From Father Steven - August 25, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • August 23, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

 

We still live in a society filled with stigmas. While awareness and acceptance of many issues have grown tremendously, there are still topics people find difficult to discuss. One such issue is coping with suffering. Unfortunately, addiction remains a common but unhealthy way to deal with pain. Whether the addiction is public or private, it doesn't solve the underlying problems. Some addictions, like alcohol abuse, can be very harmful to ourselves and those around us, while others, like drug addiction, pose a significant danger. This week, we will observe International Overdose Awareness Day.

 

The challenge of dealing with suffering has been a topic of discussion since ancient times, with many philosophers offering their insights. Even though there may be clear answers, it remains difficult to navigate through suffering. In my ten years as a priest, dedicated to a life of prayer and study, I can attest that it is still very challenging to endure tribulations, whether personal or not. Now, imagine how much more difficult it must be for someone who doesn't have a balanced life, a supportive family, or struggles with their faith. The common response to pain is often to flee from it or to distract ourselves and pretend it isn't happening. Unfortunately, this only worsens the problem, making life seem unbearable. Faced with what feels like a dead end, some may turn to temporary relief, seeking comfort in pleasure or, more dangerously, in substances like alcohol or drugs. This leads to substance abuse and further deterioration, creating a vicious cycle that feels impossible to escape.

 

Jesus Christ gave us a core mandate in Christianity: to love God and our neighbor (Mt 22:37-40). He further explained that we should love one another as He has loved us. Reflecting on how Christ loved us, especially when we were troubled or went astray, we see His example as the Good Shepherd in Luke 15 and John 10. He lays down His life for His sheep, goes out to find the lost one, and rejoices when it is found. He doesn't shun the lost sheep or give it a lecture. Similarly, we are called to approach those who are lost with tenderness and love. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus shows us how to love our neighbor by displaying compassion to a stranger, someone who might even be considered despicable.

 

There are countless people in need of our help—those who are poor, homeless, struggling with addiction, lonely, or depressed. While we may not be able to help the entire world, we can make a difference one person at a time. Desmond Doss, whose story was portrayed in the movie "Hacksaw Ridge," believed in this principle. He enlisted in the war to help others, and by saving one person at a time, he rescued 75 soldiers from the battlefield and provided comfort to many more. This week, we have a great opportunity to help those struggling with opioid addiction and to support those mourning the loss of loved ones to overdose. The annual Candlelight Vigil for International Overdose Awareness Day will be Tuesday, August 27th at 6:45pm and will take place at the Frank D. Walker Building, 255 Main Street, Marlborough (if it’s raining, it will be held in the Upper Church). The evening will feature a Memorial Slideshow, Guest Speakers, Free Narcan, and a Candle Lighting Ceremony. Please join us in welcoming everyone who attends, praying with and for them, and taking the first step in helping those in need.

 

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - May 24, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 22, 2026
A Call to Pray for Priests Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This weekend, as we celebrate Pentecost, we are all called to be with the Virgin Mary and the apostles praying in the Cenacle for the revelation of God through the Holy Spirit. A long-time parishioner has asked me to share with you a letter she wrote about a special ministry that she is promoting here in the parish. Please read her letter below. God Bless, Fr. Steven =============================== How privileged we are as a parish to have celebrated recently the ordination of Father Javier. What a joy and gift a priest is to God’s people! Priests accompany us at some of the most intimate, joyful and difficult moments of our lives. These self-sacrificing shepherds, our brothers, carry not only the full weight of our burdens but their own as well….please pray for them. We parishioners have a great privilege and duty, out of love, to pray for priests, especially those who serve us so tirelessly and unselfishly here at Immaculate Conception Parish. We all need prayer. It is the start of holiness. No one can become a saint without praying. Our priests need prayer too! They are our brothers along with us on this path to holiness, all as members of The Body of Christ with Jesus as the Head. On Friday, June 12th, the Church will celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. How grateful I am for this day to remind us to pray for our priests. Recently I was introduced to a beautiful apostolate dedicated to praying for priests: The Seven Sisters Apostolate. The Seven Sisters Apostolate is a call to strengthen the Church by ensuring that a Holy Hour is prayed each day of the week for the sole intention of a specific priest or bishop, a “holy wasting” (cf. Mt. 26:10) or lavishing of prayer for his deeper conformity to Christ. Seven women each commit to one holy hour a week on a specific day, praying exclusively for a particular priest and his priesthood for one year: A Seven Sister, One Holy Hour, One Day, One Priest, Each week, One Heart of Prayer. Since its founding in 2011, Seven Sisters has established sisterhoods praying for bishops and priests worldwide. The ultimate goal is for every priest and bishop in every diocese to have a sisterhood covering them in prayer. Each group is started by an Anchoress who recruits members, passes on needed information, and communicates the existence and intentions of the group to the particular priest. There are also opportunities for men to support this apostolic work by substituting for Sisters to make a holy hour and also by fasting on one given day a week for the priest. I have always prayed for priests but not in this particular way. I think my attraction to the Seven Sisters Apostolate is the fruit of my prayers and nudges from the Holy Spirit during the many hours of Adoration and opportunities for confession I have enjoyed here in our parish. Everyone can pray for priests. You do not need to belong to any kind of group or apostolate, although that is an encouragement for keeping one’s commitment to pray. Keep on with your prayers without ceasing. Pray every day for God’s priests who suffer the same struggles, temptations, discouragements and sorrows that we all do. Wrap them in your prayers, fasting, and sacrifices. Beg the Blessed Virgin Mary to keep them pure and holy for her son, Jesus Christ. You only need to do it.  There will be a Q&A meeting for those interested on Wednesday, May 27th at 7:00pm in the Upper Church. If you would like to find out more about The Seven Sisters Apostolate visit their website: www.sevensistersapostolate.org or email Christine Lehane: cmolehane@gmail.com .

