From Father Steven - October 20 2024

Father Steven Clemence • October 18, 2024

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

 

With the election right around the corner, this is a very important time right now for our country. As we are inundated with political ads  on our TVs, radios, cell phones, computers, it is easy to be confused. It is important as Catholics to know what we are voting for and ensure that our vote is consistent with our faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church exhorts that as Christians, we are co-responsibles for the common good. Therefore, there is a moral obligation to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote and to defend one’s country.” (CCC 2240).

 

As your priest and pastor, I cannot endorse a candidate nor tell you what to do. However, it is my duty as your shepherd to instruct the flock entrusted to me by the Lord in matters of faith and morals. Therefore, I write this letter to help you discern which way to go in these elections. It is not only about the presidential candidates, but it also includes the ballot questions of Massachusetts. One of them, Question 4, deserves special attention (the Limited Legalization and Regulation of Certain Natural Psychedelic Substances.) Psychedelic drug research is showing signs of hope for those suffering from mental health conditions, however, Question 4 goes too far. If passed, Q4 would allow the use of 5 federally illegal psychedelic drugs (psilocybin, psilocyn, DMT, mescaline, and ibogaine) outside of the safeguards of the medical community, and Massachusetts would be the first state in the country to allow these 5 psychedelics to be grown at home, consumed without supervision, and freely shared with others. We’re not arguing against the medicinal benefits. It just needs to be done right. It needs to be done safely. And the way this is written doesn’t do that.

 

Last month I received a video produced by a Catholic Organization prior to the elections of another country. I believe that it helps us to see faith in the political arena. In short, it exhorts Catholics to be aware of what they are voting for and its consequences. Here is the translation of its transcript: 

 

“The suffering from religious persecution by socialists’ governments cannot help but awaken our conscience at this dramatic time in our elections! As priests, we cannot be complacent, for we know that the audacity of the wicked is due to the omission of the good. We cannot pray to God for religious freedom and then vote for candidates who support countries governed by socialists that today persecute over 360 million Christians. We cannot pray to God as Christians and vote against the Gospel. We cannot pray to God for life and then vote for candidates who support abortion. Abortion is not a public health issue; it is a crime, an attack on innocent lives. We cannot pray to God for the expansion of the Gospel and then vote for candidates who want to close churches and oppose evangelical values. We cannot pray to God for the family and then vote for candidates who support the breakdown of the family structure as we know and Christian morality. We cannot pray to God for our children and vote for those who want to impose gender ideology and sexual immorality on them! We cannot pray for God to protect young people from drugs and then vote for those who advocate drug legalization. We should not pray for freedom and democracy and then vote for those who desire censorship and control of the media… Your vote is worth a life, it is worth democracy, it is worth freedom. What future do you desire for your children and grandchildren? The decision is in your hands. May God bless our country, our state, and may the name of Jesus be exalted in our land.”

 

Issues vary from country to country, but our Catholic obligations are the same – vote based on our faith. In front of all of it, we need to ask ourselves, what do you think we, as Catholics, should do? Who should we vote for? I urge you to pray to the Lord and inquire exactly who says what. Do not go by what other people say. Investigate for yourselves. The future of our children, our Church and our nation is all in our hands. Let us pray about our voting choices and be responsible Catholics for our actions.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

 

