Seventh Sunday of Easter, May 4,
2008 Ascension
May: Month of
Mary, Mothers and Memorializing As we celebrate the Easter-Ascension feast, we open the month of May which is dedicated to our blessed Mother and to all mothers. Each of the Sundays of May this year celebrate liturgical solemnities, integral to our Catholic-Christian Faith. The Ascension of Jesus today, Pentecost next Sunday, Trinity Sunday in two weeks and Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ, the last Sunday of the month. Next week we also commemorate Mothers' Day, as we remember and honor all our mothers and grandmothers. On Saturday we celebrated First Holy Communion here at Presentation and today we will hold the annual May Crowning of the Blessed Mother. All of these liturgical events of May will lead us to Memorial Day at the end of the month when our nation remembers all who have served to provide peace, liberty and freedom. Not to be outdone, May Day, last Thursday opened this month of Mary, mothers and memorializing, in an appropriate way with Sister Julianna Clancy's Birthday. We wish her Happy Birthday and God's continued blessings for her consecrated life and parish ministry. Happy
May everyone........Fr. Troy
Sixth Sunday of Easter, April
27, 2008
Pope Benedict XVI's First Apostolic Visit
to the United States of America For six days
earlier this month, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, graced our nation with
his presence on his first journey to the USA as the 265th Successor of St.
Peter. From the welcoming ceremonies at Andrews Air Force Base and the
South Lawn of the White House, to his two outdoor Masses at Nationals and
Yankee Stadium, to his Address before the United Nations and appearances at
the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and St. Patrick's Cathedral,
Pope Benedict XVI spoke effectively to the moral order of Catholic-Christian
life, as he underscored the motto of the visit, "CHRIST OUR
HOPE". "Saved By Hope", is the title of Pope Benedict's
second encyclical letter published last fall. Presentation of the BVM
Parish was especially represented at the papal visit in Washington D.C., by
George Cervantes, son of Irene and Robert Cervantes, who composed a song and
sang for the Pope at a Interreligious Dialogue celebration on Thursday April
17. With tens of thousands more people seeking tickets to each of the
papal visit events, what a high honor to have one of our own members among
the participants at this Apostolic Visit. Let us pray that the Holy
Father's coming among may be a fountain of renewal and reinvigoration for
American Catholicism........Peace Be With You, Fr. Troy
Fifth Sunday of Easter, April
20, 2008
Vocations and the Call to Easter Faith
A priestly or
religious vocation has its seed in the home, in the prayerful support and
encouragement of parents and family members. The great majority choose
the vocation of marriage, still others the vocation of the single life.
But we need more vocations to the priesthood, the deaconate and the
consecrated life, if the Church is to effectively minister to Community of
Believers Jesus founded us to be. What are you and your family doing to
address the need for Church vocations in the Sacramento
Diocese? Spend some time praying and pondering the call God is placing
in your lives and open your heart to the possibility that God is calling you
to consider helping Jesus the Good Shepherd, by exploring the path to the
priesthood, diaconal, or religious life. God Loves You........Fr.
Troy
Fourth Sunday of Easter, April
13, 2008
Easter
Brings the New Life of Our Newest Members. The Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults,(RCIA) continues through the Easter Season
with the period of Mystagogia which is ongoing formation in the mysteries of
faith and an introduction to the life and ministry of the community of
believers. Mystagogia begins
with an open sharing of the neophytes, (newly initiated) experience of
Initiation at the Easter Vigil and proceeds
into May with weekly sessions on the nuts and bolts of Catholic-Christian
discipleship. Making the newly initiated feel welcome and an important
part of our parish family is your share in this post initiation, Mystagogia
period. Have you met the neophytes ? Are you being a warm and
welcoming Easter People helping to incorporate
our thirteen newest members into the Body of Christ, that is Presentation
Parish? Don't delay, begin today by taking time to seek them out and
make them feel included........Fr. Troy
Third Sunday of Easter, April 6,
2008
Easter Blessings Blossoming As
we stream into the 3rd week of Easter and all these Glorious 50 Days provide
us in celebrating the Paschal Mystery, the New Life of the Risen and
Redeeming Christ is teeming throughout our community of believers. Last
Sunday, one of the outward signs that we are anchored in the authenticity of
the Catholic-Christian community was our St. Vincent DePaul collection to
assist the poor and the hungry in our parish. This vital and
indispensable parish ministry, staffed by a selfless team of parishioner
volunteers, is direct and effective outreach to real people who look to us
for help. Your support of the SVDP ministry collection is an assurance
their feeding ministry continues to serve the truly needy among us. Two
and a half weeks from now, the diocesan SVDP ministry will host its annual
fundraising dinner, on Thursday April 24, at the Radisson Hotel. Bishop
Richard Garcia will be this year's SVDP honoree and will speak on the topic
of, "The City of the Poor". A $150.00 per person fundraiser
is not a possibility for everyone to attend, but your ability to donate generously
at whatever level you can, to our parish SVDP ministry is. May your
Easter Faith move you to support such charitable endeavors as we build a path
right here and right now, to the coming of God's Kingdom and the Banquet of Eternal Life Fr.
Troy Easter Sunday, The Resurrection of the Lord, March 23, 2008
Easter Sunday, the primary day of Resurrection and
Eternal Life is attained for Catholic-Christian believers by Jesus, God's
saving, co-eternal Son. The joy and hope we experience today and during
these next 50 Days, are a foretaste of the boundless joy and glory we hope to
share in the Eternal. Sixth Sunday of Lent, Palm
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Holy
Week 2008 : Experiencing the Paschal Mystery of Jesus the Christ. The springtime of
the Church that is the season of Lent has led
us to Holy Week, the sacred commemoration of
the Paschal Mystery of Jesus the Christ. This week recalls Jesus'
suffering, dying, and rising, as the perfect Lamb of God, whose
self-sacrificing love redeems humankind. From Passion 'Palm' Sunday,
to Holy Thursday, Good
Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, the seminal events of salvation
history are remembered and celebrated with festive and solemn
liturgies. The 40 Days of Lent were an
excellent time to renew and reconcile ourselves with God and others. Holy Week and the Easter
Triduum, are outstanding opportunities to fine tune our fidelity to
Jesus as our Lord and Savior as we prayerfully enter into Holy Week and witness to the joy and hope of the New
and Risen Life available to us as God's Easter
People. We look forward to your presence in Church as these days that
are greater than all other days. Happy Holy Week
to you and all your families. Fr. Troy Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 9,
2008
Transplant
Update After
nearly a year of dialysis treatments and nine months of waiting for a kidney
transplant, word came the day after Presidents' Day that the UC Davis Medical
Transplant Center agreed to proceed with testing of my living donor, Victor
Herrera. The following Monday Victor underwent a blood antigen test
that came back at the end of the week with the confirmation that we are a
blood tissue match, making him eligible to be my living donor. All
things being compatible that means the transplant should occur just several
weeks from now. Victor and I await notification of all the remaining details
and the date of the transplant. I share this update with you to inform you
and to thank you. Thank You for your prayers, solidarity and support
