ON THE WAY TO VISIT ME AS WE CELEBRATE HIS SILVER JUBILEE IN CAL -I - FOR- NI- A !!!!!!!!!!!!!.............

My loyal and ever true seminary classmate, stellar, priestly colleague, and all but blood brother, Reverend Father Oliver Desmond Maher is in flight at this hour from Ireland. He is coming to California, journeying for the fifth time in the past eleven years of our 31 year association, out of consideration for my health and well being.  This visit is in celebration of his Silver Jubilee of Ordination to the Priesthood 25th Anniversary observance.  I was scheduled to have been there with him in Urlingford, County Kilkenny in June, but was unable to attend at the last moment.  Hardly missing a beat, he telephoned me within a matter of days after his celebrations in Kilkenny to suggest he might come over now to include me, just as he and Geraldine and Kevin Butler journeyed to California 17 months ago, on the occasion of  my Fr. Troy Jubilee 25 celebration in Sacramento. Kev and Ger's trip to to the States for the first time last year with Ollie which we had mutually anticipated happening for 22 years, was followed this summer by their son Neil's opportunity to spend four months in the greater Washington, D.C. area, from which he returned home to Ireland only yesterday - coincidentallly- given the silver jubilarian is flying out to the West Coast of the USA, today.  I eagerly embrace and profoundly appreciate Fr, Oliver's willingness to fold me into his milestone in ministry he is marking this year, by traveling across the miles to do so.  The icing on his Jubilee visit being it will be my first breakaway for more than doctor and hospital visits in eight months, that in many ways feels like its been eight years.  I plan not only to show Ollie the best and most memorable time I can for the next nine days holidaying in California, but maximize enjoying the normalcy of socially and spiritually replenishing body, soul, heart, and mind, spending this special time with him.  "Open up those golden gates, California here he comes", again !!!!!!!!!!!!  WELCOME BACK FATHER OLIVER DESMOND MAHER  25/50.............Your Brother in Jesus The Christ, For Life, Forever,  Troy David Powers