"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