From Father Steven - November 3, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • November 1, 2024


 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

 

It is with great joy that I announce two big events coming up in our parish. The first one is a Mass and Adoration Concert on Tuesday, November 12th, with a special group called Harpa Dei. The second event will be our first senior group meeting on the following day in the lower church. I will expand on both initiatives in this letter.

 

Harpa Dei is a choir of sacred music that feels called by God first to glorify Him, because that is the primary purpose of sacred music. It also re-sensitizes people to the sacredness of the liturgy, to the transcendence, and to the beauty of God that is expressed in these songs. This Catholic vocal ensemble is made up of four blood siblings that also share the same spirituality: Nikolai (bass/tenor), Lucia (soprano), Marie-Elisée (alto), and Mirjana (tenor) Gerstner. Although they were born in Germany, they began their singing ministry in 2011 in Ecuador, where they were living at that time, as a campaign against violence, and this peace initiative has brought them to evangelize the whole world. As they have collected the most beautiful songs from different traditions, they were able to bring many people to glorify God and to transmit the beauty of the Lord that shines so eminently in sacred music. Sacred music is a bridge for people to get in touch with God, with His beauty, tenderness, and love. It provides an easy way to reach the heart of people as it helps them to open to God’s love. That is one of the reasons for which we play Gregorian chant during confessions. If you have come here to IC for confessions, then you would have heard them. All the music we play is from Harpa Dei. I first came across them while searching for a specific chant, which they were the best I have ever heard. Then I met them in Jerusalem and last year on their tour in the US. This year we have the special grace to meet them and listen to them live. On Tuesday, November 12th, we will celebrate Mass at 7:00 PM where they will chant all the songs. Then, we will have a Holy Hour led by reflections and chants sung by them. St. Hildegard of Bingen, a mystic and doctor of the Church, says that music is the only memory, almost forgotten, of our state in Paradise. I invite you all to join us for this special event free of charge.

 

Our Senior Group is ready to begin. The idea behind this group is to offer a space where anyone can come and spend time in prayer and fellowship. There are no restrictions on who can come. All are invited. We will begin with some snacks while we get to know each other a bit, followed by prayer. Since our meeting will be on November 13th, Fr. Victor will make a presentation on the apparitions of Fatima. Then we will have a time of prayer and some questions. Each month we will focus on different topics. There will always be a spiritual and social component to each meeting. As this new ministry is starting, we are leaving room for the Holy Spirit to operate and grow. There are no sign-ups, nor any registrations ahead of time. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Lee Ann at the parish office and she will assist you. I would like to invite anyone who would like to participate in our first meeting on Wednesday, November 13th, from 10:00am to 12:00pm at the Lower Church.

 

As the Gospel will exhort us this weekend to love God and our neighbor, I invite you to take advantage of this special moment in our parish to grow in holiness together! Let us also keep our country and state in our prayers as we will have our elections on Tuesday. May our Blessed Mother intercede for us and show us the way to heaven!

 

