A MINI-VACATION

PISMO BEACH
CALIFORNIA

After finishing the Diocese of Monterey Priest and Deacon Convocation,  I met up with an old friend of mine, a priest from the neighboring Diocese of San Jose who went to the seminary in Rome, for a two day mini-vacation. We used a condo belonging to a family from his parish, St. John Vianney, in San Jose.

As often as I travel, I do not normally stay extra time to look around or enjoy the area even though I have been to a lot of beautiful places doing these priest retreat. This time,however,  I decided to catch up with my friend, Father Steven Brown. We have been friends since 1982 when we met at a National Federation of Priest Councils convention in Kansas City, Kansas. We stayed in contact even when he served several years as a missionary in Tanzania with the Maryknoll Associates and  since he has returned to pastor several parishes in San Jose. He is fluent in English, Italian, Spanish and Swahili. 

Father Steve Brown, Diocese of San Jose, California.



The pier at Pismo Beach. The beach is wide and long and great for walking. The area is known to be cool and foggy all year round, but we were blessed with a sunny day.



Unusual rock formation  down the beach. 



The condo overlooking the beach. 



Casting a long shadow as evening closes in at Pismo Beach. 


IN THE MORNING I FLY HOME, GETTING TO LOUISVILLE ABOUT THE TIME THE KENTUCKY DERBY IS RUNNING - IF ALL GOES WELL. MAYBE IT WILL BE BETTER THAN THE TRIP OUT WHEN WE WERE DIVERTED TO TULSA (OKLAHOMA), INSTEAD OF DALLAS (TEXAS),  AFTER A MAN ON THE PLANE FROM LOUISVILLE HAD A HEART ATTACK. WE MISSED OUR CONNECTION TO SAN JOSE WHICH CAUSED A FIVE HOUR LAY-OVER IN DALLAS, INSTEAD OF AN HOUR. I GUESS THAT INCONVENIENCE IS BETTER THAN BEING THE ONE WHO HAD THE HEART ATTACK. I PRAY THAT HE IS OK. 

IT WILL BE GOOD TO BE BACK HOME ON EASTERN PARKWAY FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE HEADING TO THE DIOCESE OF NELSON IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA. 

WHY, OH WHY, DIDN'T I LEARN TO PLAY GOLF, MOVE TO FLORIDA AND ACT LIKE A REAL RETIRED PRIEST?



UNNAMED "REAL RETIRED PRIESTS."

MONETERY, CALIFORNIA, PRIEST AND DEACON CONVOCATION

DAY FOUR

ANNUAL PRIEST AND DEACON CONVOCATION

DIOCESE OF MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA

Yesterday afternoon, I gave my last talk. That was followed by a report on a major survey of priests conducted in the diocese. We ended the day with Mass celebrated by Bishop Garcia who also preached. The Mass and dinner that followed took place at

 Old Mission 
San Luis Obispo

one of  twenty-one California missions founded by St. Junipero Serra.



St. Junipero Serra



Mission San Luis Obispo was founded in 1772 - four years before we became a country.



Parish hall, courtyard and gardens.



Altar Area

Rear view of the church - one of two wings.  People in one wing cannot see people in the other, even though the priest can see in both directions.  Notice how the pulpit in the "altar area" picture above is slightly turned so the preacher can see in both directions. 

A view of the front of the church from the choir loft. You can see the arched opening to other wing of the Mission Church just above the chandeliers. 

Here I am concelebrating Mass with Bishop Garcia at  Mission San Luis Obispo.



Recessional - Bishop Garcia, deacon and pastor of Mission San Luis Obispo.



Mission bells from inside the bell tower.



More mission bells in the courtyard.



Beautiful gardens at the Mission San Luis Obispo.



More gardens at the Mission.



Dinner served to the bishop, priests and deacons of the diocese at the Mission parish hall.

After breakfast and morning prayer, we concluded the convocation today at noon with an address by Bishop Garcia. 

GOOD BYE MORRO BAY





I'll miss the nice cozy inn on Morro Bay....



....the view of the Morro Bay......



...the beautiful plants that we do not see back home....



...and the smell of the gigantic eucalyptus trees!

