St.

Philip the Apostle Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic Church

3866 65th street
Sacramento, CA 95820

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory for ever!

Slava Isusu Christu! Slava i vo viki!
Allow me to introduce myself…
I have had the privilege of meeting many of you already, but please allow
me to introduce myself and my family. My name is Father Frantisek (Francis)
Murin. The eldest of four children, I was born in 1976 and spent the first 23 years
of my life in Eastern Slovakia. After high school I entered the Byzantine seminary
in Presov, to study Sacred Theology and receive seminary formation. From there, I
proceeded to Gaming, Austria, where I spent one year studying English and five
semesters obtaining a Licentiate in theology at the International Theological
Institute (ITI), a small Pontifical Academy founded at the request of Pope John
Paul II for studies on Marriage and the Family. Finally, I spent two years in Rome,
Italy, completing the coursework towards a doctorate in theology at the Pontifical
College of St. Thomas.
During the course of my studies, I met my future wife, Kimberly
Leatherby, a native of Sacramento, who was also a student of theology at the ITI.
We married in June 2002, and have been blessed with three girls, Maria (6),
Terezia (4), Magdalena (2), and in November we are expecting another baby girl.
We kindly request your prayers for a safe delivery.
In June 2004, I was ordained to the Priesthood in the Archeparchy of
Presov, Slovakia. For the last four years we have lived and served in my home
country, in the small parish of Zakovce, in northeastern Slovakia. I have also had
the privilege of substituting at St. Philip’s during our visits home to California,
over these past five years. Many times, I was asked: “Why don’t you come to be
our priest?” This call has not left my mind from the first moment I heard it. I am
sure that your prayers for this intention followed your invitation. And I am even
more convinced of God’s invitation for me in that sentence.

By His grace, on September 1st, Most Reverend Bishop Gerald Dino

assigned me to St. Philip’s as pastor. I am not only new for you, but new to this
country and culture as well. Certainly, I have been here many times – to visit. Now
I am coming to be with you, to serve you as your priest. There is much to learn, as
things are very different from parish life in Slovakia. I would simply like to begin
with this statement, which my old parish priest would often say to us: “I am here
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for you”. Please feel free to contact me at any time, and know that I am open and
eager to meet, to listen, to speak with each of you. I look forward to getting to
know you, and I welcome your comments and suggestions in building up St.
Philip’s life and community. I know that you are also here for me, and am
thankful to all who have done so much to “prepare my way” and to make me feel
welcome in our new home.
This is as it should be; we shall support each other on this walk together,
because my destination and yours are one and the same: heaven, everlasting
communion with God. I pray that this parish will be a great means for you to come
closer to Him. I consider all of you a great gift for me—my way of helping Christ
to build up His Kingdom and to extend His life and love over the world. The more
that we meditate upon this goal of our life, the more we shall strive to attain it. Let
us help each other on our way, through prayer, sacrifice, example, encouragement.
Let us commend ourselves and one another to Christ our God, so that we may
never lose sight of Him on this earthly pilgrimage. And let us ask our most holy
Mother and all the saints to show us the way. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Liturgical schedule
Tue Sept 6.00 pm Divine Birth of Solemn
.8 Liturgy the feast
Theotokos

Thu Sept 6.30 am Divine

. 10 Liturgy

Sun Sept 9.00 am Confessions Sunday before the

. 13 9.40 am Office of the Exaltation of the
3rd hour Holy Cross
10.00 Divine Liturgy

There were no weekday liturgical services in our parish in recent years. However,
I reside in Sacramento, so we can meet for prayer even during the week. If you

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would like to come to pray during the week, let me know. I would like to find out Amen.
the most convenient times for services in the morning and in the evening. I will be
available to you around those times for confessions, appointments, etc.

Other announcements
• On September 1st we started new liturgical year. I wish you all God’s
graces for this and many years to follow. May God bless you and your
beloved ones. May our heavenly Mother protect you from all evil.

• Our parish mailing address stays the same. You can also send mail to my
home address:
Fr. Francis Murin
3730 Winding Creek Rd
Sacramento, CA 95864
You may also reach me, by phone, at: (916) 539-1534, or
by e-mail: feromurin@hotmail.com

Prayer (by Blessed Cardinal John Henry 3ewman)

Dear Jesus,
help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Thy spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a
radiance of Thine.
Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may
feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only
Jesus! Stay with me, and then I shall begin to shine as Thou shinest, so to shine
as to be a light to others; the light, O Jesus, will be all from Thee; none of it
will be mine; it will be Thou shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise Thee in the way Thou dost love best by shining on those
around me. Let me preach Thee without preaching, not by words but by my
example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do, the
evident fullness of the love my heart bears to Thee.
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