ANNUAL EVENING OF FRATERNAL CORDIALITY, HOSPITALITY, AND LITURGY............

Back from this evening's festivities at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, at 11th and K Streets in downtown Sacramento, it was as it is annually one of cordiality, hospitality, between my brother priests in the presence of Bishops Soto and Weigand, and with the Deacons, Religious, and People of God, in a near full Cathedral for the Mass of the Holy Oils.  There to greet me was my priestly colleague and beloved friend, Reverend Father Benedict DeLeon , who saw to it that I moved up to the head of the line to get my photograph taken, and then to be seated for dinner, which he rounded up for me from the serving table.  Fr. Ben also graciously agreed to be my driver back to Mercy McMahon afterwards.  It was also my first opportunity to see and visit with Fr. Tony Traynor in two months as well as chat with several other priests including my ordination classmates Fr.  Paul Schloeder, and Fr. Eduino Silviera, along with Fr. Mike Downey, and Fr. Marty Brusato, Fr.Johnathan Molina, Fr. Frank Velasquez, Fr. Avram Brown, and Msgrs. Jim Church and Ed Kavanagh.  I also conversed with my cousin Barry and his wife.  Fr. Paul was kind enough to up me up and down the Cathedral main aisle, in the opening and closing processions of the Mass, and also took me up into the sanctuary in my wheelchair to receive the Precious Blood from the Chalice at Communion time.  As uneasy as I presently feel about being kept away from parish life and pastoral ministry at this time, tonight I was present and participating in the essential core of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, successfully from a wheelchair - underscoring the capacity I retain, as do all disabled persons with physical limitations, but unvanquished spirit, intellectual capacity, and communication skills, remaining actively committed for the next decade or more to being the Priest in my heart and mind, I know God wants me to be............With Praise And Glory To Jesus The True High Priest,   Fr.  Troy