for the conference. Continue reading next to learn more about Unbound and the Lord’s will that you and I experience and live in deep freedom in our lives.

By Father Steven Clemence August 14, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I hope you are enjoying your summer! Please see the letter below from Fr. Javier. God Bless, Fr. Steven ——————————————— Hello Brothers and Sisters, Time flies, it has already been a few months since my ordination but I feels like it was only yesterday. The ordination has been a gift and a joy. Thank you all for your support in my formation. I would like to share with you two things that have been close to my heart since my ordination to the deaconate and now the priesthood. The first is on God's Providence and the second is a particular part of the Eucharist. My diaconate ordination marked the end of my time of mission and my return for the final year in the seminary. As many of you might remember I was in mission in American Samoa, Samoa, and a short but impactful time in Saipan. During that time I experienced how God opened doors that I never even knew existed. In difficult times God always had a solution in ways that I didn't expect. In short, I experienced God's Providence and I was awe-struck. I felt that God was my Father who was providing what I needed. Looking ahead into my priesthood, I know that there will be challenging moments but I have these core memorials that serve to remind me that God provides the grace needed to carry out his will. Providence comes to you when you seek out God and his will, everything else falls into place. Now as a priest there is a particular part of the Eucharist that I really enjoy, the Holy sung during the Eucharistic Prayer. "Heaven and Earth are full of your glory". That line has stuck with me because it calls to mind all the wonders that I have seen God work in my life, the life of my family, and in the lives of others. Not only this, but the action of singing Holy, Holy, Holy during the Liturgy fulfills our heavenly calling to one day join the angels and saints in Heaven singing the perpetual praises of God. The Book of Revelations says that they never cease to sing Holy, Holy, Holy. In the Eucharist, and in this moment in particular Heaven and Earth come together. What a blessing to celebrate the Eucharist! I remember you in my prayers, please pray for me. In Christ, Fr Javier Alexis Padilla
By Father Steven Clemence August 7, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Please see the information below from Deacon Joe Cooley about their Encounter School of Ministry 2026 Summer Intensive program to be held at Meehan Hall August 17—August 20th. Come immerse yourself in the Holy Spirit and whet your appetite for more of what the Lord wants to do through you, with you, and in you! God Bless, Fr. Steven —————————— Encounter School of Ministry 2026 Summer Intensive – Marlborough "Taste and see that the LORD is good." — Psalm 34:8 Are you looking for new zeal, inspiration, and energy to live out your vocation? Do you desire a deeper encounter with God’s healing power, a breakthrough in your spiritual life, or a clearer understanding of your life's purpose? Don't let the season pass without investing in your spiritual growth. The Encounter School of Ministry Boston Campus warmly invites you to join us for our final 4-evening Summer Intensive of the 2026 season, hosted right here at Immaculate Conception Parish. Whether you serve actively in parish ministry or simply want to live out the Great Commission with supernatural confidence in your daily family and professional life, this transformative experience is designed intentionally for you. Over four powerful nights, participants will receive a rich, accelerated distillation of our first four quarters of ministry training. You will unlock foundational blueprint tools rooted in our Catholic heritage to help you live out the Gospel with joy and walk in authority in Christ. Each evening features a dynamic mix of praise and worship, foundational teachings, and hands-on activations in a safe, humble environment marked by genuine kindness and charity. Nightly Curriculum Focus: Night 1: Kingdom Identity – Discover your true identity as a beloved son or daughter of God, shifting from a performance-based mentality to a heavenly perspective. Night 2: Prophetic Gifts – Learn the "language of the Holy Spirit," grow in hearing God’s voice, and cultivate gifts to build up, encourage, and console others. Night 3: Physical Healing – Learn a basic prayer model for healing ministry rooted in love and compassion for the sick. Night 4: Inner Healing & Freedom – Partner with the Holy Spirit to find emotional renewal, freedom from hidden wounds, and deep peace. Historical data from our local campus graduates demonstrates profound, multi-layered fruits: past attendees have experienced physical healings, freedom from anxiety, strengthened marriages, and a major activation in parish life, including a deeper love for Eucharistic Adoration. Come with an expectant heart ready to close out your summer with incredible spiritual fire! Event Details: Where: Immaculate Conception Parish (Meehan Hall), Marlborough, MA When: Aug 17–20, 2026 | 6:00 PM–9:00 PM nightly | Worship begins at 5:00 PM Registration / Info: Please scan the QR code on the Marlborough flyer available at the church exits, reference our digital announcements, visit online at encounterschool.org/boston , or register at the door. Contact: For questions or group details, connect with Satellite Campus Director Deacon Joe Cooley at boston@encounterschool.org . Claim your seat today and see the new horizons the Lord is opening for you!