From Father Steven - June 30, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • June 28, 2024

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

Every year we have the mission appeal weekend where a missionary visits us. This year we welcome Fr. Dennis Koltz, a PIME missionary. Next weekend, Fr. Koltz, will be here to speak to us at all the Masses for The Society for the Propagation of the Faith. The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies represented here in the Archdiocese of Boston. Father Dennis will share stories of the missions and help us build a spiritual connection to others whose daily lives may be very different from ours. The Society of the Propagation of the Faith is the official mission agency of the Catholic Church dedicated to assisting and supporting laypeople, priests, and religious in their evangelizing missionary work. The Propagation is blessed to support the multitudes of "farmers" around the world -- men and women called by God to plant the seeds of our faith wherever He sends them. We call them missionaries; the crop they sow and tend is nothing less than the promise of eternal life. Please see the letter below.

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

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Every day, by word and action, missionaries bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to our brothers and sisters around the world. They depend on the prayers and support of every Catholic so that our sacramental Church can grow.
 
In China, a family brings their baby to be baptized; through gifts to The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Church is there -- hidden, but waiting -- to welcome this precious child. With water and oil, the seeds are sown. His family and Church will nourish a budding faith.
 
Children in the shanty towns of Peru process into their "capilla" -- parish chapel -- in white robes to receive Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. The robes are not only a sign of their purity before God, but also an equalizer. Many come from families too poor to afford a traditional First Communion outfit. With help from The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, missionaries teach them about Jesus, truly present in the sacrament, loving them equally. Their faith begins to bloom.
 
Before Mass in a rural outstation in Zambia, a mission priest hears confessions in the corner. The graces poured out onto the fertile souls of parishioners will yield a crop of faith beyond measure in the months to come. The church was built by local labor and by you -- donors to The Society, who are partners in this venture of faith.
 
Youth in Sri Lanka hold lit candles, inviting the Holy Spirit into their hearts at Confirmation to help them grow in His gifts. They are a sign to others that the Catholic faith grows strong wherever there are missionaries.
 
Couples are joined in marriage in Uganda. Their faith, brought to them by missionaries, will help them raise their family. They will nourish each other in faith until they near the end of their work in God's landscape. Then, perhaps because of the generous faithfulness of donors like you, they will be visited by a priest who will anoint them for their final season. Here in Boston, the Lord’s vineyard was plowed and planted by French missionaries who depended on support from the earliest collections of The Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Between 1830-1845, our young diocese received $45,000 to help to build our churches, health care facilities, orphanages, and provide faith formation for children and adults. In today’s dollars, that amounts to close to two million dollars! In a report in 1840, Boston’s Bishop Fenwick wrote, "Comparing the diocese in 1840 with the diocese in 1825, the difference is very great, thanks to the succors (help) of The Society for the Propagation of the Faith ... A few more years of kind attention on the part of the good Society, and all will be well; the diocese will be able to take care of itself, and of its own institutions."
 
Next weekend, please join us in sowing the seeds of faith -- through the sacraments -- by making a gift to The Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Envelopes will be in the pews next weekend for the second collection. You can also take the envelope home to mail your gift in or visit www.propfaithboston.org to donate. Please be sure to identify our parish so that Immaculate Conception is credited for your gift.  Better still, commit to making a regular gift to the missions – become a Monthly Donor. $5, $10, $25 or more – whatever you budget allows – is like the Biblical loaves and fishes in the hands of missionaries. It is multiplied many times over for the benefit of countless people! May our hearts and minds be opened by the Holy Spirit to support and pray for all missionaries and the people they serve in the missions.

 

 

