A very Happy New Year to all fellow Atwater Villagers!!  With 2015 off and running, we welcome a new pastor to our neighborhood Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Father Ricardo Viveros.  Okay, Father Ricky has been with us six or so months already (July 2014), but that's pretty recent in my book!

Often a rarity, Father Ricky can claim status as a native Angeleno.  With his parents, two sisters and one brother, their family grew up in the Wilmington and and Harbor City areas of Los Angeles.  After graduating from Bishop Montgomery High, Father Ricky attended Long Beach State.  He considered going into teaching but, during his last year in college, Father Ricky felt the calling to ministry.

By August 2002, Father Ricky was immersed in religious studies at St. John's Seminary in Ventura County.  With his roots in Los Angeles, and the desire to be close to family (all of whom still live an easy car ride away), Father Ricky chose the path of a diocesan priest.  In the Catholic church, diocesan priests commit themselves to a life of service within a particular geographic community, known as a diocese.  

After being ordained in 2008, Father Ricky began his life as a priest at St. John Vianney in Hacienda Heights.  With a parish of about 6,000 families, "tending to the flock" kept him very very busy.  Sadly, in 2011, an arsonist burned down the church building during Holy Week.  The aftermath that followed proved a challenging time, as Father Ricky and the rest of the church community banded together to heal and rebuild.  Groundbreaking for construction of the new church begins this year.

When Father Maurice Harrigan, the pastor of nine years at Holy Trinity, was summoned to Mary Star of Sea Parish in San Pedro, Father Ricky "lucked" into the new opening and a chance to come back home to L.A.  You might say it was a match made in heaven for Father Ricky, who happens to bleed blue as a die hard Dodger fan, since you can practically smell the peanuts and Dodger dogs from the Stadium where we sit in Atwater.

Since last July, Father Ricky has lost no time getting to know the Holy Trinity and larger neighborhood community, and working to improve the lives of those around him.  January will see the start of Holy Trinity's youth ministry.  It will be a prime opportunity to kick start the interest of our neighborhood youngsters.  Also, Holy Trinity Catholic School is excited to welcome its new principal, Karen Lloyd.  With a new educator at the helm, the school is poised to break new ground.  Finally, preparations are underway for Holy Trinity to celebrate 90 years of serving the residents of Atwater Village.  The celebration will take place during the Feast of the Holy Trinity on Sunday May 31, 2015.  Come one, come all!