this past year and for standing by me as the waiting period unfolded. Victor
also appreciates your prayers and good wishes and has asked me to extend his
gratitude to you for remembering him. I will communicate more once the
date is set....... Gratefully Yours, Fr. Troy Fourth Sunday of Lent, March
2, 2008
Father Troy was ill this week and he did not have an article in the bulletin Third Sunday of Lent, February
24, 2008
Our Elect for Christian
Initiation: Have You Met or Welcomed
Them Yet ? During
the past three weeks we have welcomed the thirteen Catechumens and Candidates
who are our Elect for Christian Initiation this Easter, in the Rite of
Acceptance. They include two young married couples and a young father
and his two sons. Lent, the springtime of the Church, is an excellent
time to meet these newest members of our parish community and to pray for them
as they prepare for Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation and a Profession of
Faith, at the Easter Vigil. For the Elect the 40 Days of Lent are a
season of Purification and Enlightenment, as they undergo the Scrutinies, and
are presented with the Our Father and the Apostles Creed. The RCIA
Scrutinies are rites of ancient prayer for the Elect that includes an
exorcism, or blessing from sin. The Our Father and Apostles Creed are
presented to them to attest to the primacy of prayer and faith belief in our
Catholic-Christian Tradition. Include the Elect in your personal and
family prayers during Lent and make an effort to get to know them and receive
them into Presentation Parish Second Sunday of Lent,
February 17, 2008
=== RCIA's Season of
Purification and Enlightenment Two weeks ago we
celebrated the Rite of Acceptance at the 10:30 a.m. Mass, with our current
Catechumens and Candidates for Christian Initiation. They are now the
"Elect", those readying for Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, and a
Profession of Faith at the Easter Vigil. In the Rite of Christian
Initiation Lent is known as the period of Purification and
Enlightenment. The Elect undergo Scrutinies that exorcise them from
sin. Like for all Catholic-Christians these 40 Days are a time to retreat,
reflect and renew ourselves by focusing on our relationship with God and
others as we answer the Call to Continuing Conversion. Have you met our Catechumens and Candidates, the Elect for Christian Initiation? Parishioner Marilyn McCourt has made a wonderful bulletin board in the vestibule featuring a photographic introduction of each one of them. Take a few moments to check it out and then prepare to welcome them into our Community of Believers........Fr. Troy First Sunday of Lent, February
10, 2008
LENT 2008 : Repentance and Renewal in the
Springtime of the Church Arriving early this year, we have entered the holy season of Lent, our 40 day period of prayer, penance, renewal and reconciliation, in preparation for the coming of Easter. We are sojourners into the desert with Jesus, seeking through these penitential days of fasting, abstinence and almsgiving, to atone for our sins and set our relationships with God and others right. Since the 4th Century of Christianity Lent has been observed in the Church and it was Lent that was the precursor of daily Mass. Attending daily Mass during Lent, or the Stations of the Cross on the Fridays of Lent are longstanding devotional practices during these 40 days. Making a particular self sacrifice, or doing something positive are other ways of entering into the spirit of Lent. After the Stations on Friday evenings a Soup and Bread supper will be served in the Nano Nagle Center to which all our members are invited. Repent! Be Reconciled! Reform Your Lives! This is the call to continuing conversion Lent summons us to embrace. May the prayer, fasting and almsgiving you do during these 40 Days truly prepare you for Easter joy........Fr. Troy Fourth Sunday of Ordinary
Time, February 03, 2008
World Day of Prayer For the Consecrated Life Today, the
Universal Church prays in support and affirmation of the women and men who
commit their lives to the ministry of God and the Community of Believers, by
way of a religious vocation.
Completing a rigorous formation and professing vows, these consecrated
persons participate in a multiplicity of ministries, from teaching and
nursing, to social justice and care for the poor. In the Sacramento Diocese there are some 44 Religious
Orders presently ministering, some here for most of our 122 year diocesan
history, others more recently arrived. Presentation has been
faithfully served for nearly forty years, first by the Sisters of the
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who staffed our parish school for
upwards of thirty years and for the past decade by Sister of Mercy Julianna
Clancy, RSM, who serves as our the Director of Religious Education. These religious vocations truly round
out the mission and ministry of the Church. On this Day of Prayer For
the Consecrated Life, we give thanks to God for the dedication of these men
and women and the vocation of service they have chosen for the betterment of
God's People. May many more Catholic-Christians in our parish and
throughout the world, consider a calling to the Religious Life........Fr.
Troy
Third Sunday of Ordinary Time,
January 27, 2008
Catholic Schools Week 2008........ For nearly
thirty years Presentation Parish School was staffed by the Sisters of the
Presentation. It continues
presently under the leadership of our new Principal Charles Suarez and a
dedicated teaching staff providing for the academic and religious education
of our student body The
basic education our students receive here prepares them well for high school,
whether they go on to attend Jesuit, Christian Brothers, Loretto, St.
Francis, Mira Loma, El Camino, or other area high schools. During this
Catholic Schools Week, show your support for our parish school and the place
of Catholic Education in this community by your affirmation of its
presence. Together we can strengthen and sustain our parish school as
it continues its mission of holistically educating our young people ........Happy Catholic Schools
Week. Fr. Troy Second Sunday of Ordinary
Time, January 20, 2008
Week of Prayer For Christian Unity 2008 Entering
briefly Ordinary Time for the next three weeks, today we celebrate Ecumenical
Sunday, in the midst of the 100th anniversary Week of Prayer For Christian
Unity. For the past one
hundred years Christians of various denominations have gathered together
during this week to pray and worship for the Unity of Christians. It is centered around our common
baptism and discipleship in Jesus Christ. Congregations in our community, throughout the country and
around the world, come together during these eight days in recognition of
Ecumenism, which has born fruit from early in the 20th Century to the advent
of the Second Vatican Council.
Our bishops at Vatican II promulgated a Decree on Ecumenism that
places the Catholic Church into the heart of the ecumenical movement. As this Week of Prayer For Christian
Unity proceeds, Jan. 18-25, not only pray for the reunification of all
Christians, but choose to step up and attend an ecumenical service in another
Christian church. Only when we
sincerely gather in the Lord's Name will we break down the barriers that
separate us. May the choicest
blessings of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be with us as we strive to
build bonds of mutual love and living faith between us and our brothers and sisters in Christ, despite our
denominational differences. God Love You........Fr. Troy Baptism of the Lord, January
13, 2008
The
Baptism of the Lord and Vocations Awareness As we conclude our celebration of the
Christmas Season, on this the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we open
Vocations Awareness Week 2008, Jan. 13-18, with the theme of the,
"Beloved of God". The Baptism of Jesus is
the beginning of His Public Ministry and an occasion for us to renew our
baptismal calling, by praying for the strengthening of all Church Vocations.
In 2007, the Sacramento Diocese attained a historic forty year benchmark with
nine new priests being ordained.
