CELEBRATING ST. IGNATIUS LOYOLA AND TH JESUITS WHO HAVE SERVED THE CHURCH OF SACRAMENTO ..........

In the midst of the 16th Century of Christianity and the Counter Reformation of the Catholic Church, their rose up a religious leader, a Spaniard, who was a nobleman, a military man, and a hermit, - known as Ignatius Loyola. Following a valiant military career, he became a Priest of Jesus Christ at age 46, and went on to become the Founder and first Superior General of the Society of Jesus, - the Jesuits. The Jesuit religious order of priests and scholastics have served the Church of Sacramento very well the past fifty six years. From the establishment of St.Ignatius Loyola Parish, in Sacramento's Arden Park in 1954, which is staffed by Jesuit priests, to the excellent secondary education provided by Jesuit High School in Carmichael, since 1963, the Jesuits, who are some of the best teachers in all of Catholic-Christianity, continue to provide a profound an undeniably effective ministry to the Sacramento Diocese.
To Reverend Father Michael Moynahan S.J., the current Pastor of St. Ignatius Parish, Reverend Father Gregory Bonfiglio, S.J., 5he President of Jesuit High School,and the entire Jesuit Family, Happy Patronal Feast Day. I am happy to be back in the American River Suburbs with you again. I am also glad to extend St. Ignatius Feast Day commendations to my more than 30 year friend, Vernon Theodore "Ted" Hornback III, an English teacher at Jesuit High, who is who is now Chairman of the English Department at Jesuit in Carmichael..........In The Spirit Of St. Ignatius Loyola, Fr. Troy

"TROY POWERS DAY IN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO".....PLUS 28 YEARS..........

28 years ago today, a unique thing happened to me as I was preparing to leave Sacramento to enter St. Kieran's Seminary in Kilkenny, Ireland to study for the priesthood beginning that September. Monsignor Edward Kavanagh, Pastor, and the parishioners of St. Rose's / St. Patrick's, in South Sacramento, held a farewell parish dinner for me in the five month old, Kavanagh Hall on Franklin Boulevard. 350 parishioners, friends, and well wishers, including Bishop Francis Anthony Quinn, attended the BBQ Chicken dinner send-off. My Sacramento State Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity brothers were there in great number, as were County Supervisor Ted Sheedy, for whom I worked as a student intern for two years while a student at CSUS, and Sacramento State Government Professor and my internship supervisor, City Councilman, later Mayor, Joe Serna. After dinner, Msgr. Kavanagh and Bishop Quinn spoke a few kind words about me and then Patricia Hornback, St. Patrick's Home Community Relations Coordinator, who had organized this event for Msgr. Kavanagh, called Councilman Serna up to the dais to speak. I was about to experience the biggest surprise of my life. Joe Serna, on his and Ted SHeedy's part, as well as that of CSU-Sacramento, echoed the words of congratulations and commendation given by the two prelates, and then announced he had a Proclamation from then Sacramento Mayor Phil Isenberg to present. He then read the Proclamation to the assembled audience. Mayor Isenberg's written words, Therefored and Resolved my activities as a person, student, and church member, and Proclaimed JULY 30, 1982, TROY POWERS DAY IN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO. I was overwhelmed with pride and gratitude by the declaration and those present in the hall ignited with voracious approval. Every year since, I have commemorated Troy Powers Day, in some special way. In 1984, it was the day the Catholic Herald diocesan newspaper published my story as their press credentialed correspondent at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco. And today, the 29th commemoration, I used Troy Powers Day, as a story in my homily at Mass and was taken to breakfast afterwards by Father Tony Traynor to mark the day..........Also as a part of Troy Powers Day last evening, I hosted Father Traynor, Father John Folmer, and Father Steven Avella, to dinner at OLOL Rectory. A wonderful night of fellowship, fraternity, and friendship it was. My St. Philomene's Pastor, Father Jerry Ryle, and Monsignor Kavanagh, had also been invited, but due to other commitments could not join us. What was to have been a 4-2 American to Irish born ratio of priests at dinner, turned out to be a 3-1 ratio American to Irish priest evening, as Fathers Folmer, Avella, and I, are all Sacramento born, and Father Traynor is a native of County Cavan, in Ireland. To all my parishioners past and present, and my friends, and loyal supporters, THANK YOU anew, on this first Troy Powers Day commemoration, 11 months following my kidney transplant. In The Spirit of Faith, Fidelity, Fellowship, And Friendship, Fr. Troy

THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE NEED TO DO THEIR JOBS AND GET A CALIFORNIA STATE BUDGET ENACTED..........

During the year of 1990, I was afforded the opportunity as a Catholic priest with an interest and avocation in politics and government, to serve as the Chaplain of the California State Senate. Seventy six times that year I gave the Invocation, on Mondays and Thursdays, at the beginning of the legislative day, and daily during a protracted period during which the state budget was being negotiated for Fiscal Year 1990-91. Three weeks into Fiscal Year 1990-91, with the Legislature meeting daily to work on finalizing the Budget and my having to deliver an Invocation each day, I decided to speak to the budget impasse and prayerfully tell, the Legislators, Governor, and Citizens, of California what had to be done. Invoking God's Countenance on a productive and expeditious resolution to that year's Budget Crisis, I boldly and unreservedly proclaimed that Governor Deukmejian, Speaker Brown, and President Pro Tem Roberti needed to exercise the fullness of their leadership and prevail upon the State Assembly and Senate members to reach agreement and immediately pass the new Budget. And I urged California Citizens to demand that elected leaders get their constitutional duty done by end of July, or initiate proceedings against them. The outcome to that day and my prayer was, that as I was going to bed at 10:30 pm, in the Folsom rectory, I turned on the radio for the bottom of the hour news, and the KFBK newscaster led with, "The State Senate passed a Budget tonight"..........Upon my return to the Senate Chambers at the State Capitol the next day, one of the Southern California Senators, a Catholic, who upon my departure the day before had told me how, "bold" I was being telling them to get their job done, greeted me with, "Father, Good Morning, we listened to you yesterday and passed the Budget last night"..........In the twenty years since I have grown even more vehement about this subject. June 15, is the state constitutional deadline for the Legislature to pass a State Budget. Should they fail to do so, from June 16-30, the legislators per diem should be cancelled. For every day from July 1, until passage of the Budget thereafter, all their salary, benefits, per diem, and their state cars, should be cancelled. They should be locked in their respective chambers, until they reach agreement on a Budget, no leaving, or vacations permitted until they do so. The Governor must during that time step up and exercise his governing authority to get the annual budget passed and signed into law, or as of July 15, face automatic recall from office in a special election the first Tuesday of August. The California State Supreme Court should then legally enjoin the State Controller and Treasurer to make provisions for addressing the financial and social safety net required during the crisis period. And the Citizens of California need to exact full personal and political pressure upon State Officials to do their jobs and get the Budget done before August 15..........For the umpteenth time in twenty years the 2010-11 State Budget, is now 44 days overdue. None of the above stated is a part of the process, thus the same ol', same 'ol, petty, partisan politics and the citizens, state employees, vendors, state services, and our bond and debt ratings, unduly and unconsciousably suffer, due to the grandstanding, intransigence, and incompetence of California's leaders. By way of my blog, I issue twenty years later as I did from the dias of the State Senate the invocation, Governor, Legislature, Citizens, get a new, California State Budget passed now. Your poltical delays and summer break are a travesty of irresponsibility. Do your jobs and put the People of California first, not just your own, self serving political agendas..........The Time For Action Is Past Due, Reverend Father Troy David Powers 1990 California State Senate Chaplain