SUMMARY 

This was one of my most successful convocations yet. The reception was amazing, especially in light of the fact they were worried whether a priest from the midwest would understand the culture of a California diocese. I reminded them that, before Monterey, I had already led priest convocations in the dioceses of San Francisco, San Diego, San Bernardino, Fresno, San Jose and Sacramento. I had a wonderful time and I received a very warm welcome and tons of positive feedback from the bishop, priests and deacons. It seems that I was able to successfully negotiate the cultural divides as well as the ideological differences. I think they were very pleased with me and I know I was pleased with them! 

NEXT STOP, DIOCESE OF NELSON, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA. 

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, PRIEST AND DEACON CONVOCATION

DAY THREE

ANNUAL PRIEST AND DEACON CONVOCATION

DIOCESE OF MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA

Last night, we went to the local parish of St. Timothy here in Morro Bay. I was asked to preside and preach. 



Bishop Richard Garcia and myself before Mass



Two of the seminarians and myself before Mass.



Preaching on the Feast of Sts. Phillip and James.



Bishop Garcia concelebrated while I presided. 

After Mass was over.




Dinner in the parish hall.



Some of the Knights of Columbus who served the dinner.



After dinner, Father Mark and Father Jim took me to see the local landmark - the huge Morro rock that looks like a huge haystack out in the bay (see below).

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, PRIEST AND DEACON CONVOCATION

DAY TWO

ANNUAL PRIEST AND DEACON CONVOCATION

DIOCESE OF MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA




The Inn at Morro Bay



The power behind the scenes: Bernardine Johnson (left) and Analusia Chavez make sure things are ready and things go well. Every diocese has them, but these two are exceptional. 



Dinner and the first session last evening - left side of the room.




Right side of the room, 



A morning presentation and table discussions

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, PRIEST AND DEACON CONVOCATION

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER PRIEST CONVOCATION

DAY ONE
ANNUAL PRIEST AND DEACON CONVOCATION
DIOCESE OF MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA



Bishop Richard Garcia

HOME OF ST. JUNIPERO SERRA

The Diocese of Monterey was generated by the seed of faith planted by Franciscan Friar, Saint Junipero Serra, when he founded the Mission of San Carlos Borromeo on the shores of Monterey Bay June 3, 1770. At the same time Don Gaspar de Portola, leader of Mexico's military expedition, claimed Alta California (the present State of California), for Spain.

The mission, ultimately a part of a chain of twenty-one historic California Spanish missions stretching from San Diego to Sonoma, assumed primary importance. Spain decreed Monterey as the capital of California and established a presidio, or military outpost, for protection against encroachment from other national powers.

San Carlo Borromeo Mission, like the other missions, was a religious center established for the conversion and education of Native Americans. Friction between the mission and the presidio generated by Serra's dispute over military treatment of the indigenous people, resulted in Father Serra's relocation of the mission to a site near Carmel Bay August 24, 1771. There the Mission of San Carlos de Carmelo became the headquarters for the rest of his California missionary work.

Pope John Paul II beatified Father Serra in 1988. Pope Francis canonized him as a saint in 2015 on his pastoral visit to the United States. He is buried in the floor of the sanctuary of Carmel Mission Basilica.

The Holy See erected the Diocese of Both Californias on April 27, 1840, and named Francisco Garcia Diego y Moreno as bishop. In 1849 the Diocese of Both Californias was renamed the Diocese of Monterey and Joseph Alemany was named bishop.

Later Baja California was separated from Monterey and the Diocese of Monterey was divided with a new province established in San Francisco. More changes followed as California grew. The Monterey-Los Angeles Diocese became the Monterey-Fresno Diocese in 1924. Finally the Diocese of Monterey was re-established in 1967 and encompasses four Central Coast counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo.

Bishop Richard Garcia, the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Monterey, leads the people of the diocese in an ever deeper appreciation and activation of the "grace upon grace" that has always sustained the people of God of the Diocese of Monterey.

WHERE IN CALIFORNIA IS IT? 

My driver, Father Robbie Sullivan



A view of Morro Bay from my window at the Morro Bay Inn