The first group of them are proudly referred to as the Magnificent
Seven. As we fulfill our baptismal calling to be fervent witness for Jesus
the Christ, we must continue to work for priestly, religious, and diaconal
vocations in our homes and parishes. The Lord continues to call many more of
the faithful to a Church vocation. Only if our families and parish
communities seriously cultivate vocations will we have the priests, sisters,
brothers and deacons we will continue to need. As the Beloved of God, what
are we doing to promote and encourage the discernment of God's calling in
Presentation Parish ? As you reaffirm your baptismal promises on this closing
day of Christmas, pray that we will succeed in producing many more Church
Vocations........ Fr. Troy Feast of the Holy Family,
December 30, 2007
Christmas Continues...2007 On this 6th Day
of Christmas, the Feast of the Holy Family, we celebrate the final Sunday of
calendar year 2007. 2007 has included a great degree of priestly
ministry despite the challenges of dealing with my kidney disease. As we
continue our celebration of the Holy Birth of the Christ Child and affirm the
primacy of the Holy Family in salvation history, let us honor our families
and our community of believers, by the loving, caring, relationships we share
throughout the year. Thank You the faith-filled People of God who
comprise Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish. It is a
pleasure to serve you and to build on the many decades of collegiality and
collaboration in this parish community. May God Bless your Families
with Christmas Joy and New Year Happiness....... Peace +
Prayers, Fr. Troy Fourth
Sunday of Advent and Christmas, December 23, 2007
Joy
! To God's People, CHRISTMAS Is Come !!!!!!! On this 4th
Sunday of Advent we stand on the threshold of Christmas, with but one day left
before our celebration of the Nativity of Jesus Christ begins in
earnest. Our celebration of Christmas begins with the Vigil Mass on
Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, and concludes this year on the Feast of the baptism
of the Lord, on Jan. 13. Thus for 20 marvelous days we can ponder and
commemorate the sacred mystery of the Savior's Birth. Too many people
frontload the celebration of the holiday season in late November and early
December, and dismantle the Christmas season almost as soon as it arrives.
We, as Catholic-Christian Believers should not do that, but enter into the
fullness of the spirit of Christmas by continuing our observance of the
Messiah's Birth throughout the authentic Christmas Season. Christmas
Day, the Feast of the Holy Family, New Year's Day/Mary Mother of God/World
Day of Prayer For Peace, the Solemnity of the Epiphany, and the Feast of the
Baptism of the Lord, all deserve to be celebrated and highlighted as we
conclude 2007 and begin 2008. There is plenty of time to return to business
as usual, once the Christmas season has been properly experienced.
Thank you for sharing this year and
his
Christmas here at Presentation Parish. May the Light of
salvation continue to burn in the home of your hearts. A very Happy
Christmas to you and your families.......Fr. Troy Third
Sunday of Advent, December 16, 2007
Gaudete
Sunday : The Joyful, Rose colored Week of Advent The
3rd Sunday of Advent is the turning point in this sacred season as we focus
our attention in the immediate preparation for the celebration of Christmas
2007, it is titled Gaudete Sunday, meaning Joyful or Rejoicing. We light the pink or rose colored
candle along with the previous two purple candles and the priest may even
wear rose colored vestments at Mass today. The hope filled expectation of the Messiah's Coming, so
resoundingly proclaimed by Isaiah the Prophet, the Blessed Virgin Mary and
John the Baptist, create a joyful symphony of spiritual anticipation that our
Redeemer is truly Coming.
On Monday Dec. 17, we begin the countdown to Christmas with the
inclusion of the 'O' Antiphons, in the Mass and Liturgy of the hours in these
pre Christmas days. These
ancient prayers of the Church recall the biblical titles from the Hebrew
Scriptures denoting the Coming of the Messiah of God. May Gaudete Sunday and the 3rd
Week of Advent draw you ever nearer to Jesus Who Is the Christ. Joy
and Peace.......Fr. Troy
Second
Sunday of Advent, December 9, 2007
Symbol of the Season " Advent and
the Jesse Tree.... Beyond the Advent Wreath
that adorns our churches and homes during this sacred season, a second symbol
of anticipation and watchfulness in the coming of the long awaited Messiah
can also be featured. It is
called the Jesse Tree. The Jesse
Tree traces the lineage of Jesus through some 42 generations of God's
People. The genealogy of Jesus
serves to show His direct linkage through Joseph to King David and the
"root of Jesse", make Him the fulfillment of the prophecies old as the Messiah, the Anointed One,
the "Christ", of God's People. How many of the names or symbols of the Jesse Tree do you
know? Why not take some time
this Advent to discover the story of salvation history the Jesse Tree helps
us to tell? Happy 2nd Week of
Advent.......Fr. Troy
First
Sunday of Advent, December 2, 2007
\ ADVENT " A New Year of Grace on
Christ Begins....... A
circular wreath of evergreens and four candles adorn our sanctuary and can be
found in Catholic-Christian homes today as we open the first season of the
new 2008 Liturgical Year, Advent. For the next 4 Sundays we will
celebrate with hope filled expectation the two fold coming of Christ.
His first coming in history with His Birth some 2,000 years ago, and His
future coming in glory when Jesus will return for the Last Judgment.
The Advent Wreath is a rich symbol if who and what we await. The evergreen branches represent
our waiting for Eternal Life and the three purple and one rose colored candle
denote the Light of Christ casting out the darkness in penitential preparation
and joyful anticipation of the Coming of the Messiah, the Anointed Son of
God, who is the long awaited Savior of God's People. In addition to our
Advent liturgies and communal Penance service and Advent Confessions, you
have at least two other enrichment opportunities to complement this holy
season in worthy readiness for Christmas. Making the meditations in the
Little Blue Book of Advent devotions, and the Advent Study Series, AN ADULT
CHRIST AT CHRISTMAS, are exemplary ways of doing something faith filled this
Advent. Make these December days meaningful days of watching for the
Lord's Coming by entering into this New Year if Grace with a commitment to be
ready for the glorious Christ by your presence and participation in the
Community of Believers.......Happy Church Year 2008...Fr. Troy Thirty-fourth
Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 25, 2007
Christ the King and the Conclusion of
the Liturgical Year
It all comes down to this. Liturgical Year 2007, ends today on
the Solemnity of Christ the King.
Why do we as Catholic-Christians conclude these 52 weeks of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Ordinary Time, and Solemnities of the Lord,
with Christ the King as our ultimate feast? We do so in order to place
the essential and undeniable focus of our lives, our faith, and our fidelity,
on JESUS CHRIST, the Son of God and the Savior of the World. Christ our King
makes our lives complete and brings us fulfillment as God's People. This is not only Thanksgiving Sunday in the United States, but the
34th and final Sunday of Ordinary Time, as we conclude another Church
Year. Advent, begins next Sunday our first four Sunday weeks of
preparation for Christmas..............Fr.
Troy
OPENING OF ADVENT SERIES 2007
The first session of the Advent adult faith formation Series, AN
ADULT CHRIST AT CHRISTMAS, was held last Tuesday. It continues Tuesdays
Nov. 27-Dec. 18, at 7pm in the Nano Nagle Centre. Will you be there
this week ? Join Fr. Troy and your fellow believers for a truly
enriching experience. Here's hoping you will join us.
Thirty-third
Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 18, 2007
New Bishop in our
Diocese
Today and tomorrow the Church of Sacramento in these 20
counties officially WELCOMES our new Coadjuator Bishop Jaime Soto. A
coadjuator bishop is one who is appointed with the right to succeed the
diocesan bishop when he retires. And so, Bishop Soto will become the 9th
Bishop of Sacramento, when Bishop Weigand retires. A two day
celebration of Welcome has been planned in the Cathedral of the Blessed
Sacrament today and tomorrow..............Fr. Troy
Thanksgiving
2007: The Bounty of Blessings As
we ready ourselves to celebrate our great American holiday of
Thanksgiving next Thursday through
Sunday, today and tomorrow the Church of Sacramento in these 20 counties
officially WELCOMES our new Coadjuator Bishop Jaime Soto. A coadjuator
bishop is one who is appointed with the right to succeed the diocesan bishop
when he retires. And so, Bishop Soto will become the 9th Bishop of
Sacramento, when Bishop Weigand retires. A two day celebration of
Welcome has been planned in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, today and
tomorrow. This
week we will mark two seminal feasts. On Wed. Nov. 21, is the Memorial
of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Parish Feast DAY.