IS THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN EQUAL TO THE GREVIOUS CRIMES OF PEDOPHILE PRIESTS ?..........

On July 15, The Vatican promulgated a document addressing Pedophile Priests and Women's Ordination. This document revises Catholic Church policy, making it easier to discipline sexually abusive pedophile priests legally; but also lists the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood, as a grevious crime against the Sacraments, along with pedophilia, heresy, apostasy, and schism. In my view that is a serious misjudgment on the part of the Vatican in enunciating the Church's teachings. It is clear to date, that through the centuries to the present, the practice and policy of the Catholic Church is not to allow Women's Ordination. And any change in that teaching will continue to slow, or prevent the ordination of women to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, well into the future,with permanace. But to place the attempt or advocacy for it, on par with the gravity of priests sexual abuse of children, contrary or false teachings about Christianity, the renunciation of Faith and God, or causing the dividing and splintering of the Church founded by Jesus, is a serious injustice and incredulous indictment of women. From the Blessed Virgin Mary to Mary Magdalene, Martha, whose feast we celebrate tomorrow, Catherine Siena, Teresa of Avila, Therese of the Child Jesus, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Edith Stein, Frances Cabrini, to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, among so many other women, including the millions of loyal and faithful women Religious, who have served Christ's Church through the ages and today, women are a mainstay of the Catholic-Christian Church. And those specific women do not also include, the countless women in every parish in the world, the Catholic Church would be less than half its total membership of, were it not for the presence and participation of women. Therefore, any comparison of the possibility of ordaining women priests, with the other grave offenses against God, humankind, and the Church, such as pedophile, celibate, male, priests, is both a dis-service and dishonorable offense against women and the Gospel values Jesus teaches. In this blog column I am neither endorsing or opposing, the Ordination of Women. Rather, I am advocating for a fair, honest, objective, consideration by Catholicism of what the Church teaches and why, and to be open to dialogue instead of diatribe, in pronouncing the official position of the Church, instead of awkwardly and unfairly, bunching women's ordination with these other undeniable wrongs,- and in regards to pedophilia, crimes. In my eighteen years of ecumenical endeavors, I have worked and worshipped with three or more, women pastors of other Christian churches. They are capable and conscientious servants and very effective leaders of their congregations and communities. Because they are women priests and pastors, are they criminals ? Common sense says they are not, so neither should we, the Catholic Church attempt to equate the ordination of women priests with grevious crimes against the Sacraments.........."May The Grace And Peace Of God Our Father, The Love Of Our Lord Jesus Christ, And The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit Be With You All"..........Fr. Troy

THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE A D A ..........

Twenty Years ago today, the United States made a great stride forward in Inclusiveness and Equal Opportunity for the marginalized, by the enactment of The Americans With Disabilities Act, (ADA). The ADA, originated as a bill authored by US Senator Tom Harkin, of Iowa, whose own brother is a disabled American. Senator Harkin shepherded his bill through the Congress of the United States to final passage and US President George Herbert Walker Bush, signed the American With Disabilities Act into law, a concrete example of what he referred to as, "Compassionate Conservatism", and, "Points Of Light". So on July 26, 1990, the long held hopes of millions of disabled Americans became a reality that gives us the possibility for fuller access and wider participation in American society. I myself am among those who are disabled persons. I was born with a physical birth defect that has challenged me all my life. The left side of my body was left diminished by my left leg being an inch and a half shorter than the right leg at birth, and then by
contracting a high fever for several days at 3 months of age, which caused the entire left side of my body to be underdeveloped,and leaving me with deficient coordination. At five years old as a Kindergartner, I was fitted with a cast on my left leg and measured for a steel and leather orthopedic brace on my left leg and foot; which I wore from the summer 1962, through to the fall 1973. At age seven, the weakness in my left side resulted in seizures in my left arm, and to control them over the following ten years a Phenibarbitol prescription, which I took four times daily. Also from age five to eleven, I underwent physical therapy weekly, at the old Washington Elementary School at 17th and 'E' Streets in downtown Sacramento. There I discovered a world of disabled children, most of them with physical or intellectual disabilities, greater than my own. I considered myself fortunate and grew into a lifelong sensitivity for the disabled, even though my physical condition kept me from PE in school, or playing sports at home, and made it impossible to learn to ride a bicycle. Due to a misunderstanding about my physical capability and over protectiveness, I did not learn to drive a car until I was 28 years old, in the third year of seminary formation. That was five years after I owned a car and came about because my valued friend, Patricia Hornback, agreed to be my driving teacher..........So on this 20th Anniversary Day of the Americans With Disability Act, I salute our country and the millions of our fellow citizens who have benefited and been made a more inclusive, empowered, part of our society. And I express my personal, professional, and fraternal, gratitude to my cherished friend, disability mentor, and advocate, Curtis Richards, for teaching me so very much about the disability community, from his work in the California Department of Rehabilitation, and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, in the Clinton Administration, to his continued work the past decade as Founder and President of the Advocrat Group, in Washington, D.C. My gratitude is also deeply felt for the late Dr. Bernard Lewis, M.D., and Dr. Eugene Smoley, M.D., who were on the front lines with me in the 1960's and '70's; and to the Easter Seals Society of Sacramento / Northern California, and the then Crippled Children's Association, who provided me with physical therapy and the braces, at no cost to my family. All that it cost me and my family out of my father's nominal Campbell Soup salary was $30.00 -$40.00 every three months, for the Groh's Shoes, I required, due to the wear and tear, of my leg and foot brace. And I pray everyday that others may grow in their sensitivity and desire to include and empower the disabled in every way..........In The Power Of Positive Thinking For Inclusive Empowerment, Fr. Troy

17TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME : PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER..........

