December 18

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At this time last year I was in India, celebrating my 25^th anniversary of priesthood with my Passionist brethren. On the way I visited the Passionists in Japan and S. Korea. I treasure the affection and attention received at all our communities. Photos of this experience can be found at http://cpcentral.freeservers.com

The first half of the year I was heavily into retreat work at our place in Houston. It was a fruitful experience. At the same time I was having a lot of problems with my lungs. My doctor recommended that I leave Houston, as there were indications that I had over-sensitivity to the chemicals from the refineries of the area. I therefore moved to our residence in Sacramento and I haven’t had these problems since. As I drove with my things, I took advantage to drive and camp out at the Grand Canyon as well as visit Bryce and Zion. It was a way of combining a few days’ holidays with moving while saving on motel bills! I had some other day’s holiday in Florida, where I had occasions to visit old friends and see the unchanged house I used to live in as a kid at St. Petersburg.

Here in Sacramento, a really lovely region of the country, I’m back into preaching parish missions, helping out in the parishes of the region and doing vocational work. My Spanish is coming in handy as this area gets more and more Hispanics moving in. I just finished preaching a triduum out at Gridley in preparation for Our Lady of Guadalupe. The feast day was very meaningful and colorful starting with a packed church for the mañanitas at 5 am.

I am making new friends and was able to visit here in this region with an old friend from early school days back in Argentina, Kenny Murray, whom I hadn’t seen since 1961. I nurtured for a while a pet squirrel, a dream come true, but she is back in the wild again. I really haven’t the time for her anyway. It was nice though to enjoy her presence while it lasted. She even took interest in my notebook computer when one day she jumped from my windowsill onto the top of the screen!!!

I will be spending Christmas here but will join my family in British Columbia, Canada at the end of January just before I have a mission in Vancouver. From there I’ll be heading back here and then onto Texas for three missions.

May you and your loved ones have a fruitful and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May the New Year bring us less tragedy and violence and more love, justice and peace in the world built on solid values.