From Father Steven - March 8, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • March 6, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week I would like to share with you a reflection of Pope Saint John Paul II from 2002. It is a beautiful reflection that allows us to dive deeper in the mystery of this weekend’s liturgy. "Lord ... give me this water, that I may not thirst " (Jn 4,15 ; cf. Gospel Acclamation). The request of the Samaritan woman marks a crucial turning-point in her long and intense conversation with Jesus that takes place at Jacob's well, near the city of Sychar. St John recounts it in today's Gospel. Christ asks the woman " Give me a drink " (v. 7). His material thirst symbolizes a far deeper reality: it expresses his ardent desire that his dialogue partner and her fellow-citizens will open themselves to faith. The Samaritan woman, when she asks Christ for water, is basically revealing the need for salvation present in every heart. And the Lord is revealed as the one who offers the living water of the Spirit, that satisfies forever the infinite thirst of every human being. The liturgy for this Third Sunday of Lent presents a splendid commentary on the Johannine episode when it says in the preface that Jesus " so deeply thirsted" for the salvation of the Samaritan woman that " he set on fire in her the flame of God's love ". The episode of the Samaritan woman charts the journey of faith that we are all called to pursue. Even today Jesus continues " to thirst ", namely, to desire humanity's faith and love. From our personal encounter with him, if we recognize and receive him as the Messiah, come our attachment to his message of salvation and the desire to spread it in the world. This is what happens in the rest of the Gospel passage. The bond with Jesus totally transforms the life of the woman who hurries without delay to proclaim the good news to the people in the nearby village: "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ? " (Jn 4,29). Revelation received with faith asks to become a word proclaimed to others, witnessed in the concrete choices of life. This is the mission of believers, coming from and growing in their personal meeting with the Lord. "Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us " (Rom 5,5). The words of the Apostle Paul in the second reading refer to the gift of the Spirit, symbolized by the living water, that Jesus promises to the Samaritan woman. The Spirit is the "pledge" of the definitive salvation that God has promised to us. Man cannot live without hope. Many hopes go down when they crash against the rocks of life. However Christian hope "does not disappoint" because it is based on the solid foundation of faith in the love of God revealed in Christ. To Mary, Mother of hope, I entrust your parish and the Lenten journey towards Easter. May Mary, who followed her Son Jesus to the Cross, help us all to be faithful disciples of the one who makes well up in our hearts the water for eternal life (cf. Jn 4,14). God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - March 1, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • February 27, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week we will hear how Jesus goes up the mountain and is transfigured before His apostles. God also wants us to be transfigured according to His image and likeness. However, how far are we willing to go? This weekend, we will see Archbishop Henning urging us to participate in the mission of the Church. It is not only a matter of helping financially, but also of serving with our own hands and feet. The Archdiocese supports the work of parishes in many ways. It also helps us priests in various times of need. Furthermore, it carries out many initiatives to serve the people of God, including the deaf and mute ministry, immigrants, seminarians, and those seeking a declaration of nullity (also known as annulments). Our contribution goes a long way. We are all called to be part of the mission of the Church. We are also encouraged, at the local level, to help in whatever ministry God calls us to—whether St. Vincent de Paul, one of the pregnancy help centers in the city, the community cupboard, or the bereavement ministry. It can be something as simple as inviting people back to church, bringing their prayer intentions to Mass, or helping those around you, beginning in your own home. The transformation that God wants to accomplish in us also affects our spiritual lives. Helping others is certainly a great start, but we also need help ourselves. God is a jealous God, as we hear many times in Scripture. He will not allow us to forget Him. Nor will He allow us to continue living in sin and vice. However, He cannot act unless we give Him permission. He wants to purify us from every stain of sin that may affect us. A little bit of pride, envy, laziness, or resentment cannot remain. Every sin is serious. It kills the divine life within us. It separates us from the love of God. As Jesus goes up the mountain, He reveals the glory that will be given to Him. However, this glory will come through His painful Passion. Are we willing to be purified through a similar purification? How far are you willing to allow God to transform your life? It is never too late to begin living with God. Perhaps we say our prayers and consider ourselves good people, yet we are not willing to go deeper. The Lord is patient and persistent. There are times when we feel called to go to confession, to attend adoration, or to participate in one of the Church’s activities, but we resist. It is time to let the Lord enter fully into our lives. As Pope Saint John Paul II said at the beginning of his pontificate, “Do not be afraid to open wide the doors of your heart to let Him enter.” We have about 30 people, between teenagers and adults, who will be baptized in our parish this Easter. Others will be receiving First Communion, and still others will be received into full communion. For one reason or another, they fell off the path and are now returning. There are also a good number of couples getting married who have lived together for many years. God is also calling us to follow His path. It is different for each one of us. So let us pray during this time and ask the Lord what He wants us to do and how to love Him with all our hearts. And let us not be afraid—He has conquered all our fears. God Bless, Fr. Steven