From our daily conversations with family members, friends, colleagues clients, neighbors, or other believers, to newspapers, magazines, television, radio, telephones, faxes, cable, satellite, and the internet, and sign language, Communication is a mainstay of human relationships. The more extensive and emergent human communications have become, our Sunday Scriptures speak to us today of an even deeper and essential form of Communication for believers and followers of Jesus the Christ, - the dialogue of Prayer. Abraham, the Patriarch of God's Chosen People was persistent in prayer and advocacy for the Israelites. And when Jesus' Disciples admiring His persistence and regularity in prayer asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He gave them whatis now regarded as,"The World's Most Perfect Prayer : The Our Father / The Lord's Prayer.
Effective communication is necessary if we as human beings are to convey what we are thinking and speaking in order to understand each other. Prayer is the vital communication of our Discipleship, as we dialogue with the Divine expressing the four fold intentions of Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. That is why the Our Father is a perfect prayer. When we pray the Lord's Prayer, the Our Father, we are being praising, penitential, grateful, and petitioning, of God for our own needs and those of others. So as you communicate with others this week through the various facets of media and spirituality, place a premium on your communication in prayer, that you and your circle of family, friends, and fellow believers, will truly transmit and receive an abundance of understanding with which we together can build up the coming of God's Kingdom..........May You Experience The Blessings Of Effective Communication, Fr. Troy

ST. MARY MAGDALENE, PENITENT - SIN AND THE CALL TO REPENTANCE..........

Today Catholic-Christianity focuses on St. Mary Magdalene, Sinner and Penitent, who became not only a fervently loyal disciple of Jesus the Christ, but one of first witnesses to His Resurrection from the Dead. Mary Magdalene was not alone in being a sinner. Due to our fallen mortal nature, all humans are sinners. Mary Magdalene shows all of us as Disciples of Jesus the way to contrition, conversion, and the forgiveness of our sins. Without that same sense of sorrow and selflessness, we fall into the selfishness of sin and detachment from God. Living our discipleship to the best of our ability with sincere and selfless hearts and minds that are devoted to following Jesus strengthening the Community of Believers, and building up the coming of the Kingdom of God. As the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, (RCIA) refers to it, "The Call To Continuing Conversion", and as the North American Cathechumenate designates it, "The Order Of Penitents", and as the Church celebrates it sacramentally, "Reconciliation" "Penance", "Confession", are the means by which we can and do seek to channel the contrition for our sins and redirect our lives in Christ Jesus. And so, as we commemorate the life and faithful witness, who overcame her sins and shortcomings through the grace of God and her willingness to turn to the teachings of Jesus as her Lord and Savior, so too may we find our ever more loyal and true way to making our discipleship journey an emerging conversion experience..........In The Peace Of Christ - The Forgiver Of Our Sins, Fr. Troy

A WEDNESDAY WEEKLY DAY OFF THAT WILL BE FULLY FRATERNAL.........

7:40am - This morning following my 8 am Mass I will head off to enjoy the day off, with a number of my priestly colleagues. Five of us will have lunch together meeting in the middle from where the farthest one is located from Sacramento. Then the four will journey on together to meet with another group of priests for dinner this evening. It will be a marvelous day and night, a perfect chillaxing of my body at the end of week three at OLOL, in readiness for the pastoral ministry and administrative work of the next several weeks and my approaching post transplant Annual Review at the Mayo Clinic Arizona.....9:50pm - It was a very delightful day having lunch in the Napa Valley airport with three priest friends and then going to Fairfield for a dinner with ten priests, relaxing and renewing myself in their company and enjoying the conversations. I feel sufficiently recharged for the ministry the coming six days bring. Time for morning Mass..........In The Fellowship Of Priestly Fraternity As The People Of God, Fr. Troy

AFTER 86 DAYS A TEMPORARY FIX - ON DAY 91 FURTHER EVIDENCE IT'S FAR FROM FIXED..........

The British Petroleum (BP) Oil Spill in the Gulf on April 20th, continues to devastate the environment and the economy of that region of the United States, it having taken the oil giant 86 days after this grevious occurrence to even temporarily cap the leak last week and now as of yesterday, Day 91, have reports made that there is once again seepage taking place. BP must take the American people for fools. This multi-national, multi-billion, dollar profit making corporation, whose own profit margins and incompetence are at the root of this economic and environmental calamity, should be severely fined, as well as held responsible for the entire cost of the clean-up and restoration to the Gulf region. And the Obama Administration, the Congress, and the American Judiciary must not only hold BP fully accountable, but also make the British Government responsible for holding British Petroleum's feet to the fire. To think that this mammoth oil corporation could intentionally forego investing in the necessary Research and Development to effectively solve the problems caused by an oil spill in a much more expeditious way, for forty years, is obscene. Where do the residents of the Gulf go to get back their jobs and livelihood, as well as their unpolluted waters and beaches, and an ecologically healthy fish and marine life from those waters ? How many more hours, days, weeks, months, years, will it take for the lieges of BP to wake up and provide not only for their personal profits, but the common good of society and God's Creation ? Snap to it BP, and let's get real and permanent solutions to this incredulously real and continuing 92 day tragedy..........In The Spirit of Justice, Fr. Troy

AN OVERVIEW OF TEMPORALITIES : MY ORIENTATION MEETING WITH THE PARISH FINANCE COUNCIL..........

Having held an orientation-overview meeting with the Parish Pastoral Council last Monday, I am having the same kind of orientation-overview meeting with the Parish Finance Council tonight. We will review the finances of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish for Fiscal Year 2009-2010, that concluded on June 30, and discuss the projected parish budget for Fiscal Year 2010-2011, which began this month, simultaneous with the start of my pastorate.....The Parish Finance Council Meeting lasted for one hour and twenty minutes as we reviewed and revised the current 2010-2011 Parish Budget for accurate projections of expected income and expenses. Members Dave Quinn and Ken Barrows were present and the third member away this week. We discussed the need to retain a parish grounds keeper and decided we will ask for bids of those seeking the position and then choose from them. It was a good first meeting regarding the temporal resources of OLOL and I feel we will take things forward nicely teamed together..........In The Spirit Of Good Stewardship, Fr. Troy

16TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME : THE FELLOWSHIP OF GOD'S SPIRIT.....AND THE HOSPITALITY OF ABRAHAM,,,,,,MARTHA,.....MARY,..........

