MY FIRST SUNDAY MORNING PHONE CALLER IS ONE OF THE "PEARLS" OF PRESENTATION PARISH..........

One of the then and lasting blessings bestowed on me during during my three and a half years at Presentation of the Blessed Mother Parish, in the Arden area of northeast Sacramento, are the many parishioners who truly enhanced my life and ministry. One of those persons is a loyal member of Presentation, who four years before my assignment to the parish, began to pray for me at Mass daily, in 2002, having learned of my health issues from our mutual friend, Ramona Bugatto. Her prayers and constant concern for my well being, even before she met me, I found to be a grace filled reassurance that People of God, even unbeknownst to each other can spiritually fortify one another through the power of prayer and faith. For this wonderful and prayerful Catholic woman, Mary Hopkins, is just such a person of exemplary person of Gospel Values. A regular reader of my blog, she has eagerly awaited my latest updates here, since I lost my internet accessibility on Wednesday morning, leaving Sutter Roseville Rehab, and coming to Bruceville Terrace, until recovering it as I shared in my previous two blog columns, that was restored at 7 p.m. last night. Reading my Saturday night first resumptive blogging this morning, in which I included my current phone number and address, she called me to assure me of her prayers to Padre Pio, for my recovery and chatted with me engagingly about my rehab progress and my inquiries about the her fellow parishioners. Mary's came as I was doing my ablutions and dressing myself, today in the new light grey sweat suit the Geaches brought me since last week upon my arrival here. Speaking of Roger and Karin, they arrived just after 11 a.m., with their oldest son, Ryan, to visit me, bearing their latest treat of homemade, with Splenda, tapioca pudding. There visit today, breaks my two week Sunday drought of visitors, nicely.....That drought is now reenforcedby my end of lunch visit from OLOL parishioners and Parish Bookkeeper and Computer Technian, Patty and Jack Pennington, were just here for a wonderfully pleasant, more than half hour visit. I am truly blessed with such a myriad of decent and caring present and past parishioners, such as Mary Hopkins and the Penningtons; and personal friends such as the Geaches and my new friend and rehabilitation / convalescense advocate, Sharon Bishop and her network. And to shw how even in the midst of my current experience, my small world gets smaller all the time, at the Communion Service this morning my wheelchair was placed next to that of Ruben Serna, brother of the late Sacramento Mayor, Joe Serna; and uncle of new Sacramento County Supervisor in District 1, which includes OLOL Parish, Phil Serna. Ruben and I had a very good introductory conversation and I garnered insights into my previous three day wireless internet access snafu, that I will blog about in my nest column...........God Is Good, God Is Great, Alleuia !!! Amen !!!, Fr. Troy 1:38 p.m. tdp