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 - May 10, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 8, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Since leaving high school, I do not think I had ever opened the Britannica Encyclopedia again. Yet while preparing for this weekend’s theme, I came across a very interesting entry: Mother’s Day. I had never really wondered how this celebration began. After doing some research, I discovered how it developed through different cultures and times, including a tradition in England when the faithful would visit the church where they had been baptized — their “mother church.” The modern observance of Mother’s Day traces back to Anna Jarvis, who honored her mother, Anna Jarvis, in 1908. After the Civil War, Anna Jarvis promoted reconciliation between Union and Confederate veterans. One day, she offered a prayer during Sunday school that her daughter never forgot: “I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial Mother’s Day commemorating her for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life.” Those words remained deeply in her daughter’s heart. After her mother’s death, Anna Jarvis began advocating for a special day dedicated to honoring mothers. In 1908, the first Mother’s Day service was held at her mother’s church in West Virginia. A few years later, every state celebrated Mother’s Day, until President Wilson declared it a national holiday. In many ways, the figure of a mother resembles Christ Himself, who “came not to be served, but to serve.” Mothers are often behind the scenes, taking the last place and putting the needs of others before their own. Much of their hard work and countless sacrifices may go unnoticed, yet God, “who sees in secret, will repay you.” Certainly, it feels good to receive recognition and praise, but our first calling is to please God. Jesus commands us to love one another as He has loved us, and He says nothing about seeking recognition. In fact, throughout the Scriptures, Jesus repeatedly avoids drawing attention to Himself. Many times, He even tells people not to speak about what He has done. In our digital age, when people often share everything publicly, Jesus reminds us of the beauty of doing good quietly and humbly. The Gospel also tells us that the Son of Man came to serve and “to give His life.” In a similar way, mothers are constantly giving their lives for others. The sacrifice of self-denial is among the greatest acts of love. Just as Christ died so that we might live, mothers often deny themselves so that others may flourish. Whether it is caring for the home, cooking, cleaning, gardening, helping the children, finding everything for everyone, or all of the above, their daily sacrifices make an enormous difference, even when they go unnoticed. Therefore, regardless of our age, let us take a moment to reflect on how often our mothers denied themselves for our sake. Let us remember all they have done in loving service to us. They may not have been perfect, but in most cases, they gave us way more than their best. Today, inspired by Anna Jarvis, let us honor mothers “for the matchless service [they render] to humanity in every field of life.” To all mothers — those here on earth and those already in heaven — THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.  God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - May 3, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • May 1, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, It is with great joy that today we celebrate our First Communion. I don’t know how much you remember from the day you received your First Communion. Unfortunately, I also remember very little. Last week, I asked one of the children who had received their First Communion how it felt, and more than the words they used, you should have seen the joy in their smile. Lucky for us, this weekend we can experience their joy as well, because each time we receive Communion it is just as amazing as the first time. When we do something so often in life, we can easily take it for granted, and it can become routine. However, we need to be careful that receiving The Body and Blood of Christ does not become routine. Each time is different. The other day, I was reading the reflections of St. Alphonsus Liguori on the Eucharist and thinking about the experiences that some of the saints had while receiving Communion. For instance, some saints had mystical experiences with Jesus after communion. St. Giuseppe of Cupertino would levitate at Communion. He also levitated at the mere thought of Jesus (even church bells would draw the saint closer to heaven). There are some people who lived being fed only by The Body of Christ. This miracle is called “inedia.” Some lived for more than 10 years solely on the Eucharist. Imagine how impressive that is. I have capitalized the “T” in “The Body of Christ” because it is The one and same Body that was born of Mary and was crucified on the Cross. When we receive Communion, we receive the very Body of Christ. It is not an image, a representation, or a symbol. There is a transformation of the substance of bread into The Body of Christ during consecration. We call it “transubstantiation.” In history, some people have failed to understand it, and this has caused great misunderstanding and error in other beliefs. For instance, Protestants do not believe that The Body of Christ is in the Eucharist. As the children have prepared themselves over the past two years, it is also important that we prepare ourselves to receive Communion. We often urge you to begin by preparing your souls by going to confession. Then, we should also dress up for such the special occasion. It would also be nice to arrive early, find good seats, and pray before the beginning of Mass. I understand that at times things happen as we come to church that delay us. However, as much as possible, it is important to arrive early, and prepare ourselves for this special moment. We hear in the Gospel that Jesus has prepared a place in heaven for us. He gives us His Body to strengthen us in that journey. Let us not miss this great opportunity. As the children receive their Communion for the first time, let us also have the same attitude and awe this Sunday! God Bless, Fr. Steven