On this 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time the Scriptures speak to us about human hospitality and the fellowship of God. Abraham in the Book of Genesis, is awaiting three visitors. He does not only greet and meet with them, but offer them hospitality in the form of refreshments. In Luke's Gospel Jesus is visiting with Martha and Mary, two sisters, who along with their brother Lazarus, became very close personal friends and followers of Christ. Abraham's generosity to his visitors denotes the practice of human hospitality that is a civilized and common practice for most of us when family members, friends, neighbors, fellow believers, co-workers, or classmates come to visit us. The hospitality Martha provided for Jesus when he visited her and Mary, in their home in the village of Bethany, also affirmed the respect and affection for Him that she held. Mary's spending quality time listening and or conversing with Jesus when He visited them underscores the spiritual dimension of hospitality, which is Fellowship. Fellowship is our practice of hospitality as Christian Disciples, coming together to socially interact in the spirit of God. As the new Pastor of St. Joseph's Parish Yreka, in March 1993, I preached a homily explaining my goals for the parish, using the words, "Faith, Fellowship, Collegiality, Collaboration", as the focal points. At the end of that Sunday Mass, as I stood at the front doors of the church to greet the parishioners, a woman came up to me who said, "Good morning, Father. Welcome to St. Joseph's. Nice Mass, good Homily. But Fellowship is a 'Protestant' word". I told her, "They use it more than Catholics do, but I can show you that Fellowship is actually a Catholic-Christian word". One of the primary introductory greetings we use at the beginning of Mass, "The grace and peace of God our Father, the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all", is an exhortation from St. Paul in the New Testament, as a greeting to one of the communities he was writing to, in follow to his missionary journey to them. Thus, "fellowship" is a fully Christian word, and where was the Catholic Church when Paul wrote those words, but on the foundational front lines of the early Church. Just as Jesus shared in the hospitality and friendship of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, their brother, so too must we as People of God dedicate ourselves to fellowship in God's Spirit and the hospitality we show others. Here at OLOL, we did that today after the morning Masses, as everyone was invited into the Parish Hall for coffee, tea, punch, and donuts and the chance to mingle socially with one another. As a disciple what kinds of fellowship are you sharing with others this summer ?..........In Human Hospitality And In Fellowship With The Divine, Fr. Troy

IN THE HEAT OF THESE SIZZLING JULY DAYS..........

Less than a month ago meteorologists and media weather forecasters were saying what an unusual summer we will likely haven in Northern California, given a complete lack of 100 degree plus temperatures during the month of June. Then here we are in the middle of July having several days in a row of ever increasing 100 degrees or higher being our reality. This is summer is normally like in July and August in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, it just seems with El Nino, climate change, and global warming entered into the equation it is getting hotter than before in the shank of summer. Having grown up with these degree of summer heat all my life, there have only been two times before now that the sizzling heat like that of recent days has really affected me to this degree. The first time was in the summers of 1983 and 1984, when having spent two seminary years in Ireland, I returned home to South Sacramento to discover how near intolerable the summer heat seemed. The second time was after being in Yreka, Siskiyou County, on the Oregon border for eighteen months as Pastor and then being transferred to Oroville in Butte County, that the milder climes of Yreka made the much hotter summer climate of Oroville seem stifling. All of us must do wise things in this sizzling summer heat. Stay out of the direct heat as much as possible. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Enjoy the shade and the delta breeze as much as possible, Use air conditioning effectively but economically. Keep dampened wash cloths and hand towels. Swim, shower, or bathe, in the peak hours of 4-6 pm , in cold water to cool the body. Check that elderly, disabled, or infirm individuals in your circle of family, friends, and neighbors, are coping without difficulty in response to the heat, especially those who live alone or who are shut ins. The summer heat can bring us enjoyment, entertainment, and recreational opportunities, but be judicious in what you do, when and how you do it, and not let the sizzle cause you to fizzle..........In The One Who Is Truly The Sunshine Of Our Lives, Fr. Troy

FROM CALIFORNIA'S MONTEREY PENNISULA TO A HOLY LAND HIGH MOUNTAINTOP..........

Californians can truly attest to the land swept, scenic beauty, of the Golden State. One of the most beautiful sights is the exclusive enclave that is the Monterey Pennisula, home to such wonderful places as Pebble Beach and Carmel. California's Carmel is perhaps the namesake of an even more historcal place bearing that name, Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. The splendor of Mount Carmel is described in the Sacred Scriptures. and it is the location where a small group of hermits originated the Carmelite religious order. Today there are 1,950 members of thE Carmelite order in the world.....In the Sacramento Diocese the Carmelite Order includes priests in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Fairfield, Solano County, and the cloistered Carmelite Sisters in Georgetown, Placer County. For many decades up until the late 1970's / early 1980's, the Carmelite Sisters nunnery was located on Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento across the street from the Sacramento County Hospital, now the UC Davis Medical Center. When Earl Warren a non Catholic, was then Governor of California more than seven decades ago, his young daughter known popoularly as, "Honeybear", took very seriously ill. She was treated medically at Mercy General Hospital and Governor Warren and his wife, specifically requested the ongoing prayers of the Carmelite Sisters for her recovery. Governor Warren personally prayed on occasion for his daughter's healing in the Carmelite chapel...... On this day each year the Church celebrates the liturgical feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Through her intercession may the spirituality and ministry of Carmelites everywhere, continue to effectively serve he faith and committment of Catholic-Christianity, and may the geographical splendor of Carmel, both in the Holy Land and here in California, continue to inspire and prompt the hearts of humankind to spiritually and loyally share in their beauty, as stewards of Creation, which God has gloriously given us to enjoy and marvel at..........Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady Of Mount Carmel, Pray FOr Us, Fr. Troy

CELEBRATING THE FRATERNITY OF PRIESTS AS PASTOR OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES..........

