A Word from Your Pastor January 29

Dear Parishioners:

As you have heard, our former Pastor Fr. Thomas Shonebarger passed away January 6, 2012. He had experienced quite a number of years of poor health and was on dialysis three days a week. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend his funeral at St. Mary’s in Lancaster since I was away on vacation at the time. We will have a special Memorial Mass for Fr. Tom at St. Timothy Church on Monday, February 6, at 6:30 p.m. It is a tradition to remember our beloved dead the first month after their death in a Mass known as the “Month’s Mind.”

My own first assignment as a priest in the Diocese of Columbus was at St. Mary’s in Lancaster, which was Fr. Tom’s home parish. So I had the opportunity to get to know many of his family members of multiple generations.

Throughout the years of my priesthood, I have followed behind Fr. Tom in three different assignments: both Fr. Tom and I had the role of Diocesan Director of Vocations, and we both served as Pastor at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Newark, and at St. Timothy Church in Columbus. I got to know Fr. Tom both personally and by way of the fruits of his ministry in the various communities I also served.

There is one other detail worth noting: Fr. Tom Shonebarger and I had the same birthday (August 23rd). He had it before I did, of course. When I was Director of Vocations, Fr. Tom was still the Chaplain to the Columbus Serra Club downtown. The Serrans would host a picnic for the priests which took place on or around our common birthday. Fr. Tom would tell them it was my birthday, but he would not let me tell them it was his as well.

The Columbus Serrans will be present at the Memorial Mass. Perhaps some members of the parish would be interested in becoming Serrans in order to honor Fr. Tom and to pray for and to promote Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious life.


Entering into our Golden Jubilee: Getting to know Saint Timothy.

Greet Prisca and Aquila and the family of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained in Corinth, while I left Trophimus sick at Miletus. Try to get here before winter. Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers send greetings. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with all of you. (II Timothy 4:19-22)

As St. Paul ends his Second Letter to St. Timothy, his greetings and directions become very personal. The names of various Christians who worked with them in their mission of proclaiming the Gospel throughout the Mediterranean world are mentioned in a manner that suggests a real depth of communion.




The Erastus mentioned in Corinth was a likely the public official whose inscription can be read amid the ruins of old Corinth to the present day, indicating that Christianity appealed to members of every social class. Paul’s appeal to Timothy to visit him before winter also gives us a sense of his desire to see his younger companion.

The final words of the letter are familiar to all of us through their frequent use in the Liturgy. “The Lord be with you – And with your spirit!” is newly on our lips, pointing back across two thousand years of Christian history. “Grace be with all of you” likewise crosses the ages and invites us to acknowledge the grace of God at work in us forming us as a community of believers united in mind and heart.

A Word from Your Pastor January 22

Dear Parishioners:

A day that lives in infamy! January 22, 1973, represents a date when our nation forgot itself and chose to relinquish its duty to protect innocent life in the womb. We have not yet awakened from this madness. There are no winners in this battle until our eyes are opened once again.

We are a Church of compassion, and all who have been affected by this unilateral decision by the Supreme Court to change the law of the land are in our prayers.

We remember the mothers whose lives have been forever changed by the loss of their children by this act of violence against them and their sons and daughters in the womb.
“In Ramah is heard the sound of sobbing, bitter weeping! Rachel mourns for her children, she refuses to be consoled for her children—they are no more!” (Jeremiah 31:15 – quoted in Matthew 2:18, at the death of the Holy Innocents in Bethlehem.) Healing is possible. God is a God of forgiveness and love and the Church reaches out in many ways to comfort them.

We remember the fathers of the children who are no more, especially those who had no voice in the fate of their little ones and those who were the coerced the act. We remember grandmothers and grandfathers, brothers and sisters, classmates and friends who never came to know their companions due to the world’s refusal to allow them to enter.

We remember all those who are confused by the world’s values and by their own blindness in the face of fear, greed or disrespect for the value of life itself. We hold all these, and our nation, in prayer, as we ask God for a way to overcome this evil in our world.

Entering into our Golden Jubilee: Getting to know Saint Timothy.

