ONLY AN ARMCHAIR OBSERVER ON PALM SUNDAY ............

Although Dr. Martin has stated I am currently able to celebrate two Masses daily, here I sit in my temporary quarters on this Palm Sunday morning caused to watch the Catholic Passion Sunday Liturgy proceedings on television, instead of presiding/concelebrating them in the parish, even though I am eighty five percent back to where I was in mid December and am making real progress each day in increasing my mobility, without the assistance of nursing staff.  Despite the physical limitations that shape my personal reality, my intellectual and communicative skills are unaffected by the challenges I am dealing with.  Yet here I sit on the sidelines, supposedly because I am in a wheelchair and cannot presently drive, denied the opportunity to liturgically and sacramentally function, underserving the People of God, as a priest I am ordained to minister to; and at fifty five years old, I have no intention of retiring from.  As frustrating as this currently is, I remain hopeful that a discussion with Bishop Soto this Tuesday will lead to clarifying my status and determining how soon my desire to resume priestly, pastoral, ministry will begin again, as I continue to stabilize and proceed in successfully adapting to walking with my permanent prosthetic leg.  Just as my childhood disability and twelve year, orthopedic left leg brace did not vanquish me, or prevent me from becoming a priest; Neither will my current physical limitations conquer me, or pre-empt my ability to function as a priest in a parish, for that is what I believe and know God wants me to be and to do, in ministry to and with, the People of God of in the Church of Sacramento.  To all persons who are encountering the frustration and reality of physical limitations and restrictions imposed upon you, be assured of my solidarity, advocacy, and prayers, as we stand united in realizing the empowerment and inclusion - the dignity, every human person deserves and has an inherent, God given right to experience............May You Be Blessed As Holy Week Proceeds,   Fr. Troy