As a child and young adult, attending Church - altar serving, lectoring, and eucharist ministering, at Mass, I was impressed with the spirituality and pastoral sociability of the priests serving us. And as I grew up and became more associated with priests, I was intrigued and inspired, with the rapport and friendships they shared. Fraternity between the priests of the Sacramento Diocese has always been a priority for our presbyterate, spiritually, socially, and interpersonally. Thus I have always valued and tried to maintain the fraternity of priests in my own ministry and did so regularly as Pastor of St. Joseph's, Yreka; St. Thomas the Apostle, Oroville; and Holy Family, Citrus Heights;. To the best of my ability I will do so also here at Our Lady of Lourdes, Del Paso Heights / Rio Linda;. At the conclusion of this past Monday's blog column, I mentioned that Father Charlie Brady was celebrating his birthday. As my first priestly fraternity dinner as Pastor of OLOL, I have decided to host a birthday dinner in his honor with some of our fellow priests. Frs. Charlie, his brother Vincent, who is one of OLOL's three former Associate Pastors, Fr. Tony Traynor, Msgrs. Ed Kavanagh and Andy Coffey, will join me for dinner tonight, as we affirm the fraternity and friendships we share and celebrate his milestone birthday, in this 55th anniversary year of Fr. Charlie's priestly ministry in the Diocese of Sacramento. As we preserve and further the fraternity among priests, it is my hope that many more of our newly ordained priests and young people will also have a positive and productive experience of the primacy of priestly fraternity and celebrate it, so as to increase the efficacy and effectiveness of garnering and nurturing vocations to the priesthood..........In The Faith And Fellowship Of Jesus Christ Our Great High Priest, Fr. Troy

WEDNESDAY MY DAY OFF - AFTER 8 AM MASS AND A 10 AM FUNERAL MASS..........

On this my second weekly day off since arriving at Lourdes as two weeks ago today, landed my first parish funeral as Pastor. So I celebrated the weekday 8 am Mass, prepared and eat breakfast and then presided at the 10 am Funeral Mass for Rita Green of Rio Linda, concelebrating with Fr. Traynor. He and I also shared the Committal Service at Calvary Cemetery together and then returned to the Parish Hall for the funeral luncheon prepared by the OLOL Ladies Council. My day off officially began at 1:45 pm, with a couple hours of rest and a nap. Then as some of my Canadian fraternity brothers taught me to say, I 'chillaxed', (the combination of chilling and relaxing). Today being July 14, it is "Bastille Day", the French Independence Day, when France was declared a Republic, in 1789. On Bastille Day, the jails were opened and prisoners were released, many of them who had been political opponents of the previous governments or the King. Thus Bastille Day in France, like our Independence Day in the United States, is steeped in the principles of freedom,liberty, and the progress of our peoples..... Liturgically, today is also the Memorial of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin, who despite the the abuse and ridicule she endured during her 24 years on earth, remained loyal to God. She is the first Native American to be beatified by the the Catholic-Christian Church, and was declared Blessed in 1980. Blessed Kateri lived in the seventeenth century and died in 1689..... It is time to watch the late news and some of the late shows on this six hours of work, nine hours of down time, day off, as I prepare on Thursday to open my third week here @ OLOL..........Peace And Rest In Jesus The Lord Who Shepherds Us All, Fr. Troy

MY ORIENTATION-OVERVIEW MEETING WITH OLOL's PASTORAL COUNCIL..........

Sometimes when things change, they also can remain the same. That is the situation for me as I go to do my bi-weekly post transplant blood labs today. Having moved seven and a half miles from the LabCorp location on Elvas Avenue, near CSU-Sacramento, it remains the closest location near me here in Del Paso Heights. So Nora, my lab technician of the past six months will have to continue enduring with me in a twelve to fourteen hour fasting state !! Ha Ha.....Last night I held a orientation -overview meeting with the memers of Our Lady of Lourdes Pastoral Council. We discussed an overview of the ministries and projects currently being held in the parish of a prayerful, spiritual, social, or outreach nature; and then I asked for their responses to my Installation As Pastor Mass homily and its focus on the themes of, "All Are Welcome", "There Are No Strangers Here", And Affirming the Parish Mission Statement. Then I shared with them my vision for pastoral ministry in OLOL Parish : creation of a Liturgy Committee; A 4 week Notification and Baptismal Preparation period for Parents and Godparents; an Evenings for the Engaged Marriage Preparation ministry in the parish. and the start of my Faith Seeking Understanding Adult Faith Formation ministry in September. The first six week series being, "The Mass Explained". We talked about Catechetical Sunday in September and about scheduling the 2010 Parish Picnic that day, Sunday September 19, following the 10:30 am Mass. Groundskeeping we also discussed, as we address the need to keep the parish lawns and our adjacent acreage maintained properly at an economic cost. I will be discussing that matter with the Parish Finance Council next week and determine how it fits into our new Fiscal Year Budget. It was a very good and energized, first meeting, Speaking of first meetings, I go immediately from my blood labs this morning back up Watt Avenue to North Highlands to meet with the Bank of America about my authorization as Pastor over the parish bank accounts. Then it's back to the rectory to complete the Sunday Bulletin copy and check in with the Feed the Hungry ninistry in the Parish Hall. And then prepare for the Funeral Vigil for parishioner Rita Green, tonight at 7 pm at the Sunset Lawn Chapel of the Chimes on Marysville Boulevard. More to Come soon on the Parish Mission Statement. With Glory and Praise To God, Fr. Troy

JUSTICE AND PEACE FOR ALL PEOPLES THROUGHOUT TJE WORLD..........

One of the grevious human tragedies of the past forty years, make that four hundred years plus has been the sectarianism of Christians in the north of Ireland. In the past two decades great strides have been made to bring justice, peace, and a semblence of unity between Catholic and Protestant Christians, thanks in large measure to the United States and the Clinton Administration. But the history and divisions of hundreds of years still linger especially in the months of July and August, when the "Marching Season" commemorating victories in long ago historical battles of Protestants over Catholics and Catholics over Protestants, of which July 12th, is a pivotal date. Even today there are news reports of clashes occurring in Belfast between the sectarian factions, more than a decade after the Good Friday Accord, led to the end of most of the overt violence and killlings numbering more than 3,000 persons, both Catholic and Protestant Christians. This morning I concelebrated with Fr. Tony a Mass For Peace And Justice In The World. Not just for Northern Ireland, but in China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Africa, the Sudan, as well as in Iraq, and Afghanistan. Wars and oppression are not the Divine Intention or the Natural Order of God's Creation. God's desire for Creation and all of Humankind is a reign of Peace and Justice, not the wats and oppression so prevalent throughout history, that are due so often to the fallen human nature and selfishness of sin, caused by persons and nations seeking political power and personal domination over others. World Peace can only be achieved when Justice takes root in the hearts and minds of Humankind. That is a continuing effort all peoples must make - religious or non believing, spiritual, or humanist, whatever our race, nationality, ethnicity, or economic status, is. For the dignity of each human person and our mutual responsibility as citizens of the world to affirm Creation, is the indispensable forerunner to the Eternal Justice And Peace of God's Reign..........Fr. Troy

July 12th is also the Birthday of 3 friends, two of them brother priests, the other deceased.

