Blessed Sacrament Mission Church

The Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, is a venerated icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland.  

The Black Madonna can be found both in Catholic and Orthodox countries and so represents a unifying figure especially during this troubled time of war and suffering.  Pray the Rosary and ask for the Blessed Mother to intervene and warm cold hearts and return peace to all good people in Ukraine and Russia and everywhere where people are suffering.

For centuries, the Catholic Church has set aside the entire month of Mary to honor Mary, Mother of God.  Not just a day in May, mind you, but the entire month.

Many people have asked about where I come from so I thought I would give you a little bio of myself.

I was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1964. My father grew up in Chicago and was fascinated by electronics in his youth and went to work in avionics for American Airlines. He worked first in New York at La Guardia and then in Tulsa since the principal maintenance base for American was located there. My mother is from the South and her family goes back to Revolutionary times. She met my dad while working at La Guardia and entered the Catholic Church five years after they were married. We lived in Tulsa on Route 66 on an acreage my father had bought. Our parish, seven miles away, was run by the Polish Capuchins, the same ethnicity as my father. 

I went to parochial school and public school and then to Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa. After graduating, I went with friends to the University of Kansas. It was there that I discovered Professor John Senior and his Great Books Program. There was also a swell of Catholic activity and I greatly deepened Faith as a student there. He recommended that I spend time in a Benedictine Abbey and suggested Fontgombault in France. I spent nine months there and was proposed the Carthusian life. The Carthusian Order imitates the solitary life of the monks in the desert. I practiced this life for 28 years most of which were in France and then came out of the life mainly for health reasons dealing with sleep apnea, fatigue, stress and tension.

I spent a year teaching St John’s Seminary in Camarillo, Ca and then 18 months at Mission San Miguel in the Central Coast region. This last year I was the chaplain at the Newman Center at Sonoma State Univ. while residing and helping out at the cathedral of St Eugene.

I am happy to be with you all here as we walk together in our Faith coming closer to God as a community each day.

Peace be with you, Fr Rob

Father Arsenius, the resident Hermit Priest of the Annunciation Hermitage at Blessed Sacrament Church in Elk, CA, presents the Mass and vespers in Latin. 

You do not need a Facebook account to view this just click "Not Now" when you are asked for a log on.  

On the sidebar on the Facebook page, select "Videos" to view  recordings of Masses or other religious services.

Click here to Visit the Blessed Sacrament Facebook page