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From Father Steven - December 1, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • November 29, 2024

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 
















Please see the letter below from Fr. Gabriel about Advent and our upcoming festivities.






















God Bless,










Fr. Steven








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Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

 

While it has been nearly six months since my ordination, it still feels like it took place just yesterday. How quickly the time has flown by! Please take a moment with me to ready ourselves for the approaching festivities.

 

In order to better prepare for the coming season of Advent, we have to recover its original meaning by taking a closer look at just what it is we are celebrating.

 

Too often the arrival of Advent comes only as a reminder to put up decorations and shop for gifts. More than preparing for the arrival of the holidays, Advent is really a preparation for the arrival of a person, Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, the word advent is derived from the Latin meaning “to come” or “approach.” The book of Revelation sums up the spirit of Advent best when our Lord says, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega…’ who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” 

 

Throughout the first part of Advent, lasting from the first Sunday of Advent (Dec. 1st this year) up until December 16th, the Church has us prepare for Jesus as the one “who is to come.” All of the readings point to Jesus’ second coming that will happen suddenly and may catch us by surprise if we are not prepared; one of the oldest prayers of the Church is “Come, Lord Jesus,” because we are called to expect his return with the loving eagerness of a bride who awaits the bridegroom that seeks to be with his beloved. 

 

The second part of Advent starts on December 17th, counting nine days until the celebration of Christmas, with special prayers to ready our hearts to celebrate that Jesus is also the one “who was;” rejoicing because the Lord has been made flesh, he has come to dwell among us and to save us. This celebration does not end on Christmas day, but continues for twelve more days, expressing just how overjoyed we are at the sight of God’s love for us, shown by His coming into the world.

 

And the Church always sees Jesus as the one “who is,” because everyday he comes to us when we listen to the Word of God, when we meet with our neighbor, but most especially, in his abiding presence in the Eucharist. 

 

Along with the coming of Advent, I would also like to take the time to cordially invite you to the Feast of our parish and our Patroness, The Immaculate Conception. This year Father Steven has kindly asked me to prepare the three talks for our Triduum leading up to the Feast. Since we belong to the same Church, our community shares one mind and one heart, that is why in the Gospels Mary shares with us her memories of Jesus so that we may be evermore united to her and to him. And so for this year's theme, I will be preaching on Mary’s Memories, drawing on three instances from her memory given to us in the Gospels. Each night we will have the opportunity to reflect and meditate together, so as to experience the nearness of our mother.

 

The Triduum will begin on THURSDAY DECEMBER 5TH, AND WILL CONTINUE ON THE 6th AND 7th. WE WILL GATHER IN THE UPPER CHURCH EACH NIGHT AT 6:00PM. Leading up to our big Trilingual special mass on Sunday at 6:00pm which will be the eve of the Holy Day. This mass does not count towards our Sunday obligation so we will go twice this weekend to mass. Since the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is so important, even though it will be on Monday, it is still a day of Obligation. Besides Sunday, we will have our normal day of obligation schedule on Monday at 7:30am, 12:10pm, 6:00pm in English, 7:30pm Portuguese and 7:30pm Spanish in the lower church.  Feel free to invite friends and family to our celebrations, as all are welcome.

 

Thank you for all of your support, I am happy to be your priest.


 

God Bless,











Fr. Gabriel






















 

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. 

From Father Steven - March 30, 2025

By Father Steven Clemence • March 28, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This weekend, we will hear the story of the prodigal son—a story familiar to us all. However, I would like to share a few insights with you as we reflect on this powerful parable. A few years ago, while meditating on this passage, I began to wonder why the father would give his money to his son. Perhaps the natural reaction would be to refuse or to send the son away empty-handed. If we were in his shoes, we might think, "Who does this rebellious son of mine think he is, demanding the money I earned through hard work and leaving us behind? If he wants to leave, he knows where the door is." However, that is not the attitude of this father. It took me a while to understand how the father could so gently give his money to his son and allow him to leave. I am no philosopher or theologian, but it seems the father understands that love cannot be forced. Love is an act of the will, and without freedom, there is no love. This principle underlies the gift of free will that God has given us. Despite everything God provides—a world we did not create, families given to us, and the gift of salvation through Christ—we remain free to take our blessings and walk away. In the face of our stubbornness, God can do nothing but love us. Just as the father left the door open for his son's return, God always leaves a door open for us to return to Him. Another element to consider in this story is that the son may have been deceived. We are quick to judge him, but we often fail to understand what led him to make such a drastic decision. What might have influenced him to leave everything behind? Was it the persuasion of friends turning him against his family? Did the allure of worldly pleasures make him believe he would find greater happiness elsewhere? Or perhaps he felt useless in his father's house—comparing himself to his brother or believing he was such a disappointment that he no longer belonged. These inner struggles are difficult to understand, and I realize it is becoming increasingly challenging to comprehend the thoughts of today's youth. Their understanding of reality often differs greatly from our own, making them more vulnerable to feelings of exclusion. The pressures they face—to act or appear a certain way—can become overwhelmingly burdensome. This parable also invites us to be less judgmental of others. If you knew the prodigal son and his family, what would you have said to him as he walked away? Many of us might have spoken harshly or dismissed him. Yet, how would we react if we only encountered him on his return? It is the same person, but our responses would likely be very different. This story reminds us to approach others with compassion and understanding, no matter where they are on their journey. Finally, I would like to reflect on the pivotal moment when the son decided to return home. He endured great suffering and lost everything he had. The weight of shame must have been immense. Yet, nothing prevented him from returning to his house. Deep within, he knew his father would welcome him. I hope we all share this same trust in God's mercy. There is always an opportunity to confess our sins and return to the Father's house. Like the prodigal son, let us rise, leave behind the land of darkness, and speak to the Father. We know how He will receive us—with open arms and the joyous feast of the fattened calf, which ultimately points to the gift of His only Son, Jesus Christ. May we never hesitate to return to the loving embrace of our Heavenly Father. Please consider attending one of our Wednesday Jubilee talks, as we will be covering some of these topics in our upcoming talks. We also have adoration everyday 6:00pm-7:00pm with the opportunity to go to confession with various priests as well. God Bless, Fr. Steven
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