RECOGNIZING AN OUTSTANDING TEACHER, PROFESSOR, PRIEST, HISTORIAN..........

An e-mail arrived in my inbox yesterday announcing doubly good news about a friend and priestly colleague of mine and the outstanding work he continues to do. Reverend Father Steven Avella, a native born vocation of the Sacramento Diocese, with roots in Orangevale and North Highlands, is a former Savatorian religious order priest and is now a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Father Steve is a tenured professor of History at Marquette University in Milwaukee. A brilliant preacher, lecturer, and writer, his book on the Catholic Church in Sacramento last year is a consumate volume on the subject. His exemplary teaching at Marquette is being recognized with a student voted award and also with the University's "Gettleman Award" for Excellence. Those who know, respect, and admire, Steve for his outstanding abilities as a teacher, preacher, author, and friend, can attest to how deserving he is of this superb recognition. My life and ministry have been blessed over the past decade by his friendship, fraternity, and fellowship. Countless others can and do attest, to the adept abilities he posseses and the ever effective ways he communicates the knowledge, insight, and vision, of history and the Church, he brings to life. I am proud of Fr. Steve Avella as a professional and a personal friend. I congratulate and celebrate his latest achievements and look forward to savoring them with him this summer..........In The Faith, Fellowship, Friendship, And Fraternity, Of The Risen Jesus The Christ, Fr. Troy