REST IN PEACE, ICONS, RCIA, & CATHOLICS COME HOME..........

On this First Friday of February, as I prepare to celebrate Benediction at the conclusion of Sacred Heart's morning Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the 12 noon Mass, I am reflecting on the moments and ministries I have interacted with during this week. Yesterday word came that my priestly colleague and friend, Rev. Fr. Eric Lofgren's brother, Dwayne Bleecker, died after being ill since ThanksGiving. He was 50 years old. Fr. Eric is currently Pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in Lincoln, and I have known him and his family since 1984, when he was a first year seminarian. He did his seminary pastoral year internship with Fr. Bill Kinane and I, at St. John the Baptist Parish in 1989-90, which was when I met his brother Dwayne. I plan to concelebrate his Funeral Mass Saturday morning at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Del Paso Heights / Rio Linda. My sympathies and prayers go out to Fr. Eric, his mother Pat, and all their family. May Dwayne's soul Rest in Peace.....Monday night's presentation by Sister Anne Sekul, RSM, on Iconography, was an insightful and beautifully wonderful 90 minutes of exploring her work as an icongrapher and the spiritual and physical processes involved in creating icon art, which she accurately described as, "writing icons". She overviewed a dozen or more of the icons she herself has written, as well as detailed Eastern Orthodox iconography, which is the foundation of the Icon tradition. One of Sister Anne's icons on permanent display in Sacramento, is of St. Robert, and can be seen in St. Robert's Church, 2243 Irvin Way, in South Sacramento.....On Tuesday evening I attended the weekly meeting of Sacred Heart's Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, RCIA ministry. Parishioner Tom Slakey was the presenter, speaking on the 7th, 10th, and 8th Commandments. I will be attending the weekly RCIA meetings for the rest of my time at SacHeart, and will be the presenter next Tuesday on the topic of, 'The Themes of Lent'. On the Sundays I preside at the 8 & 11 am Masses, I will also join the group for their Breaking of the Word gatherings at the 9:30 am Mass.....Thursday night I capped my day off, with attendance at the, "Catholics Come Home" ministry session, which was an hour and a half powerpoint presentation by team member Don Scnell on the History of the Catholic Church. Being historically minded, I was very pleased with the primer on Catholic-Christianity's 2,000 year history he gave the group of returning Catholics who were present.....It is time for me to go over to the church for Benediction and Mass. I hope that gives you a feel for the priestly ministry I am doing In Residence at Sacred Heart. Parish in East Sacramento.........Love + Peace in the Sacred Heart
of Jesus, Fr. Troy