Fr. Tom Update: DEC 12

Jesson Mata, Director of Liturgy and Music at Blessed Sacrament, sent the following message out earlier today. Please keep Fr. Tom in your prayers (especially on this Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of Fr. Tom's beloved Mexico).

Greetings family and friends of Fr. Tom:

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Fr. Tom is currently on the fifth day of his trip. Four days were spent with his sister Christina in California. Last night, Fr. Tom celebrated Christina's birthday as well as his own (December 17). He was joined by his brother Steve and a company of cousins from all over California. He also had an opportunity to visit the Dominican sisters of the Monastery of the Angels in Los Angeles. All the sisters there are praying for him.

Today, Fr. Tom will travel to Mexicali, Mexico with his brother Steve in time for a Mass in the evening to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe. He has reservations about this leg of the trip because it will be quite exhausting. Please pray for his strength through the course of this part of the journey. His brother Steve will accompany him for the duration of the trip. We made sure to pack supplies with Fr. Tom that include nutritional supplements, immune boosters, and other things that will make the trip more tolerable and, hopefully, comfortable. This visit to Mexicali will be the crowning glory of his journey because he loves the people of Mexico. Those who know Fr. Tom will recollect that he prefers to be called Padre Tomas. He has a deep and abiding love for the people he ministered to in Mexicali.

The Young Adults and the community here at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Seattle are preparing a post-birthday bash for Fr. Tom on Sunday, December 21 from 3:00-5:00 PM in the Parish Hall. You are all invited. An RSVP is mandatory. You may email frtomupdate@bspwa.org if you plan to attend. You may also bring a gift if you wish. Fr. Tom will most likely be able to attend for only a brief period of time (5-10 minutes), so come early.

Thank you again for your support and prayers for Padre Tomas. Please continue to pray for his strength and perseverance.

Always,

Jesson

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More information at:

1. frtomupdate@bspwa.org (inquiries may be sent via this email, which people may use to request to get on the "update email list")

2. (206) 732-7350 (pre-recorded message line with updates on Fr. Tom's condition)

3. www.caringbridge.org/visit/frtomkraftop (Fr. Tom's personal website, which he regularly updates with journal entries)