Month: January 2025

On the Way: thoughts for pilgrims Cont.

djpasternak

Russell G. Terra began his earthly pilgrimage in Sacramento California on Feb. 26, 1936. The first indication he might have a religious calling came when six-year-old Russ went into his house crying. He told his mother God spoke to him as he played outside, and said He had much work for him to do. He was crying because he didn’t want to work, he wanted to play. His mother later reminded her son about this incident, but he did not remember it himself.

Russell had no interested in church, although he attended Catholic school and was brought up in the faith. He loved baseball, fishing and hunting. He tried to skip his catechism class whenever possible. However, in 1945 at age nine, his public school friends persuaded him to attend a two week summer program with them offered to both Catholic and public school students. The seminarian who taught the course impressed Russ with the methods he used, his kindness and consideration, but most of all the fact he could hit a softball over the gymnasium. This man, Roy Peters led Russ to seek out what the priesthood was all about.

The six year old who cried because God told him He had work for him to do, became ordained a priest in 1962 and certainly did work: as a teacher, pastor, speaker, author, founder of innovative social groups, homilist, etc. His last position was pastor of St Joseph’s Church in Redding for 23 years. He enjoyed hunting and fishing until he turned 80, was a private pilot for10 years, and flew over many areas of California for the ‘pure pleasure’ of it.

Mngr. Terra retired from the parish at 67 and wrote and published homilies. He lived in Redding across from Benton Airpark where he passed on at 88 years old. A pilgrim worth noting.

(Check out his biography by Fr. John E. Boll on-line in the archives of the Sacramento Diocese.)

On the Way: thoughts for pilgrims

djpasternak

A beloved nearly ninety-eight-year-old aunt of mine passed on recently. She was the last of a generation that included aunts and uncles and parents in both my husband’s and my families. Often referred to as the ‘greatest generation’ they lived through WW11, the great depression, and so on. Now we have taken the place of those pilgrims who tread the earth and now exist in another realm. We are ‘on the way’.

One of us, our generation, passed through and joined those souls almost two years ago. Last week, his widow, our dear neighbor, moved out of the neighborhood, and in cleaning out years of things, came upon a book of poetry with inspiring photographs by Russell G. Terra: On the Way: thoughts for pilgrims. In just 106 pages, he revealed his pilgrimage on earth, his spiritual Way. She handed me the book just before leaving her home.

After reading the poems with accompanying photos, I googled him and came upon a biography by Fr. John E. Boll in the archives of the Sacramento Diocese. Just as the book of poems impressed me, the biography drew me to pursue his life further.

I ordered the only available copy of the book of poems on amazon to give to a poet friend of mine. My next blog will reveal some interesting facts about Russ, found in the 37 page biography.