..........Happy Birthday to Reverend Father Charles Brady, Pastor-Emeritus of Holy Spirit Parish, Land Park, in Sacramento; Reverend Father Daniel Bollard, Parish Priest of Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland; And in Loving Remembrance of Noreen Long Maher, my beloved classmate Fr. Oliver's Mum, "Mother Maher", whose 80th Birthday Anniversary is today..........

15TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME....."ALL ARE WELCOME"..........

The opening song I chose to have music minister Ray Riehle lead the congregation in singing at my Installation as Pastor Mass last night was, "All Are Welcome". It conveys the opening theme of inclusion and hospitality I want my servant-leadership of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish to help achieve. The Pastor Emeritus Father Anthony Traynor, who presented me to the Dean of the American river Suburbs Father Eduino Silveira, last night and concelebrated the Installation Mass with us, gave me a quote during the week that also underscores the spirit with which I hope OLOL will thrive during my pastorate. The quote is from the renowned Irish poet, William Butler Yeats, who wrote, "THERE ARE NO STRANGERS HERE, ONLY FRIENDS WHO HAVE NOT YET MET".....Those words also speak to welcooming, including, being hospitable, and sharing fellowdhip, with others no matter their status or station in life. And the Gospel Proclamation for this 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time proclaims just such a message of care, concern, charity, and compassion, for all others. Luke 10:25-37, teaches us the uncompromising necessit of living the great command to love God and others, unconditionally. The man who became the robber's victim should have been treated and responded to immediately by the priest and the Levite who instead ignored his plight and quickly passed him by. The Samaritan on the other hand, a virtual outcast in that society, treated without dignity or standing, is the only one of thyese three to respond properly. And the Samaritan went well beyond ordinary means in providing for the needs and the healing of victim. That is the message to us and the Gospel value we are meant to practice as Disciples of Jesus the Christ as we journey forth in faith and fellowship into this coming week. How will you become a stronger, more active welcoming, hospitable, inclusive, and charitable, to all who come into God's House and seek to join us in the fellowship
of God'Spirit, to build one Community,.....one Kingdom,.....Now And Forever,
Fr. Troy

TODAY'S 5PM MASS INCLUDES MY INSTALLATION AS THE 6TH PASTOR OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES PARISH..........

On this tenth day of my pastorate of Del Paso Heights / Rio Linda, in North Sacramento - I will be canonically installed as the Sixth Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish tonight, by my ordination classmate, and Pastor of St. Philomene's Parish, in Arden-Arcade, Reverend Father Eduino Silveira, who is the Dean of the American River Suburbs. The Dean presides over the Installation in lieu of Bishop Soto. Father Eduino is the Bishop's delegate as the installating priest, just as I become the Bishop's delegate as Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. Following the Installation Mass, which is at 5 pm, there will be a Potluck in the Parish Hall. I look forward to seeing, meeting, and celebrating, with many of you tonight as my reactivation to full time priestly ministry following my kidney transplant last summer and the fourth pastorate I have been appointed to as a priest in the Sacramento Diocese begins. Peace + Prayers For You God's Priestly People, Fr. Troy

MY PARENTS : TROY DOIL AND JOSEPHINE VIRGINIA POWERS.....THEIR MARRIED LOVE BEGAN 60 YEARS AGO TODAY..........

On July 9, 1950, my late parents, Troy Doil Powers and Josephine Virginia Corey Feusi Powers, were married. So today were they still living would have been their 60th Wedding Anniversary. For nearly thirty two and a half years my parents were husband and wife and raised me and my three brothers and twin sisters, when my mother died at age 60, on December 2, 1982. My parents and two older brothers Harry and Jerry Feusi, moved into the house my father built in 195o, at 2616 52nd Avenue,in South Sacramento, where Alice, Alene, Thomas, and I, also grew up and where my brother Tom still lives. With grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins living all around us, my parents marriage and our home life were very family centered. As I remember and give thanks for my parents , twenty eight years after the last anniversary they celebrated together on earth in 1982, that evening continues to shine. When I asked my mother what she wanted to do for their 32nd Wedding Anniversary, she said to go to the dinner show at the, "Zombie Hut" nightclub on Freeport Boulevard, a highly popular place from the mid 1940's through the early 1990's, to which she and my father had never gone. So I made a resevation and my brother Tom and I took my parents there for dinner and the floor show and a most memorable evening. Not only was my mother enthralled with being there in the Polynesian splendor that was the Zombie Hut, but my father also entered into it in ways that surprised. He thoroughly enjoyed more than one of the signature cocktails offered, "Zombies", and then after dinner danced with my mother to the song, "The Anniversary Waltz", on a soon crowded dance floor and all four of us also truly enjoyed the floor show with the renowned Zombie Hut Polynesian Dancers. As always on this day my thoughts, prayers, memories, and love, go to and are with them on what would have been their 60th Anniversary Day.........All My Love, Troy

WEEK ONE @ OLOL COMPLETE.....AS I BEGIN PASTORING THIS PARISH COMMUNITY..........

The first week of my pastorate of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish is completed and as I begin my second week pastoring the parishioners of Del Paso Heights / Rio Linda, I am getting into the groove of being the primary servant-leader of this community of believers. As my unpacking and settling in continues, I am being called upon for pastoral appointments and arranging for the maintenance needs of the parish, beginning with groundskeeping and a part-time rectory cook/housekeeper. Esperanza Perez, a longtime parishioner, who previously cooked and kept house for Fathers O'Rafferty and Traynor,while they were Pastor of OLOL,has agreed to return for me and will cook dinner Mondays,Tuesdays,Thursdays,Fridays, and clean and do laundry on Wednesdays. In addition to an increasing number of phone calls and drop in visits, I was called to a parishioner's home today in Rio Linda for the Commendation of the Dead, the grandmother of a young girl I know from Sacred Heart Parish the past six months. The funeral will be held here at the church so I await word as to the funeral arrangements. I am also learning my way around the neighborhood, finding the bank, pharmacy, post office, among other things as I get familiar with my new surroundings. It has been a very good first week as this next chapter in the book of my priestly pastoral ministry gets underway. As I finish this blog column a request for a drop in Confession has been made,and then a set of parents and godparents are coming to watch the Baptismal instruction video, so I sign off for now.....In The Peace Of Christ And The Intercession of Mary Our Mother, Our Lady Of Lourdes,..........Fr. Troy

A COMMON DENOMINATOR BETWEEN JESUS CHRIST AND ABRAHAM LINCOLN..........