Your extra effort to attend the 6:30 a.m. or 8 a.m., Mass on Wed., and to
take part in the special prayers
that day is highly recommended. Thurs. Nov. 22, is Thanksgiving Day. What better way to start
the day than by attending our Thanksgiving Day Mass at 9 a.m., with the St. Vincent De Paul food
collection and by bringing food from your own Thanksgiving dinner tables to be blessed. Lastly, this Tues. Nov. 20, we will
start the Advent Series, AN ADULT CHRIST AT CHRISTMAS. Are you an adult
enough Catholic-Christian to join us in meeting Jesus in His fullness ?
Please Come. Tuesdays at 7 p.m.
in the Nano Nagle Centre, Nov. 20 through Dec. 18. Here's to a truly
wonderful and faith filled week. Happy Thanksgiving .......Fr.
Troy Thirty-Second
Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 11, 2007
Remembering and Honoring American
Veterans. Nov. 11 Veteran's Day, the 89th
anniversary of Armistice Day 1918, the end of World War 1, is a national
holiday of worldwide significance. Far from only commemorating a war and its
cessation, fought nearly a century ago, it is now the occasion to recall and
recognize all persons who have served in the military and made a lasting contribution
to peace in the world. War is an ugly reality in our fallen world. As Pope
Paul VI reminded us on his historic visit to the United States in 1965, as
Catholic-Christians we must be committed to praying and working for, "NO
MORE WAR!" But as long as there are wars raging we must never forget to
support those men and women on the battle fields, defending what is right in
the world that Peace may be achieved. Peace that is anchored in the wonder of
God and the Divine hand of Creation. To all our veterans we say Thank You and
God Bless You. May God lead us and the world beyond war into the perfect
peace of Christ. ..Fr. Troy Thirty-First
Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 4, 2007
November's Month of Remembrance….. November,
the penultimate month of the calendar year is the final month of our
Liturgical Year. It shows us how
last is not least, as it is a month full of liturgical celebration. November opens with the double,
back-to- back feasts of All Saints and All Souls. On the first day of November, we observe ALL the
Saints of God in glory, those uncanonized as well as all those officially
recognized by the Catholic-Christian community. On the second day, All Souls Day is a day of
commemoration of all our beloved dead, for whom we pray in a special way
throughout the month of November.
The All Souls envelopes you were asked to return with the names of
your departed loved ones, are placed upon the altar and remembered in our
Masses. The liturgical year
culminates with the Solemnity of Christ the King on the last Sunday of the
Church Year, November 25, a day we once more acknowledge and affirm the
universal Kingship of Jesus Christ.
As Americans this month we also celebrate our four day weekend of
national consecration and blessing, Thanksgiving . It is a time to share family, friends, food, fellowship.
and our faith in the abundance and generosity of God. Happy November !!!.......Fr.
Troy Thirtieth
Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 28, 2007
Patiently Waiting, Waiting Patiently....... The continuing
care and concern so many of you are expressing to me on a daily basis, I am
grateful for as I await my upcoming kidney transplant. At this point it
is still a few months away, as my living donor Victor Herrera, prepares to be
tested for compatibility and the final go ahead is given. Meanwhile I
continue my thrice weekly dialysis treatments and am doing some personal
training to physically strengthen my body for the transplant and
beyond. Like with all things in our Catholic-Christian lives this is a
holistic experience of physical, spiritual and intellectual components. The
meals parish volunteers are providing me, the prayers so many of you are
offering for me, and the conversations and reading materials others of you
are sharing with me, are helping me immensely. That is why I am so
appreciative of my circle of friends and the parishioners. Your
affirmation of my priestly ministry and consideration of me personally and
prayerfully are a wonderful source of support and sustenance. As we
journey forward together may the faith, fellowship, collegiality and
collaboration, that makes us "People of God", shine ever
brighter.. Thanks for caring.......Fr. Troy Twenty-ninth
Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 21, 2007 Disabilities Awareness Sabbath 2007:....... Having
grown up within and around the disability community, I have a lifelong
experience and insight into disability awareness. For twelve
years, from 1st Grade to 12th Grade, I wore an orthopedic steel brace on my
left leg, to compensate for and correct my wayward gait. I spent
countless hours as a child in physical therapy, where I learned how fortunate
I am. The vast array of physical and developmental disabilities I
saw about me on a weekly basis made me aware of how important it is to the
disabled in the world to have the opportunity to be included in the fullness
of life, and not left aside or be shuttered from view. While at
CSUS, I met a fellow student who has become one of my closest friends. He
is also disabled, having been born with a sight defect. Aspiring
to be a newspaper journalist, he has ended up instead in public service both
in California and Washington, D.C. He has become an expert on the
Americans With Disabilities Act, and written much of its enabling
legislation. In January 2001, he founded his own company to
advocate for the disabled. Through him and his work I have learned
so much more about how inclusion and empowerment allow the disabled to be all
that they can be. On this Disabilities Awareness Sabbath may we
renew our commitment to inclusiveness and empowerment of all persons in our
homes and neighborhoods, schools and workplaces, in our churches and in our
heats.......God Love You for Loving them, Fr. Troy Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, October
14, 2007 The RCIA Ministry: "A Catholic Vision for the Foundations of Faith
Since
1973, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults has been restored as the
usual means by which a person inquiring into becoming a Catholic-Christian is
formed and readied for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation , and
Eucharist. The Second Vatican Council, (1962-65) decreed RCIA,
based on the Catechumenal model of the early Church would be the way
Christian Initiation is to be imparted. Here at Presentation, as
in parishes elsewhere, we are graced with a Catechumenate Team that has been
led for nearly a decade by Mercy Sister Julianna Clancy. Sr.
Julianna, and a dedicated group of parishioners, joined with Frs. Andrew and
Troy, provide our Cathechumens (the un-baptized) and Candidates (the
incompletely initiated) with formation and insight into
Catholic-Christianity. Presently, we are expanding our parish RCIA
ministry into as much as a two year preparation for Initiation and are
implementing a formation experience based on TCIA catechesis and lectionary
steeped materials from the RCL-Benziger company, entitled "Catholic
Vision", and "Foundations of Faith", one of the best RCIA
resources in existence. Anyone interested in exploring membership
in the Catholic Church is invited to attend our weekly RCIA sessions,
beginning this Wednesday, Oct. 17. For registration and further
information please contact Sister Julianna, at 482-8883. God Love
You.......Fr. Troy
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, October
07, 2007 Respect Life Sunday.......Respect Life Month
October Today
is Respect Life Sunday, and the opening of Respect Life Month in the
Catholic-Christian community. Our Catholic-Christian teaching on
the Respect for Life is consistent and clear. We believe in the
sacredness of all human life from the moment of conception until natural
death. We are called by God and the Church to be entirely Pro-Life, from womb
to tomb, meaning we are to stand foursquare against abortion, euthanasia,
murder, suicide, the death penalty, and any other violations against the
natural order of human life. God is the Creator of Life, and God
is the only rightful taker of Life. In recent times two of the
concrete ways Catholic-Christians in California have borne witness to our
belief in the sacredness of human life has been in our efforts to defeat the
Assisted Suicide bill in the Legislature, and in the currently ongoing, 40
Days For Life Prayer Vigil, Sept. 26-Nov. 4, being held at abortion
facilities. Peaceful protest and legislative lobbying are some of
the ways we can help achieve the goal of affirming the dignity and reverence
we should show for all human life as Catholic-Christian disciples of Jesus.