From Father Steven - May 17, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 15, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This weekend we celebrate the ordination of Father Javier! It is always a great privilege for us to witness the transformation of a young man into a priest, a servant of God configured to Christ. This weekend, I would like to reflect with you on the different vocations to which God calls His people. The first vocation, as we see in the Book of Genesis, is matrimony. We hear that God created man and woman to complement one another. “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Therefore, it is natural for a man and a woman to be united in marriage. However, marriage is not about seeking the satisfaction of one’s own needs in another person. Rather, the sacrament of matrimony is a sacrament of self-giving and service. Husband and wife are called to serve one another in love. Matrimony is defined as “the covenant by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, and which is ORDERED TOWARD THE GOOD OF THE SPOUSES and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament” (Canon 1055 §1). Marriage, then, is a path by which God sanctifies us through self-giving love, just as Christ gave Himself for us. Spouses become a gift to one another, and it is in this gift of self that true joy is found. Some people receive a different call. If it is natural for a man and woman to be united to one another, then it is supernatural for a person to be united entirely to God. The religious vocation anticipates the reality of heaven by seeking union with God already in this life. One can be called to become “eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven,” living celibacy for the love of God and His Kingdom. This includes consecrated virgins who live in the world while dedicating their lives entirely to the Lord and those who do not get married. Others are called to religious life as sisters, nuns, brothers, or monks. There are many religious communities and institutes through which a person is consecrated to God according to a particular charism or mission. Some are called to serve through teaching, serving the poor, caring for the sick or children, immigrants, or those most in need. There are also contemplative communities whose principal work is prayer and total dedication to the Lord, often lived in cloistered monasteries. Finally, we also have the priestly vocation. This call invites men to act in the person of Christ the Head ( in persona Christi capitis ) in the world. Through ordination, a man is configured in a profound way to Jesus Christ. This does not mean that the individual ceases to be himself; rather, by the grace of God, he is united to Christ in a unique and sacramental way. The priesthood is not only for a select few. Many saints throughout history have spoken about how God calls many men to this vocation. Sometimes there is hesitation because a person feels unworthy or inadequate. Yet throughout Scripture we see that God often chooses ordinary people with weaknesses and imperfections. The Apostles and the saints were not extraordinary because of their own abilities, but because they allowed God’s grace to work through them. As the saying goes, God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called. As you can see in Fr. Gabriel, Fr. Victor, and myself, we are very ordinary and imperfect men. It is the grace of God that enables us to do what we do. A man may feel incapable of becoming a priest or discouraged by his sins and limitations. Yet, just as Peter told Jesus, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man,” we remember that it is not we who choose Christ, but Christ who chooses us. Ultimately, our primary vocation is holiness. We are all called to become saints. The particular path we take—whether marriage, religious or single life, or priesthood—is secondary to the greater call to holiness. Those called to matrimony are called to holy matrimony, to become holy husbands and holy wives. Those called to religious life are called to become holy sisters, brothers, monks, and consecrated virgins. Those called to the priesthood are called to become holy priests. Each vocation is not an end in itself, but a path by which we are led to heaven and united more fully with God. God Bless, Fr. Steven