From Father Steven - May 26, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • May 24, 2024


Dear Brothers and Sisters,


Our parish community has experienced a range of emotions lately. We've celebrated joyful moments

like First Communions and the Crowning of Mary, but also faced sorrow in farewells like Fr.

Kevin's departure and personal struggles. How do we find strength through these ups and

downs? The answer lies in the very heart of our faith: the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ,

Next week we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi. A feast that reminds us of the incredible gift

Jesus left us.


Just as we prepare for a journey, Christ prepared for ours by leaving His Body and Blood. Before

his sacrifice, He established the Eucharist as our sustenance on our pilgrimage to heaven. Communion

nourishes our souls like food nourishes our bodies. Imagine if we didn't have access to this

essential nourishment! The Eucharist is like the sun for our souls – vital for our spiritual well-being.

Without this “energy pill,” we become weak and succumb to the smallest temptation. With it, we become

Christ-like, by loving, forgiving, helping others, giving without counting the cost. Now imagine

that instead of receiving this “pill” once a week you were able to receive it during the week? This is

why we have mass every morning at 7:30am!!! Come and join us!


To fully receive this gift, we need to prepare ourselves. Proper preparation is key. Think of the Eucharist

like a special family dinner. We wouldn't attend in dirty clothes. Similarly, we need to prepare

our hearts through the sacrament of Confession. Serious sin, like missing Mass or one of the 7 capital

sins, separates us from God's grace. Confession allows us to restore communion and receive

the Eucharist worthily. St. Paul says that when we receive communion in mortal sin we partake of

our own condemnation. Please, understand that it is not a matter of being worthy of receiving communion,

because no one is. It's not about being perfect, but about being prepared. The Church recommends

annual confession at least, but more frequent reconciliation is always encouraged. If you

need to confess your sins, we can help you.


Finally, it is important to share the understanding of the Eucharist with others. Many people, including

Catholics, do not believe that the consecrated host is the Body of Christ, often thinking it is

merely symbolic. There have been numerous instances where the consecrated host bled in the

hands of the priest or the blood of Christ coagulated in the chalice. Some of these occurrences have

happened recently.


Next week, we will hold a grand celebration to honor the Body and Blood of our Lord. We will have a

mega trilingual mass outside (rain or shine) at 11 a.m., followed by a procession through the streets

of Marlboro. So we will not have the 9:00am or the 1:00pm masses. Despite the challenge posed by

the car show on Main Street, we trust in Our Lord to provide for us. A special sawdust carpet, following

the tradition of some South American countries decorated to welcome our Lord, will be created

on Prospect Street (which will be closed for traffic on Sunday). Some parishioners have been

preparing for this moment for months. I invite you to attend the mass and join our procession, bringing

Jesus to the streets of our city. See you next week.