Last Sunday, Sacramento's Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home held their 1st
annual fundraising Dinner, honoring fourteen year housemother, Lenore
Mullarkey. Some 300 people, including Presentation parishioners
were present. What will you do this week / this month, to affirm your Respect
For Life ?.......Fr. Troy Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, September
30, 2007 Helping Hands Ministry: A Vital
Assistance......
One of
the many ministries in our parish providing outreach to persons in the
community is the Helping Hands ministry. This dedicated group of parishioners volunteer their time
to assist and support those in need.
Helping Hands provides transportation for the elderly and the disabled
to doctor's visits and other necessary appointments and they are also available
to do a little handy work around the homes and yards of those with special
needs. For the past six months I
have been generously ministered to by the members of the Helping Hands
ministry of Presentation Parish, who stepped up the week I started my Orangevale
clinic Dialysis treatments wanting to assist in getting me to and from my
thrice weekly appointments. Mary
Farbsworth, Helping Hands President and a cadre of Helping Hands members are
there each Monday-Wednesday-Friday, as I exit the clinic after receiving my
treatment and am ready to return to he rectory. These rides are providing me help, but also an opportunity
to learn just how generous and self-giving these volunteers are. And our conversations in the car are
always stimulating. Are you
looking for something to participate in that can make the day of
another? Look into Helping Hands
and consider joining them in their Catholic-Christian outreach to others in
need.......Fr. Troy Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, September
23, 2007 150 Years of the Sisters of Mercy in the
Sacramento More than 40 years
ago when I attended CCD classes at St. Rose's and Sr. Robert's Parishes in
South Sacramento the Catholic students of my generation received catechetical
instruction from the Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters of Mercy religious
order was founded in Ireland by Mother Catherine MacAuley in
1831. Just twenty six years later, nearly three decades before the
erection of our Diocese, the Sisters of Mercy came to Sacramento, in
1857. For 150 years the Sisters of Mercy have provided service and
leadership to the People of God in education, health care, social services,
and other ministries. Several dozen parish schools and religious
education ministries have been led by the Sisters of Mercy. Mercy
General Hospital Sacramento, Mercy San Juan Hospital Carmichael, Mercy
Hospital Folsom, Mercy Medical Center Mount Shasta, St. Elizabeth Community
Hospital, Red Bluff, Mercy Medical Center Redding, and Sierra Nevada Memorial
Hospital Grass Valley, Methodist Hospital of Sacramento, and Woodland
Healthcare, are nine locations in the Sacramento Diocese currently served by
the Sisters of Mercy and Catholic Healthcare West. Presentation Parish is amply served by the Sisters of
Mercy in the person of Sister Julianna Clancy, RSM now in her tenth year as
our Director of Religious Education. Sister Julianna is also Director of our
parish Catechumenate, the Rite of Christian Initiation of
Adults. This week the Sisters of Mercy are celebrating their 150th
Anniversary in Sacramento. We join with our Diocesan Family in
expressing gratitude and appreciation to the Sisters of Mercy for all they
have done, are doing, and will continue to do, for our mutual
benefit. Thank You Sisters of Mercy, Happy Sesquicentennial in
Sacramento.......Love + Prayers, Fr. Troy Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September, 16, 2007 Cathetical Sunday:
"Catechesis-Encountering the Living Christ"…... Religious Education
classes, Sacramental Preparation offerings, RCIA formation, Advent & Lent
series', Mystogogia Experience, Pre-Inquiry on the Catechism of the Catholic
Church, these are some of the catechetical ministries provided here at
Presentation Parish. On this Catechetical Sunday 2007, as we commission our
parish catechists and celebrate our ENCOUNTERING OF THE LIVING CHRIST, we
pray these parish ministries will help us grow the Community of Believers and
build up the Coming of God's Kingdom. Catholics have maintained a
longstanding commitment to providing Catechesis to our young people. In the
past forty years the Church has expanded that focus to include holistic all
family catechesis. Today, adult faith formation is as present in parishes as
is religious education for the youth. Where on the faith formation continuum
do you and your family members belong? As we affirm our cathechists, parents,
students, catechumens and candidates, and sponsors on this Catechetical
Sunday may we together Encounter the Living Christ and be ready to fully
follow Him……………..Fr. Troy Twenty-third Sunday
in Ordinary Time, September, 9, 2007 Fr Troy’s article
will be added as I have time. Twenty-second Sunday
in Ordinary Time, September, 2, 2007 Fr
Troy’s article will be added as I have time. Twenty first Sunday in Ordinary Time, August
26, 2007 Cresting with the Crescendo of Summer...... I open my reflections
this Sunday with a Happy 18th Birthday salute to Alex Mauro. He
and his family are very active members of Presentation
Parish. Alex's presence with us on Sundays makes the celebration
of Mass a further inspiration for me and so many others. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX !!! Recently, I completed
the Evaluation of my eligibility for a kidney
transplant. Presently, my prospective donor Victor Herrera, is
being tested for compatibility. On Aug. 17, I was informed that the UC Davis
Transplant Committee has officially approved me for a kidney
transplant. Soon I will be told the date, which is likely only
weeks away. I wanted you to know where things are to the moment in
acknowledgement of your concern and prayers over these past
months. Please continue to pray both for the success of the
transplant and my recovery and restoration and likewise, the health of my
donor. e assured you will be
foremost in my thoughts and prayers in the weeks and months ahead. May God's
grace and love continue to enlighten us and lead us forward in faithful
witness to Jesus the Christ.
Gratefully Yours,......Fr. Troy Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 19,
2007 New
School Year & Presentation Pre-School Starting This week we open the
2007-08 academic year of Presentation Parish School. Our 210 students,
faculty, and staff, are joined by our new Principal, Mr. Charles
Suarez. I first met Chuck in 1986, during my Deacon Year at St.
Joseph's Parish in Auburn, where he had already been a teacher for a dozen
years. In 1989, he became a Catholic School principal and has to
date served as Principal at St. Philomene's, at Mount St, Mary's in Grass
Valley, and St.Rose, in Roseville. With that stellar 33 year record of
accomplishment, he now chooses to serve Presentation School. We welcome Mr.
