THE 6 MONTH MARK AFTER MY AUGUST 25, 2009 KIDNEY TRANSPLANT..........

Today, Thursday February 25, 2010, it has been 6 months since my kidney transplant at Mayo Clinic Arizona, in Phoenix. And it is eight weeks today since my assignment In Residence at Sacred Heart Church. My apologies for not blogging since Sunday, but the Internet connection in the rectory was completely down from Tuesday morning until mid afternoon Thursday. I felt so out of touch with you my loyal friends and readers, and will do my best to make up for this three day lapse in blogging. This 6 months day, post transplant has been awesome. I celebrated the 8 am Mass which was for intentions of the members of the Sacred Heart Parish Altar Society, took my morning medications, which were minus the two anti-rejection drugs, Valcyte and Sulfa-Trim, which were removed from my daily drug regimen as scheduled at this point in my recovery, and went out to South Sacramento to have lunch with my donor, Victor Herrera and Msgrs. Kavanagh and Church. This week I have also been making my first visits to the 'Disciples On The Journey', Lenten small groups ministry in the homes of different SacHeart parishioners. We are discussing the Sacred Scriptures for the 2nd Sunday of Lent this coming weekend. They are being well conducted by lay leaders and responded as small faith sharing groups which I am blessed to be present for, and participate in. As I was checking my e-mail and Facebook messages and preparing to write this blog column in the 4 pm hour, while listening to, "All Things Considered", on National Public Radio, my friend Joe Gibson phoned inviting me to join him and his lady, Ruth for coffee at 'Peet's', one block up the street at 38th & J. As we sat there and got caught up after a month, over cups of coffee and tea, we decided to go across the street to the 'Thai Noodle' Restaurant, for dinner. So my day off, 6 months after transplant day, and my father Troy Doil Powers' 88th birthday anniversary, as well as the 72nd birthday anniversary of Msgr. Martin Joseph Campion, the late Rector and President of St. Kieran's College and Seminary, who recruited me to begin my priestly formation in Kilkenny, Ireland, has been a wonderful and memorable day. As Victor has taught me to say, "GOD IS GOOD"..........Thanks be to God, Victor, my living donor, the Mayo Clinic Transplant Team, Dr. Bhat, my chief neprhologist, and all my family, friends, fellow believers, and supporters, for your care, concern, prayers, presence, and spiritual and temporal good works and encouragement on my behalf. You and in my thoughts, prayers, and storytelling, each day, in remembrance and appreciation of the vital role you have played in my pre-transplant and are playing, in my and post-transplant experiences. God Bless You All, 30-60-100 fold.......... Gratefully and Prayerfully Yours,
Fr. Troy David Powers