God Bless,

Fr. Steven




From Father Steven - March 29, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • March 27, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Here we are in the most holy week of the year! I hope you had a fruitful Lent, preparing your souls for this moment. I would like to share a brief reflection with you for each day of this upcoming week.  You might have noticed last week that all the sacred images and statues were covered. The Church recommends covering them after the Fifth Sunday of Lent to help us focus more deeply on Christ and to heighten our longing for Easter Sunday. When we walk into the church and notice that things are different, we sense that something significant is about to happen. These final days of Lent are meant to be a time of preparation for the Sacred Triduum, and these veils serve as a powerful reminder to get ready. We begin Holy Week with the celebration of Palm Sunday. The technical name for this Sunday is “Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion.” As you may recall, we proclaim two Gospels: one recounting the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem at the beginning of Mass, and another, at the usual time, recounting the Passion according to one of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, or Luke). These two passages are important, as they direct us toward Easter. They help us meditate on the events of Holy Thursday and Good Friday with hearts that long for the Resurrection of Christ. On Thursday, as we begin the Triduum, we celebrate the Lord’s Last Supper. Although it is often associated with the washing of the feet, there are two other essential elements to remember. The washing of the feet symbolizes fraternal love, as Christ loves and serves His disciples as His friends. At the Last Supper, we also celebrate the institution of the priesthood and the institution of the Eucharist. Not long ago, during the pandemic, we deeply missed receiving Communion. In this moment, we are reminded that Jesus gives us His Body and Blood as a gift to sustain us. During that time, we had to suspend the distribution of the Precious Blood, but now we are able to restore it. What better day to do so than the very day on which Jesus Himself instituted it? I encourage you to receive the Blood of Christ, not only because it is His desire, but also because the Church, especially since the Second Vatican Council, has affirmed that the faithful should have this opportunity. At the end of the celebration, we will process to the hall, where we are invited to keep vigil with Christ until midnight. On Good Friday, when Mass is not celebrated, we gather for the “Celebration of the Lord’s Passion.” In this service, we listen once again to the Passion, and we venerate the Cross of Jesus, as well as reflect on our own crosses. Jesus calls us to take up our cross and follow Him, though this is not always easy. On this day, we are invited to come forward to adore and kiss the Cross, trusting that Christ helps us carry our burdens. Finally, on Saturday evening (8:00PM) and Sunday morning (7:30AM and 11:00AM—there will be no 5:00PM Mass), we will gather to proclaim the Resurrection of Christ. As we accompany Him to the tomb and mourn His death, we will also come together to proclaim to the world that God is not dead—He is alive and desires to share His divine life with us. Last week, we heard St. Paul exhort us to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. This is only possible if a new life is formed within us. That new life comes through the power of God, made present in the death and Resurrection of Christ. Just as God led His people from Egypt to the Promised Land, so too He desires to lead us into new life. Therefore, it is essential to approach these days with intentionality, striving to rise with Christ into a new life. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - March 22, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • March 20, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, As you may be aware, we are starting our next Bereavement Ministry on March 31st. This is the third session we are offering to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. The loss can be a recent one or one from years ago. We will be following the Catholic program called Seasons of Hope. I encourage you to participate to find support and comfort within our faith-filled community. God Bless, Fr. Steven ——————————————————————— Bereavement Ministry: Seasons of Hope to Begin As we mourn together, our parish bereavement team of Nancy Papp, Mark Vital, and Nancy Wells would like to personally invite anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one to attend Immaculate Conception’s next bereavement session which will begin on Tuesday evening, March 31st at 6:30 pm in the Lower Church and continue for six consecutive Tuesday evenings ending on Tuesday, May 5th. There are no stages to grief. We all experience grief in our own unique way, and healing is an intentional process, where we gather as a community of faith to become disciples of hope. It is through prayerful reflection, practical learning, and personal fellowship that we mourn. We will be following the Catholic program called Seasons of Hope . It is a 6-week program based on Scripture that focuses our faith on the spiritual side of grieving. Our mission is to support and accompany those going through the grieving process through Scripture, prayer, reflection, and simple activities. The program centers on Jesus Christ and is founded in the wisdom, traditions, and practices of the Church. It provides an opportunity for those who are grieving to be together, share their experiences, listen to God, and to each other, and be heard and comforted. St. John of the Cross, a Carmelite and Doctor of the Church, said: “In sorrow and suffering, go straight to God with confidence, and you will be strengthened, enlightened and instructed.” Fr. Mike Schmitz (many of you know him from his Bible in a Year podcast) was asked in an interview once about suffering. He responded: “God doesn’t always take the pain away. God doesn’t take the grief away. God doesn’t undo your loved one’s death. But with hope, our faith in God can console us.” Once again, we warmly invite those mourning to “come and be comforted.” Please call Lee Ann at the parish office to register. This program has helped hundreds of people mourn the loss of a loved one. We are delighted to bring this ministry to you again and hope and pray you will consider attending. Thank you and please keep us and those we serve in your prayers. The Bereavement Team: Nancy Papp, Nancy Wells, Mark Vital