Doris Kearns Goodwin, an American Presidential Historian,who has written extensively on Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, in recent years wrote the very well received book, "Team Of Rivals", about President Lincoln and the political rivals he assembled around him while he was President of the United States. President Lincoln valued the diversity and differences his once political rivals for The White House brought to the governance of his Administration. Including them in his Cabinet and among his chief advisors and assistants, also underscored the personal stability and political self confidence he possessed as President. Today's Gospel Matthew 10:1-7; shows how Jesus selected a similar band of Apostles. The Twelve chosen and called by Jesus the Christ, were not cookie cutter images of one another, but diverse individuals, brought together and challenged to form a unity of mission. Despite their different backgrounds, livelihoods, and personal focuses, the Twelve Apostles came together despite their differences to experience unity within community. Thus Simon Peter, a Gallilean fisherman by trade, could come to work with Levi / Matthew, who had been a tax collector, before being called and chosen by Christ. The Catholic-Christian Church continues today, into the 3rd Millennium of Christianity as a universally diverse, yet cohesive community of believers. Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, in Del Paso Heights / Rio Linda, is a very good example of the unity in community with ample diversity that can be accomplished. An appreciable percentage of Whites, Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and members of the Nigerian and Tongan communities comprise this parish community. They come together wonderfully well to pray, worship, minister, and fulfill the Gospel Values our Catholic-Christian Faith imparts on us as Disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. So ponder the next time you are confronted with diversity of persons or circumstances in achieving a unity of purpose, how you can be true to your calling while building a common unity that complements rather than complicates the differences between you and those with whom you are brought together. In The Unity Of Community With The Holy Trinity And Each Other, Fr. Troy

238 PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS RANK AND RATE OUR 44 * AMERICAN PRESIDENTS..........

Last week the Siena Institute For Research, at Siena College in Loudonville, New York, released its fifth study since 1982 of our 44 American Presidents in a historical Ranking and Rating Survey by 238 preeminent presidential scholars,of all 44 of the Presidents of the United States in our nation's history. At the top of the 2010 findings : 1.) Franklin D. Rosevelt; 2.) Theodore Roosevelt; 3.) Abraham Lincoln; 4.) George Washington; 5.) Thomas Jefferson;. Down the line somewhat are ranked 15.) President Barack Obama; and 18.) Ronald Reagan;. Ranked by these 238 presidential scholars as the bottom five are : 39.) George W. Bush; 40.)Franklin Pierce; 41.) Warren G. Harding; 42.) James Buchanan; 43.) Andrew Johnson;. The ranking of each President is based on a number of personal attributes such as, ntelligence, integrity, imagination, their background, willingness to take risks, and luck. President Franklin Roosevelt has placed first in all five surveys conducted in 1982; 1990; 1994; 2002; and 2010; for having accomplished the most as President. President Theodore Roosevelt placed second for possessing the right stuff to be a successful President. President Abraham Lincoln is listed third for his proven abilities as President. In the bottom five,President Andrew Johnson, who ranks last of all the Presidents is considered the worst ever for his lack of abilities and accomplishments evidenced by the Jim Crow Reconstruction that took place during his Presidency. President Warren Harding is ranked in the bottom five for the corruption and ineptitude of Teapot Dome during his Presidency. And President George W. Bush, who in 2002, was ranked 23 out of 43 Presidents, is now rated 39th, scoring poorly for his handling of the economy, communication, lacking in his ability to compromise, his foreign affairs accomplishments and intelligence. Oher historically more recent Presidents since World War Two rankings/ratings in the 2010 SRI Survey are : President William J. Clinton, 13.); President George H.W. Bush, 22.); President James E. Carter, 32.); President Gerald R. Ford, 28.); President Richard M. Nixon, 30.); President Lyndon B. Johnson, 16.); President John F. Kennedy, 11.); President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 10.); President Harry S. Ttuman, 9.);. As an avid student of the American Preidency I shall continue to study the current SRI Survey and offer further insights into its findings in the weeks ahead as we historicallly evaluate the record of American Presidents from 1789-2010..........Fr. Troy

JVCFP : SHE WAS BORN ON THE 5TH OF JULY..........

July 5, 1922, was a seminal day in my life and the life of my family, more than thirty four years before I was born. On that day in Sacramento, a baby girl was born, the fifth child of a Portuguese-American husband and wife, a child named Josephine Virginia. That baby girl grew up to be a loving daughter, sister, wife, and mother, to six children of her own. I am the third of those six children, for that woman was my beloved Mother, JOSEPHINE VIRGINIA COREY FEUSI POWERS..........As I ready myself for this morning's Mass my mother is primarily on my mind as I remember her life and love, during her sixty years on earth. And although she has been faithfully departed for nearly twenty eight years, on this her 88th birthday anniversary, her spirit and love are still as alive and present to me as ever. I know she would be pleased that I am now the Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, for my mother had a devout and abiding devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. My mother's love for God and Church, were so deeply a part of her that she was generous and caring for all who needed help whether it be her family, neighbors, friends, or even strangers. I am sure she is rejoicing with my father, brother, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and her friends and neighbors, who have passed on. I am proud to be her son, and to have received from her the love, inspiration, support, and encouragement, to become a priest of Jesus Christ and be the person I am. In prayerful remembrance and commemoration I say Thank You Mother. May your generous presence on Earth be rewarded now and forever in Heaven..........Eternal Rest Grant Unto Her Soul O Lord, HAPPY 88TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY, Troy David

USA 234 !!!!!!!!!! COMMEMORATING OUR FREEDOM, LIBERTY, JUSTICE, AND FAITH ON THE 14TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME..........

This 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2010, is far from ordinary, as it is Independence Day, the 234th anniversary of the day, July 4, 1776, when the United States of America came into existence as a sovereign nation; and it is also the first Sunday I am the new Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Del Paso Heights / Rio Linda, in the Diocese of Sacramento. As American citizens we celebrate today the hard fought for freedom gained for us by our forebearers in the 18th Century, that is the foundation stone of our democracy. That Freedom, is inherent in the liberty our country has assured its citizens for more than two and a third centuries. A Liberty based on justice for all, no matter their station, status, or significance. American Justice is defined as being, "blind", for regardless of who you are , or what you possess, in power, privilege, and propensity, our founders and the Declaration and Constitution they bequeathed us, is meant to be equal, fair, and just. Our Freedom, Liberty, and Justice, as citizens of the United States of America, are guarantees of our right to Faith as Believers in God and Disciples of Jesus the Christ. The Christ who has saved and redeemed us, providing for us through His Paschal Mystery, the promise and hope of Everlasting Life in the Kingdom of God. In the Gospel Proclamation at Mass today, from Luke 12:1-10; 17-20; Jesus sends forth into the wider world, 72 Disciples to supplement the Apostles and his first Disciples. They are teamed in twos, as no one is alone in building up the Christian Community and God's Kingdom. Thus the People of God in Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, and every other community of believers throughout the world are empowered together to be and to do the the work of the Body of Christ with one another and for others. As you, your familes, friends, and fellow believers, observe this 4th of July holiday may you be ever grateful for, and responsive to, those you are teamed to serve. And may you embrace your share in the ministry of Jesus, and the citizenry of our country, with eagerness and loyalty, to serve the common good and glorify the supremacy of the Divine..........For It Is In God We Trust, Live, Move, And Have Our Being, Fr. Troy