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven




From Father Steven - April 12, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • April 10, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, HAPPY EASTER!!! We are still celebrating Easter (and we will continue until Pentecost!). I would like to share with you this weekend the article that the Archdiocese has written in response to some media requests to comment on the rise of people coming back to the faith. Over the past 4 years we have seen a steady and significant increase in non-Christians [or unbaptized] becoming Catholic during the Easter season. Regarding specifically catechumens participating in the Rite of Election, these are the numbers for the Archdiocese of Boston: 2023: we had 299; 2024 - 360; 2025-438; 2026-680. What’s the reason? Probably a combination of factors including a fundamental need to be closer to God. The first observation is that we believe it to be the direct action of the Holy Spirit, and not simply a sociological phenomenon or the success of some program or another. In fact, Archbishop Henning has said that “this seems to be something that the Lord is doing - the Spirit of the Lord is always at work in the world and in the Church and we are happy to see such a response in people’s hearts to Jesus’ call to follow Him.” The Archbishop notes that ”we seek to cooperate with the action of the Spirit; but it is His work, not ours.” Has Pope Leo had an impact? Yes. It’s not just being the First American Pope; it is that he has captured a sense of community with Catholics across the world and very clearly in the US Catholic Church. The wave had been growing before his election but is now picking up speed and size. There is a sense of spiritual renewal in the Archdiocese of Boston. We have seen it in our parishes across the Archdiocese. Archbishop Henning has put an emphasis on engaging with Catholics across the archdiocese at the parish level and in our schools, with a particular focus on youth and young adults. In a recent interview, Patrick Krisak, the archdiocese’s director of faith formation and missionary discipleship said, “There may not be a revival across the country, but there are revivals,” he said. “And at what point do all of those pockets of revival that we’re seeing all over the country add up to a revival?” The two main categories of folks we see being welcomed into the Church are children/adolescents, who mostly did not receive their sacraments on the typical schedule, and adults. A key component is the work at the parish level in welcoming and accompanying families where adults and children seek to join communities of faith. In addition, Rev. Eric Cadin, Director of Vocations with the Archdiocese, said that “among college age young people, there is a profound openness to the big questions. This includes questions such as, where do I come from? What is my purpose? What does all this mean? More importantly, so many who are exposed to division and even cruelty, especially online, as well as in real life, are actively resisting and moving away from that. And it leads them to an openness to faith, especially one that promotes love your enemy. That is a radical truth, that captivates young people, especially in the world in which we live. They meet people in the church who engage their real questions with generosity and grace and mercy, and it is very attractive to them.” Here in the parish we are happy to announce that 39 people received Baptism on Easter, and 3 people were welcomed into the Catholic Faith (they were baptized Protestant). Some of them were children, others teenagers, and some adults as well. They were baptized, confirmed and received their first communion all together. Please continue to pray for them as they really began their journey and for those who are still being called into the faith. Congratulations to all of you that received your sacraments and we look forward to walking along with you!  Finally, I would like to invite you all to the Divine Mercy celebration that will take place this Sunday at 3:00pm in the Church. If you have never attended, it is a beautiful moment! If you are not familiar with it, search about and be ready to be marveled by it. God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - April 5, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • April 2, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Easter! The other day, Archbishop Richard Henning shared an example during the Chrism Mass that stayed with me: the image of a broken clock. While I will take the idea in a slightly different direction, it offers a helpful way to reflect on the meaning of Easter. A clock is a remarkable piece of craftsmanship. It is made up of springs, gears, dials, and wheels, all carefully designed and assembled. Once everything is in place, we call it a clock. It may come in different shapes, sizes, and styles, but its purpose is the same: to tell time. But what happens when it stops working? Do we still call it a clock? Is it only a clock when it functions properly? In a similar way, we can reflect on our own lives. Each of us has been wonderfully made, with a complexity far greater than any clock—our bodies, our minds, our souls, all working together in harmony. And we, too, have a purpose: to love. Yet there are times when we fail. There are moments when we struggle to love as we should. But do we cease to be who we are because of that? Of course not. Just as a broken clock is still a clock, we do not stop being children of God—created in His image and likeness—even when we fall short. This is precisely why Christ comes to us. Through His Resurrection, He does not simply “fix” us in a superficial way. He comes to restore us completely—to make us whole. He does not just replace a part or patch us up; He offers us new life. He gives us His Spirit, a life that can overcome sin, temptation, and despair. A clock cannot repair itself, and neither can we. We often think that if we just try harder, we can fix everything on our own. But what we truly need is the One who made us. We need God to restore in us what is missing. And He desires to do so—if only we allow Him.  The Gospel of the Resurrection tells us about Mary Magdalene going to the tomb of Jesus. She and the other women wondered who would roll away the stone. It seemed like an impossible obstacle. And yet, when they arrived, the stone had already been removed. The angel announced to them that Jesus was no longer among the dead. Later, Mary encountered the Risen Lord, though at first she mistook Him for the gardener. How often do we experience something similar in our own lives? We see obstacles that feel immovable—stones we believe we cannot roll away. But Easter proclaims to us today that the stone has already been moved. What seems impossible to us is not impossible for God. This message is like the voice of the angel speaking to each of us: do not be afraid. The Risen Christ is near. But we must be willing to seek Him. Among all those who knew Jesus, it was the women—those who went looking for Him—who first received the joy of encountering Him alive. It is not a matter of worthiness or merit, but of desire. Those who long for Christ, who seek Him, will find Him. Those who remain indifferent or closed off may miss the grace that is being offered. So today, we are invited to make a decision. Do we want to remain as we are, or do we want to be made new? Christ rose from the dead to give us a new life—life in abundance—for all who are willing to receive it. And this life is given so that we may love one another as He has loved us. Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all who made these Holy Week celebrations possible: our staff, volunteers, musicians, and all who worked so generously behind the scenes. Please keep them in your prayers. And to all of you who have come today—whether you attend Mass every week or are here for the first time in a long while—know this: you belong here. This is your home. If there is anything we, as a parish, can do for you, please reach out. We may not be perfect, but we promise to give you our very best. Christ is Risen! Alleluia! He is truly Risen Alleluia, Alleluia! God Bless, Fr. Steven