MISSING PARISH LIFE AND THE RCIA MINISTRY............

I chose to answer God's Call to the diocesan priesthood, over a career in politics, government, and public service, as my life's vocation in large measure because of the opportunity to serve and lead God's People in parish life.  My experiences of parish life and interaction with diocesan priests as a  child and young adult, were so positive and impressive, that despite the equal tug and intrigue from childhood in politics and government, that includes undergraduate degrees in Political Science / Government / History / from Sacramento City College and California State University Sacramento; being a candidate for the Los Rios Community College District Board of Trustees; a two year internship at the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors with Ted Sheedy; being a finalist for one of the very first Harry S. Truman scholarships; that I eagerly answered the call to becoming a priest, and the fortieth native born, local grown, priest in the history of the Sacramento Diocese, upon my ordination in 1987.  Therefore, I greatly miss being present and involved in parish life and the ministries of servant leadership being a Priest of Jesus Christ entail as a pastor of souls.  One of the parish ministries I have taken considerable delight in the past thirty years is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults,  (R.C.I.A.).  I am greatly missing being in the parish and the expanded R.C.I.A. Catechumenate Ministry underway at OLOL.  Until otherwise informed on Friday morning, I was very much looking forward to being back there on this Sunday, graduating back into the R.C.I.A. ministry and other parish activities.  Instead, I will be residing indefinitely at Mercy McMahon Terrace, missing the parish ministry I remain committed to carrying out at age 55, please God far from retirement, or allowing the circumstances I have been dealt to sideline me.  Let me assure my present and past parishioners, my circle of friends, and fellow Catholic-Christians, I am, and will continue to do everything I can not to be marginalized, and return to full pastoral, priestly, ministry as expeditiously as is attainable.  For as Psalms 37:23 proclaims, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord"............A Continued Productive Lent,   Fr.  Troy