Suarez to his share in the servant-leadership of our parish community and
pray for his complete success in administering our School, in partnership
with our Pastor and the People of God who are this Catholic-Christian
community dedicated to the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary...Also
beginning presently is our new Presentation Parish Pre-School. Hopefully, your pre-school age children and grandchildren will
attend, as we will provide them with a wonderful foundational formation and
please God, prepare them for a faith centered education. Welcome/Welcome Back
students. Have a GREAT School Year !!!.......Fr. Troy Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 12, 2007 Irish-Baltic Cathedrals During my recent
vacation in Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany, Fr. Ben and I toured seven
Cathedral churches. We concelebrated Mass the first Sunday in the
Kilkenny Cathedral where my classmate is in his eighth year as the
ADM. The second Sunday we attended Mass at the Stockholm
Cathedral, where the Mass was in Swedish and Latin. On the third
and final Sunday we attended Mass in the Copenhagen Cathedral, worshipping in
Danish and Latin. Also during our holiday we toured the original Catholic
Cathedral in Kilkenny, which since the Reformation has belonged to the
Protestant Church of Ireland; the Catholic Cathedrals in Letterkenny, County
Donegal and Derry, Northern Ireland; and saw St. Patrick's Cathedral in
Berlin. European Cathedrals are for the mostpart centuries old
monuments to the faith and fidelity of the Catholic-Christian
community. Our vacation in Eire and the Baltic was greatly
enriched by the opporunity to visit, pray, worship and see, these seven
edifices dedicated to the glory of God and the spiritual and past oral
benefit of God's People.........Fr. Troy Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 5 2007 Vacation Bible School, Another Adventure
well Savored Last week after
returning from my summer holiday in Ireland and the Baltic, I was back to the
parish in time for our annual Vacation Bible School, this year co-sponsored
by Presentation, Assumption and St. Philomene's parishes. The dynamos who lead the coordinating
team of volunteers for our VBS are Donna Keane-Mauro, and Laura Grover, who
once again provided 121 children with one of the best Vacation Bible School
experiences in the Sacramento Diocese. This year's VBS theme was,
"AVALANCHE RANCH".
Each day last Monday through Friday those participating in VBS took
part in fun, age appropriate, activities of faith and fellowship, drawing
them closer into the family of God as friends of Jesus. Kudos,
Congratulations, and Commendations to all who took part in Vacation Bible
School 2007,whether volunteers, students, parents or other parishioners. If your children or grandchildren
were enrolled in VBS you know the merits of its offerings. If not,
here's hoping you will see to it they take part in Vacation Bible School next
year. God Love
You.......Fr. Troy Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 29, 2007 Saints: Loyola, Ligouri, Vianney Celebrated this
Week Ignatius Loyola,
Alphonsus Ligouri, John Vianney, three of the saints we celebrate this coming
week, are replete with lessons for Living andFaith. St. Ignatius was a
16th Century Spanish soldier who founded the Society of Jesus religious
order, the Jesuits - that today number some 20,000 members throughout the
world, including in our neighboring St. Ignatius Parish and Jesuit High
School in Carmichael. Alphonsus Ligouri was an 18th Century Italian
lawyer and master moral theologian who founded the Redemptorist religious
order, well known for parish retreats and the Ligouri publishing
company. John Vianney, was a 19th Century French priest who humbly yet
faithfully served as a compassionate spiritual counselor to countless
penitents, spending 11-16 hours a day in the Confessional. He is the
patron saint of priests and parish clergy. Each of these saints efforts
continue on effectively through the apostolates they started. May we
remember them and strive to discern from their holiness a life lesson that
will increase the efficacy of Living our Faith.......Fr. Troy Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 22, 2007 Sts. Anne + Joachim, the Blessed
Grandparents Having honored our mothers and fathers in May and June, as we
near the end of July the church honors the grandparents of Jesus this week
with the Feast day of Sts. Joachim and Anne, this Thursday July 26th. The
mother and father of the Blessed Virgin Mary, according to Sacred Tradition their
names were found in the 2nd Century "Protoevangelium", of St.
James. Devotion to Sts. Anne and Joachim dates back to the 6th & 8th
Centuries of Christianity in the East. As we pray through their intercession
let us remember to pray for all our grandparents, that they may be holy and
virtuous role models for their families.......Fr. Troy Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 15, 2007 By Way of the Baltic. As ever, my visit with Fr. Ben to Ireland last week was a blast.
Good friend s, good times, good fellow ship, made for a fast but fun visit to
Dublin, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Donegal and Derry. From Ireland we have
journeyed to Copenhagen, where we began a Baltic Euro-rail tour of Denmark,
Sweden, and Germany. This week we are enjoying the surroundings of
Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Berlin, seeing so many magnificent sites and
witnessing the Lutheran influence so prevalent in Scandinavia and
Deutschland.. I have been praying for you daily and know that the power of
your prayers continue to sustain and strengthen me. Here's hoping July is
treating you splendidly ..See you soon, Fr. Troy Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 8, 2007 Coming to You Across the Miles As my summer vacation takes hold, I am visiting my dear friends in
Kilkenny, Ireland, with my Sacramento Colleague, Fr. Ben DeLeon. We are not
only experiencing the sights and sounds of southern and northern Ireland, but
also continuing the celebration of the 20th Anniversary of my priestly
Ordination. Today we are concelebrating Mass in St. Mary's Cathedral in
Kilkenny where my seminary classmate, Fr. Oliver Maher is the ADM. St. Mary's
Cathedral, the site of the ordination of more than two dozen priests of the
Sacramento Diocese, is 150 years old this year. Our visit to Ireland this
month is also memorial in nature. Two priests who played significant roles in
my and Fr. Ben's lives we will visit the graves of and pray for, while we are
here. They are Father Richard Doheny, the late Pastor of St. Mel's Parish,
Fair Oaks, was Fr. Ben's childhood Pastor in St.Paul's Parish, Florin, and
Msgr. Martin Campion, who was my seminary rector and went on to become
President of St. Kieran's College in Kilkenny. I am continuing my dialysis
treatments while on vacation and learning that life goes on, despite the
maladies that confront me. A kidney transplant is unfettered with the
ministry of Parochial Vicar I am presently privileged to share with you, the
people of Presentation Parish. All my Best..Fr. Troy Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time July 1, 2007 |
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The Red, White, and Blue in the Midst of
the Season of Green. For more than a month we have been settled back into Ordinary
Time, the longest liturgical season of the Church Year. Green, the color of Hope,
is the predominate color of Ordinary Time. But this week, as Americans we
blend the green of Ordinary Time with the Red, White, and Blue, of
Independence Day, the 4th of July. 231 years ago, the United States of
America declared our independence as a sovereign nation. The freedoms and
liberties we experience are bedrock expressions of the Spirit of '76' , that
led our fore bearers to seek a country all our own in this new land. Our
independence, freedom, and liberty, assure us of the rights that are delineated
in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States,
and Bill of Rights. One of those rights is the freedom of religion, and our
innate ability to choose to worship God freely. As we commemorate this 4th of
July, let us remember to express thanks for our country and all the freedoms
we sometimes take for granted. Have a HAPPY 4th! ! ! ! ! ! !........Fr. Troy |
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June 24, 2007Nativity of St. John the Baptist John the Baptist Day: A significant
Birthday in the Church. June 24, six months before we celebrate the Birth of the
Messiah, Jesus Christ, our Catholic-Christian Calendar commemorates the
Birthday of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was not only a cousin of
Jesus, but the final prophet heralding the Lord's Coming as the, "Lamb
of God", and the Savior of the World. Two parishes in our Sacramento
Diocese are named for St. John the Baptist, one in Folsom, the other in
Chico. St. John the Baptist Parish in Folsom, is celebrating today the 150th
anniversary, the 'Sesquintennial' of its founding. I was privileged to serve
there for more than 3 1/2 years, from Sept. 1988,-May 1992, and will be back
there today to share in the 150th Anniversary celebrations. The Birthday of
John the Baptist is also a feast day for peoples throughout the world,
including my Portuguese ancestors, who celebrate this day with processions,
special Masses and a festa. May the Baptizer's Birthday bring everyone of
you, hope and gladness and remind you that Christmas is just 6 months
away..Fr. Troy. |
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June 17, 2007 - Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Grads, Dads, & Ordinands.. This third week of June brings the things of summer: Graduations
from middle school, high school and college; Father's Day; and the Ordination
anniversaries of many priests. In recent days our families and the wider
community have attended Commencement exercises for our graduating students.