But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. (II Timothy 4:17-18)

St. Paul acknowledges that his life and the life of every Christian involve a battle, a struggle with the world that rejects Christ. He notes also that the Lord is the source of his strength as he works to fulfill his own ministry of proclaiming the Gospel to the Gentiles. Many times he faced the threat of death. At the moment he writes, he is aware of the fact that he will continue to face such a threat. He is confident that whatever the outcome, the Kingdom awaits him. The mention of the Heavenly Kingdom leads Paul to acclaim a doxology, a word of praise for God’s glory.

This is a model worth imitating. When we experience the trials and tribulations that are part of life, especially part of the life led in proclamation of the Gospel, we ought to keep our hearts fixed on the glory that lies ahead in the Kingdom.

The new English translation of the Mass has a reference to this text that may not be known because it is not heard by the people. When the priest receives the Host, he prays, “May the Body of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.” Similarly, when he receives from the Chalice, he says “May the Blood of Christ keep me safe for eternal life.”

A Word from Your Pastor January 15

Dear Parishioners:

This weekend, we once again welcome some priests from the Pontifical College Josephinum to assist with some of the Masses. We are grateful to them for their willingness to assist us in the parish in addition to their duties with the seminarians. They bring a richness of experience and their Faith serves to build us up.

The first Reading at Mass today highlights the call of Samuel the Prophet. He is a young boy when he first hears the call, but he does not yet understand that it is the Lord Who is speaking to him. This image is often all too apt for our own experience today. Have you taught your children to listen for the voice of the Lord as they discern their own vocation? Parents and others need to invite the next generation to know the Lord, and to give the answer that Samuel learns to give: “Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening.”

As we wind down from the Christmas Season, it is not too early to make plans for Lent, which will arrive February 22. Our Parish will be experiencing a Lenten Retreat, starting with the First Sunday of Lent, and going through Wednesday. So, please, mark the dates from February 25-29 on your calendar now. Watch the bulletin for details, but make sure not to plan any Parish or School events those days. There will be an evening session from Sunday to Wednesday. Our children will also be participating, both in the School and through PSR. This is our Jubilee Year. Let it be a year of growth in Faith for you and your family.

Entering into our Golden Jubilee: Getting to know Saint Timothy.

Try to join me soon, for Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Luke is the only one with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in the ministry. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching. At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! (II Timothy 4:9-16)

As St. Paul comes to the close of his letter to St. Timothy, he offers some rather mundane and practical comments. This indicates the sort of friendship he had with Timothy. They shared ministry with many fellow workers in the vineyard. Paul is ready to share his frustrations, even naming those who are the source of some of his current difficulties.

We ought not to judge those mentioned as “enemies” too harshly, since it is clear that Paul often patches up his disagreements with individuals as the years go on. The mention of Titus recalls the fact that Timothy and Titus now share a Feast day, January 26. Luke is, of course, the beloved physician of Gospel and Acts of the Apostles fame. Mark is likewise the Gospel writer, who was part of the disagreement that separated Paul from Barnabas in missionary journeys. Paul seems to have been a lot of trouble to folks in the trades of working with metals (especially precious metals), which were often used to create statues and shrines to the pagan deities he denounced. It is of interest to note Paul’s request for some practical items: his cloak, left in Troas, where he first heard the call to take the Gospel to the West, and papyrus documents and parchments, likely scrolls of the (Old Testament) texts used to proclaim the fulfillment of God’s plan through Jesus Christ. Timothy is obviously one whom Paul trusted to attend to such matters on his behalf. He is also a friend who could sympathize with Paul and pray with him about his difficulties. We who have Timothy as our patron would do well to be such friends to those who walk with us on the journey of Faith.

A Word from Your Pastor January 8

Dear Parishioners:

Since Advent had a full four weeks, this year our Season of Christmas has a quicker ending. The Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord is usually the Sunday after Epiphany. Instead, this year, it is observed on Monday, January 9th. Some religious communities will hold onto Christmas until February 2, the Feast of the Presentation, also known as Candlemas, since candles may be blessed at Mass that day. I think it is a mercy of the Church Universal to give us at least a few weeks of Ordinary Time before we plunge into the next great cycle of Lent-Easter-Pentecost.

The Mysteries of Christ are so rich that we need to have time to “unpack” them. Today’s Solemnity of Epiphany actually has three moments of the Life of Jesus in view: the Coming of the Magi, the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan by John, and the Wedding Feast of Cana, when Jesus performed the first of His Signs in the Miracle of water made wine. These moments have in common the revelation of the glory of Jesus.