From Father Steven - February 15, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • February 13, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, We all know that God is love and that He does everything to help us attain salvation. However, we are not always aware of the graces He has prepared for us. At other times, we do not take advantage of the opportunities when they are offered to us. This week, I would like to briefly highlight some special opportunities that will be given to us in the coming days. This Sunday, after the 11:00am Mass, we will offer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for those who need it. For a long time, it was known as the Last Rites or Extreme Unction. Therefore, it still carries the taboo that only those who are dying should receive this sacrament. The Rite of Anointing tells us that there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. As its name indicates, this sacrament is for those who are facing serious illness, undergoing surgery, or experiencing the frailty of old age. When the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is given, we pray that, if it be God’s will, the person may be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is spiritual healing, by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age. It is very important for those who are facing something serious to receive the grace of the sacrament in order to be helped by God. Therefore, we urge anyone who needs it to ask for the sacrament. If you know someone who is in a nursing home, they should also receive the sacrament while conscious in order to be helped by God. Unfortunately, sometimes people wait until it is too late. This Sunday, after the 11:00am Mass, we will have a small celebration for anyone who needs the sacrament. It can also be scheduled by calling the office. From Sunday to Monday, we will have the opportunity to spend time with Jesus during 24 hours of adoration. Considering that Monday is a holiday, it is a special moment to slow down our lives and recharge the battery of our soul. This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. There will be other opportunities to continue receiving God’s grace, such as praying the Stations of the Cross on Fridays. Next weekend we will be holding a retreat for couples to help and sanctify their relationship. Do not miss it. Finally, on Saturday, 2/28, Sister Olga will be leading us in a Lenten Parish Mission from 12:30–2:00pm. Finally, I would like to touch very briefly on something that I will later dedicate more time to expanding upon. In this week’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about adultery as when a person who was married before, and after a divorce marries another person. This is different from separation. The promise made before God is to be faithful in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, all the days of one’s life. Therefore, that promise cannot be broken until death. If there are problems that lead to a separation, there are still ways to live a holy life. We have prepared a team to assist couples who would like to begin the process of nullity of their marriage. Soon, I will write a bulletin letter with details about what it is and what it is not, and set up a meeting to explain it better. I also take this opportunity to encourage anyone who has not received the Sacrament of Marriage (who was not married in the Church) to do so. It can be a very simple process to receive an immense grace!  Let us not pass up these opportunities to receive God’s grace. He walks with us every step of the way and sustains and strengthens us with the Sacraments and through the love and concern of the Church. He also respects our free will. If we are not open to grace or simply refuse it, then there is very little He can do. He will never give up on us! Let us not give up on Him either! God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - February 8, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • February 6, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Please see the letter below from David and Stephanie Ringland, our parishioners, about the upcoming Couples Retreat February 21st. This will be a wonderful day for our couples!! This retreat is for couples of all ages and stages committed to growing deeper in love, in faith and in God’s Calling. The day will include meaningful conversations, guided workshops, stories and lunch. This is designed to strengthen connection and renew commitment. We are looking forward to seeing you! God Bless, Fr. Steven ———————————————- Greetings Fellow Parishioners! Are you distracted? There are so many things in the world today that compete for your time and attention, whether it's the late-night work deadlines, the news feed on your cell phone, the ads on the radio, who or what was posted on Facebook, or the what's playing next on your TV....to name a few of them. We have all become desensitized by the remarkable availability of these distractions in our lives. As a result, it has become easier to be drawn away from the relationships that actually matter to us as we focus on those other things. If you have been together for a while, maybe it is the distraction of money, material wealth and competition with a family that seems to be perfect from the outside, or even coveting your neighbor's spouse. It's mostly unintentional, but over time, the detachment and avoidance of the negatives in a relationship can impact a couple and become significant obstacles that can feel insurmountable at times. As we age, just like interest, these things compound and can feel heavy to the point of breaking. We become tired and feel beaten and abused, but can’t identify the source of it. In reality, it is the overwhelming weight of complacency that rests on our shoulders that can lead to finger pointing and accusations when anything goes out of the ordinary. If you have children, like we do, you can see this manifest in the way that their attention is diverted from helping around the house or helping each other, or how quickly a task like homework can evolve into mindless scrolling when an electronic is involved. Their behavior may echo what they see and the complacency that many of us have fallen victim to. That is why when we learned that there would be a couple's retreat in February, we were happy to become involved. Not only is it a great example of how vibrant the parish is here at Immaculate Conception, but it's a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with each other in a no-judgment zone. We welcome the chance to spend some time with each other to rediscover the Holy Spirit's presence within our relationship, and how our love for each other will be magnified by the end of the day on February 21st. Whether you are married, engaged, or a couple that has been dating for 20 years, we invite you to join us for part of a day at a retreat that is guaranteed to be nothing short of profoundly moving and entertaining! Should you know a couple going through a rough patch or one that has been dating for 20 years, bring them too! You may be the catalyst that they need to revitalize their love or finally make the commitment. Childcare will be available during the event in order for you to make your date-day at Immaculate Conception. Your date-night is up to you, but we know that it will be extra special with the one you love. God bless, David & Stephanie Ringland