ONE YEAR OF TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF SITTING ON THE SIDELINES.............

One year ago today instead of being allowed to return to the parish rectory, I was suddenly involuntarily exiled into Mercy McMahon Terrace as my, "temporary" residence.  It was the wrong place, at the wrong time, for me and supposedly because I am in a wheelchair which I was told is a, "problem", and would make me a, "burden", to other priests and the parishioners.  MMT is a retirement community, assisted care, and short term stay facility, where I am twenty to forty five years younger than the other residents, and unlike them, I am neither retired or requiring assisted care.  But the diocesan powers that be decided that this is where I had to be and when I asked for how long was told for, "6 months or there about".  Today it is 12 months, and I have been given no indication that my unnecessary stay here will end in the forseeable future.  As I make progress with the realities and necessary adaptations of my physical limitations, that in no way have adversely impacted my intellectual, communicative skills or abilities, here I sit most of the time - being denied a ministry assignment, as an active priest in good standing totally committed as a native born, locally grown, priestly vocation of the Sacramento Diocese to continuing active ministry but being "warehoused" in the words of several of my friends and former parishioners.   The priestly ministry I have been invited by priests, laity, and parishes, to do part-time over the course of this year and the increasing schedule of activity, concelebrating liturgies where and when I am afforded the opportunity to do so, and as I have done extensively since Christmas, are evidence I am able to do parish ministry and have no justifiable reason to be here any longer.  I committed myself to exercising patience with my current placement for up to one year.  That one year is up.  I am now actively seeking a more normative residence hopefully in a rectory, but if not, then in an apartment of my own choosing.  Many persons in my circle of supportive and concerned friends feel I should have done this months ago, and some of them have been urging me for several months to find a secular job if necessary.  I chose to be a Catholic priest and have every intention of remaining in priestly ministry.  There are other ministry opportunities I can carry out and a number of ministries in addition to celebrating Mass and Sacraments I am capable and willing to accept.  The time for a constructive dialogue and redirection of my priestly ministry has more than come.  The time for action is overdue.  Moving out of MMT and back into the wider community of church ministry and parish life is the logical course to follow.............Fr.  Troy