>>> Present at the 8:30 am Mass at OLOL this morning were my longtime friends and former parishioners, Ray Riehle and John Williams. It was affirming that on my first Sunday here as Pastor that these two men would be in attendance at Mass in Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, coming from Orangevale and Sonora, to do so.<<<

CELEBRATING MY FIRST WEEKEND AS PASTOR OF OLOL.....DPH / RL..........

Today my first Saturday as Pastor in Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Del Paso Heights Rio Linda, I arose at 8:30 am, and had a breakfast of scrambled eggs sausages, toast, coffee, and cranberry apple juice, at my kitchen table, and then made and received several phone calls, including a mutual congratulatory / welcome home conversation with my priestly colleague and very valued friend, Reverend Father Steven Avella, another native Sacramentan, who is a Professor of History at Marquette University, and Priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, who is home for the summer. After catching up with Fr. Steve on the phone, I returned to my desk to finalize preparations for Sunday Masses, particularly the General Intercessions and Pulpit Announcements. My introductory Homily as Pastor is completed and ready to be preached and is a 5-7 minute message of scriptural exegesis and application of Sunday's Readings for this 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time, and this weekend including a pastoral overview of the ministry and servant leadership I bring to the parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Del Paso Heights / Rio Linda, as their new and sixth Pastor......I heard Confessions at 4pm and Fr. Tony concelebrated the 5 pm Mass Mass with me after which he and I had dinner. I then went to my previous northeast Sacramento watering hole of the past several years, La Rosa Blanca Mexican Avenue on Fulton Avenue for a visit for the first time in six months with my friend and post transplant 24 /7 caregiver, Jeremy Lipp. I am especially grateful tonight for the warm welcome I am receiving from the parishioners of OLOL..........In The Peace And Prayers Of Being God's Priestly People, Fr. Troy

DAY TWO AS PASTOR OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES MINISTERING, MEETING, AND MAKING DISCOVERIES..........

My second day as the new Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, started wonderfully with an 8 am Mass attended by 34 persons, up from 21 in attendance yesterday. I cannot take credit for the increase as it is the First Friday of the month and during the summer months there is only one Firs Friday, not the usual second Mass in the evening, as during the remainder of the year, in recent times. Fr. Tony Traynor concelebrated Mass with me again today and then I went along with him and parishioners Tom and Ora Mae McLoughlin from Rio Linda, for their regular breakfast get together at Sammy's Restaurant on Del Paso Blvd., which Fr. Traynor introduced me to on Wednesday after my move into the parish. Returning to the rectory the Sunday Bulletins were awaiting me at the front doorstep from JS Paluch Company and then within the hour received the Federal Express delivery of my post transplant medications from the Mayo Clinic Specialty Pharmacy. Answering phone messages and meeting with the parish Director of Religious Education, Canossian Sister Felicity Brusadelli, FdCC, until lunch - I then picked Fr. Traynor up at his mobile home park and lunched with him, spending the afternoon discussing my transition into the pastorate, gaining insight and information helpful to me in settling into my new responsibilities.as Pastor. I am also grateful that Fr. Tony has agreed to supply for me from Aug. 15 - September 8, while I am on vacation. Returning to the rectory - after watching the evening news and having a personally made chef's salad for dinner, I forayed into developing my Homily for this Sunday's Masses. Having received from Sr. Felicity a heads up about who to Contact on the Parish Women's Council about organizing the Installation as Pastor Parish Potluck in the Parish Hall, I will spend some time tomorrow organizing those details. All in all, another good day being the newly arrived, 6th Pastor of OLOL Parish, in Del Paso Heights / Rio Linda..........In The Love Of The Sacred Heart of Jesus And Mary, Our Lady Of Lourdes, His Blessed Mother, Fr. Troy

BEGINNING AS THE SIXTH PASTOR OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES PARISH.....DEL PASO HEIGHTS / RIO LINDA..........

Six weeks after being appointed Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Del Paso Heights / Rio Linda in North Sacramento, I begin my priestly pastoral ministry here today as the 6th Pastor of this parish community in its 53 year existence. Having moved in yesterday afternoon and spent my usual night before effective date of appointment in the new parish I will celebrate the 8 am Mass today and begin returning the phone messages already received for me. Then I will begin preparing for the weekend and my opening homily as Pastor on this 4th of July weekend. Preparations for my formal Installation as Pastor a week from Saturday, July 10, at the 5 PM Mass and the Potluck to follow in the Parish Hall need to be addressed. The 8 am Mass which Fr. Tony Traynor concelebrated with me this morning, on what is the 24th Anniversary that I began my Transitional Deacon Year with him as Pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in Auburn, was wonderful. 21 parishioners, including three of the Canossian Sisters were present at Mass. Fr. Tony and I, then went to breakfast and I returned to begin working with the Parish Secretary Patricia Obi, who has been here seven months, as her predecessor is now working in Bishop Soto's Office. Getting the lay of the land about the nearest Bank of America branch and Walgren's and two parishioner drop in visits about maintenance and landscaping and the Knights of Columbus, as well as returning phone messages already received and mail from the Serra Club and my dear friends Karin and Roger Geach, congratulating and wishing me well with my new pastorate, as well as e-mail responses to the Installation As Pastor Celebration received filled my time until the lunch hour.

For those of you blog readers not on my e-mail list my Installation As Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Del Paso Heights / Rio Linda will be on Saturday July 10, at the 5 PM Mass, here at OLOL, 1951 North Avenue Sacramento 95838. My classmate, Rev. Fr. Eduino Silveira, Pastor of St. Philomene's just down the road from here, who is the Dean of the American River Suburbs, and will be installing me. A Potluck will follow the Installation Mass in the Parish Hall. As my friends, fellow believers, readers, and supporters, I invite you to attend.

Enjoying being here and ready to serve and lead, I Am And Remain Very Truly Yours In Jesus The Christ, Fr. Troy