Today, we join w ith families throughout our nation in observing Father's
Day, the annual day we honor the men the church describes along with their
wives as, "The first teachers of their children in the ways of
faith". This time of year also brings not just the celebration of our
biological and physical fathers, but also our spiritual fathers, the priests
of Jesus Christ. In recent weeks many of our priests have celebrated jubilees
of the day they were ordained. In the Sacramento Diocese that has included
priests who have ministered for 25, 40, 45, 50, 60, & 65 years. Three of
my "pastors" celebrated significant jubilees this year: Msgr. Vito
Mistretta, founding Pastor Emeritus of Holy Family parish, in Citrus Heights
marked his 65th Anniversary. Father William Kinane, Pastor of St. Dominic's
Parish in Colfax with whom I served in St. John the Baptist Parish, in Folsom
is celebrating his 50th Anniversary. Father Rodolfo Delgado, currently Pastor
of St. Philomene's is also a silver jubilarian observing his 25th
Anniversary. As we are joined this weekend by Father Brian Atienza, Diocesan
Vocations Director as our guest homilist, remember the priests who have
served you and pray that God will bless your families with a priestly,
religious, or diaconal Church vocation...Fr. Troy |
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June 10, 2007 The Most Holy body and
Blood of Christ IN THE GOOD 'OL SUMMERTIME As June busts out all over, we arrive at the Solemnity of Corpus
Christi, honoring the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Eucharist
is the essential mystery of our Catholic-Christian Faith, as we affirm our
belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the consecrated bread and wine that the
Eucharist transforms into his Sacred Body and Precious Blood . We also begin
the observance of summer and enjoy the weather and fun activities this season
brings. Summer Vacations are a viable part of these months, as we take a
break from our regular routines and revitalize ourselves on trips, short and
long, to new places and by visiting old favorite sites of relaxation and
refreshment. But the one thing we do not take a vacation from is GOD. God and
the Church remain with us, wherever we are, wherever we go. As you plan your
summer vacation time remember to include a daily and weekly place for prayer,
worship and ministry. Your summer experiences will be more fulfilling and
your discipleship most complete, with the inclusion of the Sunday Eucharist and
the sharing of Fellowship with the community of Believers. No matter where we
go, a church congregation is close at hand. Enjoy your summer and pray and
worship well…..Fr Troy |
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June 3, 2007 The Most Holy Trinity
Trinity
Sunday: The 1 in 3 and the 3 in 1
One of the greatest and most sublime divine mysteries of our
Catholic-Christian Faith is the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. How God can be
One supreme Being, but at the same time manifested in Three Divine Persons.
God the Father, the Creator of the universe; God the Son, the Redeemer of
Humankind; and God the Holy Spirit, the Advocate of all believers; summon us
to discipleship in Living Faith. To help us understand the mystery of the
Holy Father for the Son and the Son for the Father being so intense, perfect
and complete, that it creates the Holy Spirit, the fruit of their love. We
are baptized as Catholic Christians in the name of the holy Trinity. Every
prayer we proclaim in the liturgy of the Church is prayed in the name of the
Holy Trinity. The Mass, the Sacraments, as well as our daily prayers begin
and end with the invocation of the Holy Trinity. So let us pray today and
always that we may fully enter into the sacred mystery of the Divine Godhead
and experience the power of their relationship and love. God Love You..Fr.
Troy |
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May 27, 2007 Pentecost
Sunday For 50 Glorious Days we
have been celebrating the Easter Season and commemorating the New and Risen
Life of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. On this 50th day of Easter we
celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles
and the Church. Each one of us who are Catholic-Christians are imbued with
the Holy Spirit, not only on Pentecost, but beginning with our Baptism and
Confirmation. The Holy Spirit continues to be a presence to us whenever we
pray, or ponder and discern-using the Gifts and the Fruits given to us
sacramentally. Just as the Initial coming of the Holy Spirit brought a
boldness of faith and fidelity to the Apostles and their companions, so too
does the Spirit of God continue to strengthen and sustain us to be Faithful
Witnesses to the Lord our God. In my Portuguese tradition, Pentecost is the
time for Holy Ghost Festa's in many parish communities. Masses of the Holy
Spirit are celebrated, parades with a Holy Ghost Festa Queen and her court
are held, and a special dinner of Sopas and bread, (traditional Portuguese
food) is eaten. May this Pentecost be for you and your families a time of
rekindled "spirit" in the ongoing human festival of Family, Faith,
Fellowship and Fidelity, to God and to one another. Happy Pentecost... Fr. Troy |
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May 20,
2007 The Ascension of the Lord
Summing Up the Passion Narratives
by Raymond Brown
The Lenten Series on
the Passion Narratives began on March 6. The series had to be postponed a
week later due to my illness. But on Tuesday, May 8, we resumed the series
and are currently completing our survey of the Passion Narratives of Mark,
Matthew , Luke, and John. The 7-31 parishioners w ho have attended are
gaining insights into the vital importance of the Passion story and learning
to appreciate the differences and similarities in each of the narratives. My
heartfelt thanks to the 10 attendees last week. They are growing in their
Faith and coming to appreciate the centrality of the Passion in our
Catholic-Christian Tradition. Who would we be, where would we be, without the
Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ? Without His Passion and
Resurrection, w e would have no Paschal Mystery, no salvation, no hope of
Eternal Life. If you have not already joined us there are two sessions left.
This Tues. May 22, we will consider the Passion Narrative of Luke, and in a
week's time on Tues. May 29, we will look at the Passion Narrative of John.
Why won't you invest some of your time and join me and your fellow believers
as we embrace the Passion of the Risen Christ …..Hoping to see you there……. Fr.
Troy
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May 13,
2007 Sixth Sunday of Easter
Mary's Month + Mothers Day
May is a month annually
associated with the Blessed Mother. Falling in the Easter Season, it is a
month of Confirmations, First Communions, and Graduations. Today is also the
day each year when we celebrate our own Mothers, living and dead for the love
and devotion they have shared with us. Mothers are the undeniable glue that
bring families together and share their love with their children helping us
to grow into loving, caring, responsible adults. All Christian mothers have
as their primary example the Blessed Virgin Mary -the Mother of God , who
cherished her Son Jesus, with an abounding love. Her devotion and her
discipleship are a prototype for all Mothers as they strive to fulfill their
maternal responsibilities. Oneprototype for all Mothers as they strive to
fulfill their maternal responsibilities. On this Mother's Day 2007, in the
Month of Mary our Blessed Mother, we wish all the mothers and grandmothers in
our Presentation Parish God's choicest blessings today and everyday. May the love and care
you show be returned to you in abundance. God Bless you. Thank You Mothers
for all you do…….. Fr.
Troy
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May 06,
2007 Fifth Sunday of Easter
20 Years a Priest of Jesus Christ for the
People of God….