The Magi remind us that Jesus is the Light of the Nations. The Baptism makes known that Jesus is the Son of God and the Bearer of the Spirit. And the Wedding Feast of Cana is the first hint of the Hour of Christ’s Glory, which will be manifested through His Cross and Resurrection. If we keep these Mysteries in mind in a glance of Faith from the Heart, we can come to realize Who Jesus Is.

As we return to Ordinary Time for a few weeks, we carry the Mysteries within us.

This week, both Fr. Bill Faustner and I are away for some vacation time. Fr. Jim Wehner, rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum, will be filling in for several Masses during the week and next Saturday. Show him the usual St. Timothy welcome, and be sure to introduce him to those who may have a vocation to priesthood. The next generation will have priests only if we teach our sons and grandsons how to hear God’s Call.

Entering into our Golden Jubilee: Getting to know Saint Timothy.

For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. (II Timothy 4:6-8)

St. Paul’s Second Letter to St. Timothy brings with it a sense of pathos, an acknowledgment that Paul is at the end of his earthly journey. He looks back over his “career” as an Apostle, and with humility, is able to note that he has stayed true to his course. As he anticipates his reward, there is also a sense that he knows that for Timothy and those under his leadership, the journey still continues. Paul wants his life, nearing its goal, to be an encouragement to them on their own journey. Longing for the Appearance of Christ, that is, His Second Coming in Majesty and Glory at the end of Time, is an attitude that can be shared by each generation.

As we observe our Golden Jubilee, we must also see that it is important for us to pass on the dream to the generations to come. Who we have been finds its true meaning in who we become as individuals on the path to glory, and who we are as a community of believers who share our Faith with others. The Parish remains ever young in the Faith, even as we mature in our capacity to put the Gospel into practice and to teach it to our children.

A Word from Your Pastor January 1, 2012

Dear Parishioners:

A Blessed New Year to all! As we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, we are invited to put God first in our lives as Mary did. When our priorities are straight, everything else falls into place. We may not realize this simple truth until we put it into effect, but it is written into our very bones. Mary is the model human being who puts her entire life, body, mind and spirit, heart and soul, at God’s disposal. “Let it be done to me according to Your Word” (Luke 1:38) is the attitude she lives. Her life is proof that God is trustworthy and faithful to His Promises, and that human beings become their best selves through free and willing cooperation with God’s grace. “The Holy Spirit will overshadow you….” (Luke 1:35) Let Mary’s example serve to call you to make a resolution to put God first in your life in the coming year and for your whole life.

As we move into a new calendar year, remember that we are still in the 50th Jubilee Year for St. Timothy Parish. When you have your first meetings of the year, look at your own calendar of events and see what can be highlighted as part of the Jubilee. Be sure to assign someone the responsibility of writing up a description of your organization and its history in the life of the parish for use in a Parish Jubilee Directory. Make up a comprehensive list of your past leaders and of members through the years. Honor those who are still with you from the earliest days of your group’s existence. Don’t let the year pass you by.

One resolution we can make as a parish is to live more truly our own Parish Mission:

“United in the Body of Christ, we strive to promote the greater glory of God
through a spirit of welcome and willing service to our brothers and sisters.”

(Adopted by the St. Timothy Parish Pastoral Council February 25, 2010.)

To help us on our way, we join together in our Parish Prayer:

To the King of ages, the immortal, the invisible, the only God
Be honor and glory, forever and ever! Amen. (I Timothy 1:17)

May 2012 be our best year ever!


Entering into our Golden Jubilee: Getting to know Saint Timothy.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry. (II Timothy 4:1-5)

St. Paul does not shrink from laying the burden he has carried on those who seek to follow his example. He writes to St. Timothy in his role as leader in the Christian Community in Ephesus, and he charges him do accomplish the task assigned to him with boldness and zeal. Proclamation of the Word, perseverance in the face of hardships, exhortation of others, and teaching the Truth are the duty of anyone who is sincere in the desire to follow the Gospel of Christ.


Thanks Gracias Merci Grazie Danke

Fr. Tim Hayes and Fr. Bill Faustner thank all who have sent cards and gifts and food items to us at the Rectory for Christmas. You show great hospitality to guests and take good care of your priests. We are most grateful for all that you do and are for us and for St. Timothy Church. May God bless you for your many kindnesses!