From Father Steven - September 29, 2024

Father Steven Clemence • September 27, 2024


 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

 

We wanted to share with you the importance of St. Vincent de Paul to our personal faith journey and to our community. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a world wide group with over 850,000 members in 153 countries around the globe. Almost all of their work happens in parish based groups, called Conferences, like the one here at Immaculate Conception.

 

Their mission is to serve those in need: people without jobs, the hungry or unhoused, the working poor, or sometimes families that have just had a hard time. They bring them the love of Christ and hope. They go to them two by two, they listen, pray with them, and try to help them in the best possible way.

 

One family they visited recently was getting by, living paycheck-to-paycheck. Their newborn baby started having seizures and was hospitalized at Children's Hospital in Boston for two weeks as doctors ran tests. The extra cost (gasoline, tolls, and parking) of driving to Boston every day to be with their baby put them behind in paying other bills. As a result, the family incurred late fees on their bills, which just put them further behind. It started a vicious cycle. Sometimes, that is all it takes.... circumstances beyond our control can put them in a position where they just need a little help. Through your generosity the Immaculate Conception conference of St Vincent de Paul was able to assist this family, helping them to avoid further late fees and regain control of their budget.

 

Stacey Militello, our St. Vincent de Paul President, said she has had the opportunity to grow in her faith by serving our friends in Marlborough who have reached out to St. Vincent de Paul. Each call is a chance for her to serve Christ and share the gifts God has given her and the gifts of Immaculate Conception. She often shares with her friends that our Church is open every day for quiet reflection and prayer. God is always there, especially when we feel lost. Stacey is thankful that she answered (with some hesitation) Christ’s call when St. Vincent de Paul was re-started here at Immaculate Conception 8 years ago.

 

I am asking for your support of St. Vincent de Paul in two ways this weekend. First, our annual Friends of the Poor Walk is being held on Saturday, October 5th! The walk begins at 10:00 am in the Meehan Hall parking lot. You can register starting at 9:30 am at Meehan Hall on the day of the walk, or visit www.icfopwalk.org. If you would like to sponsor the IC Walkers instead of walking yourself, please use the QR code to make a donation. This fundraiser walk along the Assabet River Rail trail raises money for the Immaculate Conception and St. Matthias St. Vincent de Paul Conferences.

 

Secondly, we are in need of more individuals that want to grow in their faith and are willing to share their love of Christ with others in the Marlborough community as members of St. Vincent de Paul. We are asking you to walk two by two with us and enrich your faith journey by answering Jesus’ call. You can learn more about becoming a Vincentian at https://catholic.lpage/face-of-christ/.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact St. Vincent de Paul at icmarlborosvdp@gmail.com or 978-763-0578 if you have questions about the Walk, joining St. Vincent de Paul or if you are in need of support.

 

 

God Bless,

Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - October 25, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • October 23, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, How fitting is the Gospel we have this weekend as we welcome the Marlboro Fire Department for Firefighter Sunday! As we continue our observance of Respect Life Month, it is important to remember that we are called to respect not only the vulnerable and those in need, but every single person. Throughout the years that I have served as chaplain of the fire department, I have always been impressed by their kindness and willingness to serve all those in need. Certain calls, such as house fires, accidents, and dire medical emergencies, make it easy to understand why they rush to the truck and are ready to rescue the victims. However, I have also seen them give their best in response to other calls, whether to help someone in a nursing home, provide lift assistance, or respond to a residential lockout, regardless of the time of day or the weather. They don't rescue cats from trees anymore, but if there were a call for such a need, I am sure they would be there. Now it is time for us to reflect on how often we respond to the call to help someone and what our attitude is when we do so. The call we have received is not simply to perform a task, but to do it out of love. We can help someone with kindness or do so begrudgingly, like teenagers taking out the trash. The Gospel this weekend is a call to love God and our neighbor. The call to love God is to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. The call to love our neighbor is to love our neighbor as ourselves. No one treats himself or herself with contempt, rolls their eyes at their own needs, or remains indifferent to them. Therefore, we are called to follow the example of the men and women who serve in our fire department as we fulfill our Christian call to love. Sometimes, love means responding to an ordinary need, even when it is inconvenient. To respect life is to respect the other person, regardless of their color, race, religion, or sex. God does not treat us as we deserve, nor is His love based on our merits. Rather, God has loved us with a love beyond all telling, even when we have misbehaved, been disobedient, or disregarded Him. In another passage of the Gospel of John, Christ commands us to love one another as He has loved us (Jn 13:34). To show us that this call is not impossible, next week we shall celebrate All Saints' Day! Since it falls on a Sunday this year, all the weekend Masses will celebrate this solemnity. The saints were not superheroes, nor were they special beings. They were ordinary people like you and me. I am sure that some of them had difficult personalities, some had a rough past, and others did not always walk a straight line. However, they all loved! They allowed God's grace to transform their lives and learned to love as Christ loved. In the Gospel, Jesus concludes that the whole law depends on loving God and our neighbor. Everything else is secondary. The moment we choose to act out of love, God will give us the necessary graces to bring that action to completion. Lastly, as we do every year, we invite all the children (and I would invite the adults as well!) to dress up as a saint for the 11 a.m. Mass. We shall have the procession of the saints during Mass. It will be both a fun moment and a special devotion to our favorite saints. I am sure this devotion will go a long way in helping us when we need their intercession. For All Souls' Day we shall have a trilingual mass at 6:00pm in addition to the regular 7:30am mass. We will honor all the deceased of the parish of this past year, and all of those you would like to include in the book located in front of the St. Joseph statue (on the right side altar). Please join me as we honor, acknowledge, and pray for our firefighters, asking God to always give them courage, protect them, and bless them and their families. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE! God Bless, Fr. Steven