Last Wednesday and
Thursday, May 2 & 3, I celebrated the 20th Anniversary of my Ordination
to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, at the hand s of Bishop Francis A. Quinn,
May 2, 1987. 20 years, a score of years, and a generation of priestly
ministry begun and completed. Glory and Praise to God !, for life, faith, my
vocation , and for allow ing me to share in the Priesthood of Christ. These
20 years have been challenging but fulfilling, predictable yet stretching. I
am also grateful to all the people of God in the parishes of our Diocese I
have been privileged to minister to, during these two decades. After a
transitional Deacon year in St. Joseph's Parish, Auburn, I have now served as
a priest and associate pastor in the parishes of Holy Family Citrus Heights,
St. John the Baptist Folsom, Holy Rosary Woodland, as Pastor of St. Joseph's
Yreka, St. Thomas the Apostle Oroville, and again at Holy Family Citrus
Heights, to the Parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes in Del Paso Heights/ Rio
Linda, then again as a Parochial Vicar in St. Rose's South Sacramento, and
here at Presentation and in St. Philomene's in northeast Sacramento. I am
truly grateful to all the many faithful who have blessed my life and ministry
and continue to do so. I am also appreciative of the fraternity and unity of
the clergy I have been affiliated with. The Pastors, Parochial Vicars,
Deacons, and Religious, it has been my privilege to minister with for the
past 20 years. All of you are in my prayers and thoughts as I go forward into
the next decade of priestly ministry. Please God , it will be as productive
and spiritually enriching as these two decades have been. Special thanks to
Fr. Andrew, Fr. Jerry, and to Msgr. Ed Kavanagh and Fr. Tony Traynor, who
have provided invaluable fraternal and spiritual sup port and counsel to me
from before the d ay of my ordination. May the lord Jesus bless us and keep
us and in Divine recompense continue to bring to fulfillment the good work
begun in us…. Fr.
Troy, "Father 20!"
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April
29, 2007 Fourth Sunday of Easter
Easter & Our Remembrance of the Good
Shepherd & Vocations…
The
4th Sunday of Easter, (Like the 2nd Sunday and the divine Mercy) brings a
special focus on Jesus as the Good Shepherd and is one of the Sundays of the
Liturgical Year when we especially pray for vocations to the Priesthood and
Religious Life. Christ our Lord and Savior, is truly the Good Shepherd of
souls. He tends to his flock with compassion and care. We the redeemed sheep
of His flock, are truly blessed to have Him as our supreme Shepherd.
Vocations are a vital lifeline of ministry and mission in the Church. We need
an abundance of priests and religious in order to fulfill all that God
founded the Church to be. The "Vocations Crisis", of the past
several decades has challenged all of us to step up and carry out our
baptismal calling as committed and covenanted Catholic-Christians. But that
doesn't mean that we give up praying or working for priestly and religious
vocations, in our homes and parish communities. Jesus the Good Shepherd in
unison with His Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit, continues to call more
Church vocations from among us. He is calling persons in Presentation Parish,
here today to hear His voice and answer affirmatively with the willingness to
serve. On this Good Shepherd Sunday of Easter and during this week of Prayer
for Vocations, take time at home and in church, to cultivate the potential
vocations in your families and in our parish community. As I celebrate the
20th Anniversary of my Ordination to the Priesthood this week, know that I
join with you in praying for more Church Vocations. May the blessings of
Easter continue to shine in your hearts, as Jesus the Good Shepherd proceeds
in calling each one of us by name……..Fr. Troy |
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April
22, 2007 Third Sunday of Easter
Christian Unity and the Easter Season
For most of the nearly 20 years I have
been a Priest of Jesus Christ, I have fulfilled my ordained ministry in the
Catholic Church and also shared in the Ecumenical ministries of the wider
Christian Church. The Second Vatican Council promulgated a Decree on Ecumenism that harkened us to
embrace and affirm our common bonds with other Christian churches, and to
share in interdenominational worship and communal activities with them. Each
Holy Week and Easter, I try to attend an ecumenical or congregational service
in one or more churches besides our own Catholic Church. This year I attended
the Good Friday Evening Worship Service at Town & Country Lutheran Church
up the street, and the Easter Sunrise Service at St. Mark's First United
Methodist Church behind Country Club Center. They were as usual to these
outings, beautiful celebrations of the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord,
which spring from our own Catholic Liturgy. . In Jesus who is Lord……...Fr.
Troy |
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April
15, 2007 Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday)
RCIA
Doesn't End on Easter Sunday
At
the Easter Vigil Service on Holy Saturday we initiated the newest members of
our parish community, who have been in formation with the Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for many months. They have undergone instruction
and evangelization in the Catholic-Christian Faith and experienced the Lenten
Scrutinies and Presentations of the Church. They celebrated the Sacraments of
Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, and those already baptized made a
Profession of Faith into the Catholic Church. Their Initiation at Easter is
not the end of their RCIA journey. It continues through the Easter Season
coming to culmination on Pentecost Sunday. Last fall, I led a
"Mystagogia' Experience for those parishioners who came into the Church
in recent years. Mystagogia, is the final part of the RCIA ministry. It is
usually held during the 50 days of Easter with and for, the newly initiated.
And so, RCIA does not end on Easter Sunday, but continues with the Neophytes
(our newly initiated) until Mystagogia is complete. They and all our members
are welcome to the next Mystagogia Experience, with dates and details to be
announced soon……...Fr. Troy |
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April
8, 2007 Easter Sunday
Easter
Sunday:
Christ is Risen!! Alleluia!! Day of New Life & Resurrection
Happy Easter Sunday to all the families in our parish as we celebrate and
commemorate the most sacred and significant event in all of God 's Creation
-the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Today, and for the coming 50
days we sing ALLELUIA!!, giving glory and praise to the Triune God for our
salvation. Christ suffered and died on a cross to redeem us and reconcile us
with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. On Easter Sunday more than 2,000 years
ago, He rose to New and Everlasting Life, overcoming sin and death for all
who believe in Him and follow Him as faithful disciples. Easter is full of
spring colors, colored eggs, baskets, lilies, water and also the Paschal
Candle, denoting the Risen Jesus' presence as the Light of Eternal Life. Lent
was very well attended here at Presentation Parish, as several dozen persons
participated in the various Lenten activities our Community of Believers
held. From those who made a special effort to be at one of the 3 daily Masses
during Lent, to the Stations and Soup, the Passion Narratives and the
Breakfast Foods collection for the St. Vincent DePaul ministry, Lent was
wonderfully kept by so many members of this parish community. Easter focus is
on the New and Eternal Life of Jesus Christ. Many of us experience a new
quality of life like the "resurrection" in some particular way, in
the opportunities for New Life afforded to us. I am experiencing
"resurrection", this Easter as I progress in my treatment for the
kidney failure I underwent recently, as a result of diabetes. I am grateful
to Fr. Andrew, Fr. Tony, our parish staff and all of you, caring and
concerned parishioners of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Catholic Church, for your prayers and presence to me during the time of my
hospitalization and now, convalescence. And to the doctors, nurses, and staff
at Sutter Roseville Medical Center, who were there for me again in addressing
my health concerns. As I presently continue dialysis treatments 3 days a week
in Orangevale I am appreciative of the assistance of our Helping Hands
ministry, who have so magnanimously stepped up to help. I am feeling vastly
improved over that of recent months and look forward to returning to full
vigor and activity as my treatments take hold. Thank you for your understanding,
solidarity, and support. Your outreach to me, shows once again just how
wonderful a close knit FAMILY of Faith, Fellowship and Fidelity, Presentation
Parish is.May these50daysofEaster bring you an earthly
"resurrection" of truly New Life in the Risen Christ. Alleluia !
Amen! ....Fr. Troy
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