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 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

From Father Steven - February 22, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • February 20, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, We begin this holy and wonderful time of Lent with the image of the desert, as we will hear in the Gospel. The time of Lent is like a desert, or like the exodus of the people of Israel passing from the slavery of Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land. The image of the desert is very important for the people of Israel. In the Scriptures, it is a privileged place to meet the Lord. There is no food, no comfort, no distraction—only sand and more sand. It is in the desert that God reveals Himself. He speaks to the people. In the Hebrew tradition, it is in the desert that God marries His people. In our daily lives, we get lost with so many worries, projections, and expectations. In the desert there is nothing. We are forced to depend on God, even though we do not like to depend on others. We prefer to be independent. There, either you trust God, or you die. In this strange place, God provides food (manna and quails), shelter (the cloud that accompanied the people), and water (from the rock). As in marriage the couple becomes one, so it is with the Lord, who wants to be one with us. The time of Lent is a spiritual desert. We do not eat meat on Fridays, we fast, we abstain from electronics, we give up activities that we like, we become poor by giving alms—and only then can we see God more clearly. However, if we do not empty ourselves this Lent, we will not see the Lord, much less listen to Him. Like the people of Israel, we will be circling around for a long time. We began Lent with the imposition of ashes. We were reminded that we are dust and that we need to convert. Through vices, sins, and bad habits, we are not as free as God wants us to be. At times we do things only to please others, out of social pressure, or to keep up an image. In this way (and in other ways), we are enslaved in order to fit in. We are incapable of loving with 100% of our hearts. This Lent, God wants to make the journey of exodus with us. For that, we need to begin in Egypt. As Moses listened to God and did His will, so we are called to do the same. Therefore, we will need to silence the noise and the distractions around us. Like in the episode of the burning bush, we are called to draw closer to the Lord and “see the marvelous sight.” That is called prayer. It is not a matter of only reciting words; it is a dialogue with God. Which means that as we speak, we also need to listen. Today, no one teaches us how to contemplate what God is doing in our lives. Stop for 20 minutes each day and think or contemplate what graces you have received recently, what difficulties God has helped you overcome through these years. What is going to be the next step on your journey? In which direction is God pointing you? What will be your next mission? Unless we stop and simply listen to Him, we will be deceived by our own thoughts and by temptations, like Adam and Eve. We will also have a great opportunity to listen to Him during the one-day Lenten Mission that Sister Olga will lead for us on February 28th. She is a very inspired woman. It is a great privilege for us to be able to host her. It will be free, but we do ask you to register so that we can have an idea of how many people will attend. That morning, she will also have a special time with the women. Do not miss this opportunity. Last but not least, like last year, we will be giving out Lenten boxes to help us give alms. As Jesus says, “do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” All the money collected will be given to St. Vincent de Paul to help the poor of the parish and of the city of Marlboro. Additionally, if you give up coffee or soda during Lent, put in the box the money that you are not spending. Be aware that there are a lot of people who need help, more than ever. So if you would like to make an additional contribution, you can use the poor boxes located at the exit of the church. May the Lord assist you in this holy campaign of Christian service as we take up the battle against spiritual evils, and may we be armed with the weapons of self-restraint. God Bless, Fr. Steven