From Father Steven - October 18, 2026

By Father Steven Clemence • October 16, 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters, This week, we continue our observance of Respect Life Month in October. This weekend, I would like to share with you the importance of caring for the sick and the dying. Facing an illness can be very difficult and full of fear. It does not have to be a life-threatening illness; even a simple medical exam that detects some levels that are too high or too low can already cause anxiety. That is why caring for the sick is so important, all the more so when there is a serious illness. Last week, I injured my wrist while playing soccer and found myself in the emergency room. Many things were going through my head as I contemplated the possibility of having a broken bone. I have broken many bones before, and it was never much of a big deal. However, this time, there was the possibility of surgery. Additionally, having my arm immobilized would make life very difficult. I cannot imagine what goes through the head of someone having open-heart surgery, a hip replacement, or some other more serious intervention. In light of the difficulties we can experience with our health, we are always invited to lean on the Lord. He is our strength and our consolation. For those facing a serious illness, especially when there is a risk to life, Christ has given us a special sacrament, namely, the Anointing of the Sick. It is meant to help the sick live through their illness with faith, sustained by the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, the sacrament has become known as the Last Rites or Extreme Unction. As a result, many people are afraid of receiving it, thinking that it means they are going to die. However, as its name indicates, the Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament for the sick, not only for those who are dying. It is best received when the person is still conscious and alert and can receive the sacrament with faith and devotion. Therefore, we encourage anyone who has a serious illness, or who knows someone who is seriously ill, to ask for this sacrament. Please do not wait until someone is at the point of death to call a priest. If you or a loved one is facing a serious illness or a significant decline in health, contact the parish office (or the local parish) so that we can offer the sacraments and spiritual support when they are needed. Moreover, in danger of death the Church mandates in Canon Law that the sick should be receiving Holy Communion more frequently while danger lasts. The strength of the Body of Christ can help the person remain strong in faith and trust in God. The Eucharist is also food for the journey home to the Father. Prayer for the sick is also very important. We earnestly ask that if you ever become sick or are admitted to the hospital, please call the parish office and let us know. An important part of our ministry is to pray for all of you, which we do daily before the Blessed Sacrament. However, it is especially meaningful when we can pray for a specific intention and a particular person. Although our resources are limited, the parish also has some ways to help those who are sick. Along with prayer, caring for the sick is very important, not only medically but also emotionally. We have all been sick before, and we know how frustrating and lonely it can be. It is easy to become sad when we feel weak, isolated, or dependent on others. A phone call, a flower, or some other gesture of kindness can go a long way in caring for the sick. I am always impressed by how gentle nurses can be with their patients. They understand that the way they treat and interact with a patient is one of the most important elements of care. We should do the same with those we know who are sick. Caring for the sick is not always about ending or removing their pain. Sometimes, it is about giving them the strength and love they need to carry their cross and follow in the footsteps of Christ on Calvary. By dying with Christ, they can also hope to rise with Him, as St. Paul teaches us. Finally, I would like to offer you a challenge for this week: reach out to someone who is sick, whatever the illness may be, and try to make a simple gesture of love toward that person. It does not have to be anything extraordinary. Sometimes, a small act of kindness can make a tremendous difference. Additionally, we must remember the caregivers. At times, caring for someone who is sick can be very difficult, demanding, and even overwhelming. Let us pray for them as well, reassure them that what they do is important, and let them know that they are not alone. As for my wrist, it should take six to eight weeks to heal. Hopefully, I will not need surgery! Your prayers are always welcome, as it is very difficult to keep up with the rhythm of parish life with only one hand. God Bless, Fr. Steven